Help - "double belled wedge"

[Anna Worden Bauersmith]

I have been driving myself crazy and wasting most of my work day trying to locate a pair of pictures of French double belled wedge tents being used during the CW. I saw them several months back. But, did I save them? Nope. Now I need them to show to some folks to prove I am not that crazy. Does anyone know what I am talking about and have a link to share?

Thank you enormously
Anna Worden

[RN_PAC]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

Anna-

Well I can assure you wholeheartedly you are not crazy! The 5th New York spent the summer of 1861 in Camp Hamilton outside of Fort Monroe (before and after Big Bethel) and was at least partly quartered in double-bell tents as well as a few Sibley tents and common tents. There are a number of images of Camp Hamilton demonstrating these, but sadly I am having a difficult time finding them for you right now :( . One image I recall offhand that is widely available is in the Time-Life CW volume entitled "First Blood" which shows a 5th NY officer's mess seated outside a row of double-bells.

I will ask some of my comrades, who I think have such images, for you and can forward them. My computer-research skills are kind of limited; I can look around as well, but you might make more headway using terms like "Fortress Monroe", "Camp Hamilton", and "5th New York" while searching image banks.

Hope that helps...good luck!
Best regards,
Tom Scoufalos

[K Bartsch]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

I have been driving myself crazy and wasting most of my work day trying to locate a pair of pictures of French double belled wedge tents being used during the CW. I saw them several months back. But, did I save them? Nope. Now I need them to show to some folks to prove I am not that crazy. Does anyone know what I am talking about and have a link to share?

Thank you enormously
Anna Worden

Ma'am,
While I cannot vouch for the authenticity of their products, there seems to be a fair amount of information here on the tentage you seek.

If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, a simple "Google" search turned this up. :wink_smil

http://www.tentsmiths.com/period-tents-french-wedge-tents.html

Cordially,

[Spinster]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

Now I need them to show to some folks to prove I am not that crazy. Thank you enormously
Anna Worden

No pictures to share-- I researched this type of tentage several years ago, and the computer has long since crashed. Bottom line, it was certainly not a common tent, but it did exist and was in military use in a limited manner.

Now, I was researching it because I greatly coveted the above mentioned Tentsmith's reproduction. I've seen it set up and in use for extended living in a setting where 18th century reenactors set up for weeks at a time. It is a grand tent, and would accomdate my need to store spinning wheels and looms under shelter while still allowing the public to see, and also avoid the ubiquitous "front porch look" a fly gives. It is a very versitile living/working space--if I'm not mistaken, the Camp Chase/Citizen's Companion was inside one at Perryville a few years back.

After close inspection, it simply proved to be too much tent for a couple of middle-aged women to handle alone.

[Anna Worden Bauersmith]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

Mr. K Bartsch,

I too found a variety of images depicting current versions of this tent while yahooing, which I personally prefer above google :wink_smil The images I am recalling are original in-situ camp images. I suspect the company you linked to may have used one of the images I have have in mind for thier marketing.
Thank you for your efforts.


Mrs. Lawson,
Wonderful to hear you had researched these tents and saw them in use. Primarily they are just a curiousity to me. But, I will admit the idea of using such a tent has crossed my mind. After all 1 tent is less costly than 2. May I inquire as to why it "proved to be to much of a tent"?

Anna Worden

[Spinster]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

May I inquire as to why it "proved to be to much of a tent"?
Anna Worden

Primarily because of my own physical limitations (I've got both arthritis and breathing difficulties) as well as whether or not my traveling partner(who is asthmatic) is available. Even together, we are limited--I traded the wall tent for a good sized hand cart several years ago, when I could no longer put it up without aid.

Currently we use a standard sized two door A with sod flaps, often with one side "shebanged"--lifted up on short poles to provide more room, and a curtain hanging down the ridgepole for privacy while changing. We often sleep four in the tent with this arrangement, and have slept 8, as well covering the spinning wheels. As I'm slowly forming a civilian unit, (more out of political necessity than anything else) I'm recommending this style of tent as easy for women to handle alone.

When feeling really poorly, or at events where we intend to port out early and must carry all our plunder to the parking lot, we fall back to a small lightweight bell-backed tent-not quite 6 feet tall, and about that long and wide too. It makes Sister unhappy though--at 5' 8", dressing in a short tent is a challenge.

The Tentsmiths double bell has a 10 foot upright, and a large amount of canvas to lift when erecting the tent--and being a Tentsmith, it is a thick high quality canvas, with Sunforger treatment, all of which adds weight. I'm sort of an independent creature, and feel that if I can't put up my own tent myself, I have no business carrying it. This tent also has a pretty large footprint--if your intent is to "blend in" on an otherwise military street, that's not happening.

If you are in a military/family style unit though, or have a gentleman who aids you in managing tentage, or are young and strong, this would be a delightfull and versatile style of tentage.

All this said, I'm currently negotiating a trade for an A tent that is about 3/4 the size of the double bell, with the idea of using it for a ladies dormitory, sleeping 6-8 who know how to pack light, and using it only at events where we've got that many ladies to aid in raising the tent.

[Anna Worden Bauersmith]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

Mrs. Lawson,

Thank you for your tent review. I am picturing the 10ft height in my head and agree it could be too much of a tent. I think I would prefer a smaller 8ft height 4-8 ft ridge size if I go in that direction. My dream set up is far different though. And, I agree, if I can't carry it, I have no purpose having it.

I will continue my image search. They are in somebody's database somewhere in virtual space.

Thank you,
Anna Worden

[RN_PAC]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

Anna-

I am not sure if you still desire any images of the tents in use or not, but I did manage to finally secure one of the several I had in mind taken at Camp Hamilton as alluded to above. As this is my first attempt at attaching any sort of image to a post, please be lenient if this does not work out :confused_

Best regards,
Tom

[Anna Worden Bauersmith]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

Mr. Scoufalos,

Thank you for the image. I hadn't seen this one, wonderful. How coincidental that it is NY. From what area of NY did they originate?

Anna Worden

[RN_PAC]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

The image was captured circa June 1861 in a camp at the terminus of the Virginia Peninsula near Fort Monroe, which was the 5th NY's first "deployment" after leaving Fort Schuyler in New York where they were mustered and initially trained. The initial 2 year recruits for the 5th NY were drawn mostly from Manhattan; some from the other boroughs, Brooklyn (a separate city at the time), Poughkeepsie, and New Jersey.

Best regards,
Tom

[maineman]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

I believe that an illustration of such can be found in "Hardtack & Coffee"
We do not allow unsigned posts on teh AC. As this was clearly stated in teh rules you signed upon registering for this site, consider this warning number 2. Justin Runyon- AC Moderator

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

On page 67 in Bob Zeller's "The Civil War In Depth, Volume II," there's a wonderful tinted stereo image of the 5th New York at Camp Hamilton. It's taken from an elevated position, peeking into a tent and catching a glimpse of the field music massed in the middle background.

[maineman]

Re: Help - "double belled wedge"

I believe that an illustration of such can be found in "Hardtack & Coffee"
We do not allow unsigned posts on teh AC. As this was clearly stated in teh rules you signed upon registering for this site, consider this warning number 2. Justin Runyon- AC Moderator

Mea Maxima Culpa.

didn't realize my signature wasn't automatically being added.

Pvt. Steven Henry
Co. A 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry
"Bath City Greys"