Hammocks

[John Legg]

Chris supplesa posted this on the MLK forum, it is very interesting.


14 September 1863
To Captain Richard H. Gayle, Steamer "Cornubia"
"Captain,
Please receive on board: 150 coils rope, 27 bails hammocks, 4 casks, 6 bales cotton shirts, 8 bales white flannel shirts, 4 bales blue cloth overcoats, 5 bales duck trousers, 33 bales duck frocks, 2 boxes combs, 2 cases tin pots."
J.T. Bourne
per Geo. P. Gibson





Four Years with the Iron Brigade: The Civil War Journal of William Ray, Company F, Seventh Wisconsin Volunteers,"

"July 12, 1862

Fine morning, not gone yet and I don't see as we are likely to go. I didnt rest well last night, the cause of it is I slept in a hammack and it was so soft and easy that I couldnt after sleeping on the ground so long. Making hammocks first started in Co C, 6th Regt and they all got hammocks. The Brigade doctor seeing this issued an order for the whole Regt to have them as they would be much healthier. Then three or four of our boys made them and I laid down in one to try them and got up with the conclusion to make one. So I went at it yesterday morning to make it and did make it, taking my half of tent to make it. And find it much more comfortable living without a tent and with a hammock."



"July 27, 1862

And fine day. Formed revilee line this morning. This being Sunday we had no drill, had the Sunday morning inspection. Come out in splendid order. Cap complimented us verry highly for our cleanliness, said we need never fear but that we would ever pass any inspection as long as we kept ourselves in as good order as this morning. Had dress parade at usual time 6 P.M.

John and I moved our hammocks to a better cooler place, there being a small ridge just wide enough for a tent or two hammocks. This ridge is formed by an old road running each side and they have washed out to the depth of 4 to 6 feet. Which causes a good drain thereby making it a dry place even when it rains. And it being a few rods from the Co. We have a good breez when there is any going. This ridge is nearly all occupied by those that have hammocks and the boys call it hammock Ridge. We are fixed up neat having our oilclothes stretched so as to form a tent over us down as far as our hammocks come. So we are better situated than if we were in tents for it cannot rain throught and we are off the ground free from all vermin and the damp of ground."



"July 28, 1862

And fine day. No revilee line this morning. The Brigade has to change Camp. Well the quatermaster had some teams bring evrything that the boys wanted them to such as boards, tables and stools &c before we moved. Then the teams came back and got dinner, then hauled our knappsacks over here, which is about 1 1/2 miles from the old Camp. We got here about three oclock, went to work, fixed up as well as we could. John and I fixed our hammocks up for the night. Then to fix up right on the morrow. It was clever in the Quatermaster to haul our boards &c over. John and I have two seats and a table which makes us verry comfortably situated for eating, writing &c."



"August 16, 1862

And fine day. .....Camped in a large clover field. Probably will move tomorrow. I ought to write a letter home. We have not had any mail since we left Falmouth. John and I have not put up our hammocks as we are not likely to stay long."

The U.S. Navy also used them

[Matthew Semple]

Re: Hammocks

The United States Navy issued hammocks (and sometimes just the material to make hammocks) to sailors. It was considered part of their seabag issue. As an issued item, they did not have to pay for it.

The following is from the reminiscences of Daniel F. Kemp who served aboard US gunboat Dolsen 1861-1862 and aboard USS Cincinnati 1862-1863:

On board the Dolsen:
"My first night on the Dolsen was a cold one, as they were short of blankets. They only issued to us a plain piece of canvas, called a hammock, and no covering whatsoever. The night was really a cold one, and as we had to tie our hammocks up on the open main deck, where we got full benefit of the chilly breezes, as the saying is "I nearly froze to death."

On board the Cincinnati:
"I don't believe the boys in the Navy now-a-days have to furnish their own writing paper and stamps, but we did, and in fact had to pay for nearly everything we needed, outside of our uniform, hammock, and blankets. Our mail was brought to us every few days by some gunboat coming down the river-- usually by one of the Tinclads of the Musquito fleet."

Here is information regarding issued items for landsmen turned seaman apprentice during the period:

"After passing the examination before the surgeon and instructors, the paymaster furnishes the apprentice for immediate use with the following articles of clothing : One pea-jacket, cloth cap, pair of cloth trousers, flannel over and under shirts, pair of drawers, shoes, neck-tie, socks, white duck pants and frock, comb, knife, pot, pan, and spoon, one bar soap, clothes-bag, and a badge. The boy is then taken to the ship's corporal, who assists him in the transformation from a landsman to a sailor-boy. Next the sailmaker furnishes him with a hammock —his bed until of age. Then the master-at-arms places him in a mess, and, at the same time, gives him a printed form, on which is registered his number, that of his bag and hammock, a list of his clothing, and points out the place where he is to swing his hammock. Each boy has a number given to him when he enlists, and he retains that number as long as he is an apprentice."

Reference: Saturday, August 19, 1865 in Harper’s Weekly.: A Journal of Civilization. Volume IX.-No. 451:1.


Here is some documentation for hammock use in the Confederate States Navy:

The following is an order from the Commandant of Norfolk Navy Yard to Acting Master Evans, Commanding Officer, CSS United States, regarding transfer of men from CSS Virginia:

JANUARY 29, 1862.

[SIR:] By direction of Flag Officer Forrest, you will be pleased to get in readiness the 20 men of the Merrimack's crew, who volunteered their services for Commodore Lynch's squadron. Send them with their bags and hammocks. Their accounts, if found necessary, will be sent afterwards. You will keep one list of the men on board and the other list for the officer in charge of them.

Respectfully, your obedient servant, S. S. LEE, For Flag-Officer.

The following is an order from the Commandant of Norfolk Navy Yard to Lieutenant Catesby Jones, Executive Officer, CSS Virginia, regarding the commissioning of the Virginia:

COMMANDANT'S OFFICE' DOCKYARD, Gosport, February 17, 1862.

SIR: You will be pleased to receive on board the Virginia, immediately after dinner today, all the officers and men attached to the vessel, with their baggage, hammocks, etc., and have the ship put in order throughout. She will remain where she is to coal and receive her powder. You will report to me when your men and officers are on board, and use every effort to get the ship in order, as this day she is put in commission.

I am, very respectfully, F. FORREST, Flag- Officer and Commandant.


I will see what else I can dig up from my notes and over at Special Collections here at the Naval Academy.

[sigsaye]

Re: Hammocks

Hammocks were an issue item in the Navy from the beginning and continued to be issued to each recruit until 1950. in "Life in Mr Lincolns Navy" by Cdr. Ringold the issue in the Civil War (and in most other periods up to 1944) was: 1 hammock with nettles and clew lines (all the rigging to "swing" them), I mattress (horse hair) and either one double or two single blankets. The hammock was only swung when it was time to sleep. When the Sailor was on duty, his hammock was "triced". That is, the matterss, and blankets (and sometimes unauthorized items such as spare clothing and books) were rolled up lengthwise in the hammock. the "Tricing Line" was then taken from the head and lashed around the hammock using seven "Marlin Turns". The hammock was then taken down from its clew hooks, bent in half (like a Soldiers mule collar), tied off with the clew lines and stowed in either the "Hammock Nets" which were sections of the bulwarks on the spar deck (main deck) or in lockers provided below orr of the berth deck. The reason the hammocks were cleared each day was that the berth deck was also the mess deck, and many of the crew slept on the gun deck.

The hammock was to have a patch stitched to the out side at the bend when rolled that had the Sailors "Hammock Number" stenciled on it. The number would be red for Port Watch and black for Starboard Watch. The Hammock number corresponded with the cumber of the clew hooks from which the hammock was to be swung. This was different from the ships number and was determined be the Sailors division in the ship. It would also change if he was transfered to a different division. This same number was also put on a patch on the Sailors seabag. The patch was so that if the number changed, it could be easily changed on the bag and hammock. The hammock (and sea bag) were placed in the nets or lockers in numaric order with the number showing. This way, the Master-At-Arms (roughly equivilant to an Army First Sargent) could see if any were not in place. These nets and lockers were located on the out board part of the ship and were considered part of the ships armor. This information is found in "The Kedge Anchor", written in 1847 by a Master in the Navy as a guide to new Sailors. It remained unchanged except for details until 1944 when the mattress was deleeted, and then in 1950, the hammock was also dropped. On some ships, each Sailor was issued two hammocks. That way when the hammock was drying on scrub day, the Sailor had another one to roll his blankets into and stow in the nets. The extra one would be stowed in the "Sail Loft".

Civil war hammocks were made of #1 Sail Canvas. All documented surviving examples are hand sewn with hand sewn gromets for the nettles. Some have zinc washers sewn into the grommets. Hammocks from the 1880s on are machine sewn and have brass grommets. I have not found any evidence of the use of mattress covers until the 1880s. Neither have I found evidence of pillows. The hammock does not appear to have been lashed around the seabag (ie. Steve McQueen in "The Sand Pebles") until the 1930s. Until then it was a seperate item to carry upon transfer.

Clothing issues were basically as described in the previous post. A point of interest, "P-Jacket" is a term that applied to the Dress Blue Jacket (called a Monkey Jacket by reenactors). This jacket was originally intended to only be worn with the white frock (jumper). The jacket became the "Dress" uniform meaning that if you put it on you were dressed up. By the time of the Civil War it was being used as an outer garment for warmth. All clothing beyond what was initally issued was up to the Sailor to procure. It could be either purchased from the ships Pay Master or ashore at a Chandler. More commonly, the Sailor purchased fabric and either made his own clothing or had a shipmate who could sew make them for his. Theis is the reason that you find very few original items or photos where all the Sailors are weraing the same "Uniform". White uniforms were seldom worn, being reserved for special dress up occassions. Blue uniforms were worn exclusively as working uniforms. In southern waters, Sailors would draw blue denim or blue cotton drill and make working uniforms (same appearance as other uniforms) as the woolen clothing was hot and uncomfortable. Clothing with fancy embroidery was not worn aboard ship on duty. They were reserved for "Liberty" ashore (Cruising bars, chasing women etc.). Cap tallies (ribbon) were rare. All documented examples form the Civil War have the ships name hand painted and "USS" was not used. Most hats that were decorated had just a bow on the side and again, these were reserved for special occassions.

Sorry for rambeling, Navy uniforms are my thing.
Steve Hesson

[DaveGink]

Re: Hammocks

Great stuff John!!! Using their shelter halves as hammocks and oilclothes stretched over them to form a tent. It would be great to see some photos of this being done. It sounds like it was fairly widespread in his Brigade by those entries.

[Matthew Semple]

Re: Hammocks

Mr. Hesson,

Good information. Thanks for posting it.

By the way, ships in the US Navy still make reference to tricing up in their morning 1MC announcements:

"Revielle, revielle, all hands heave out and trice up, now revielle."

[sigsaye]

Re: Hammocks

Mr, Semple, That they do. My son hears that every morning when I get him up. He'll be shipping out next May, mightas well get used to it now. Of my 26 years in the Navy, 20 were at sea. Three of the ships I served in had Civil War "ancesters", USS St. Louis, USS Pensacola, and USS Nashville. On the bulkhead in the Chiefs mess of Nashville was a print of the ram CSS Nashville.

They also still pass the word to "Haul over all hatch hoods and gun covers" when it starts to rain even though the last ship with hatch hoods went out 30 years ago. By the way, there is a push to bring back the 1862 Ames cutlas for Chiefs to wear with full dress.

Steve Hesson

[1stMaine]

Re: Hammocks

Comrades,

In fact, I still have in storage my father's hammock and mattress, as well as both his sea bags and some other items. He was issued a green seabag for his clothing and personal effects, and a white seabag into which was rolled and placed his hammock, mattress, blankets and pillow. He served as a Pharmacist's Mate in WWII, primarily on independant duty with the Marines in the Pacific theatre, and he pretty much brought everything home with him when he was discharged.

His main recollection of boot camp at Great lakes was the first couple of days when the new recruits were issued with hammocks and had to learn to rig them in the barracks. They were long wooden barracks with steel poles and cleats with which to tie off to. Put their hammock up at night, and rolled and stored it each morning. He also remarked about how he was assigned for a few months temporary duty to LST 202. this was for the Leyte campaign. He remembered that, although their were berths provided for the officers, and for the assault troops they carried, ship's company had still to use hammocks in their berthing areas.

Just tossing out some info for what it's worth.

Also, if you are interested in further examples of CW navy enlisted clothing, the historical society of Yarmouth, Maine, has the clothing and personal effects of a fireman from the Nahant. His jumper and bells have a neat blue & white check material for the lining, waistband, packets, etc. Also has some nice embroidery work. Of interest was his blanket, exactly like the one in EOG, of a tannish material with USN in red paint stencilled in the middle.

Respects,

[sigsaye]

Re: Hammocks

Tim, I have some photos of the Navy gear that is in EOG. They are really good close ups with good lighting. It is amazing the detail that is lost in EOG. Of real interest is the PO badge on the Brown blue frock is done on denim. Also, his neckerchief is on backwards. I have a photo of the reverse side of it and it is a perfect square knot. Who ever put it on the uniform got it flipped over.

There are also a pair of trousers in which the eyelets for the rear gussett are made with small brass gromets, like those in British import shoes.

Karen and I have a set of documented ogirinal CW Whites, (frock and trousers) coming in from a private collector for examination and a bit of conservation work. Really looking forward to that. The fall in the trousers is a bit different than any we have seen in the past. Navy uniforms are great. Every one of that era is different. Each time we get to examine something we learn something new.

Steve Hesson

[DJCasey]

Re: Hammocks

I attempted to make a shelter half hammock. It worked, but at 6'2", I was not very comfortable. After considerable effort, I gave up and sept on the ground. I just hung over too much. If I were several inches shorter (as most soldiers obviously were), I would have been much more comfortable. I recomend giving it a shot, it was fun. I would love to see a whole company or more sleeping like this sometime. I'm sure it was a great releif to get off of the ground for many soldiers.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Hammocks

There is also a very nice example at the Bardstown (KY) Civil War Museum which I sketched to the best of my ability, as it too is folded up in the case. It was all handsewn, with what appeared to be corded or lined rather than washered grommets, out of a twilled canvas (Could be hemp canvas). I've made more than a few for myself and other Navy living historians, and you absolutely have to reinforce the grommets . I'm 6'2'' and haven't missed a meal in a while, but slept confortably when needed to.

[sigsaye]

Re: Hammocks

Ross, the hammock in Bardstown is a standard Navy issue hammock. It is made of #1 Sail canvas, much heavier than what is available in fabric stores. The fabric is cotton canvas. For the most part, the Navy stopped using hemp in the 1850s due to expense and Manila was more durable. Hemp did hang around for a bit in the form of "small stuff".

The grommets are sewn using sail twine. This is the stuff that, as the name implies. was used to make sails with. It is a heavy three strand cotton twist treated with vegatable wax.

The standard Navy issue hammock is in fact longer than the Army shelter half. Much heavier too. I am also 6'4", and find that I sleep quite well in mine. I have only slept in it on the berth deck of Constellation, once for a week straight. Best sleep I had had in a while. I only had one night that was not a good sleep. That night it was raining and water was leaking through the deck above me, into my hammock with me, which is quite historically correct. Luckily, there were only a few of us on board, so when I woke up and figured out what was what, I was able to move to a different set of clew hooks. This would not have been possible during Constellations active career as the berth deck and gun deck clew hooks would have been full.

Steve Hesson