Dog Tent Poles

[Chuck Reynolds]

When did the Union Army start issuing the 3 piece dog tent poles?
Chuck

[Huck]

Re: Dog Tent Poles

20th century.

[Silas]

Re: Dog Tent Poles

Regarding use of the poles : http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...60&postcount=7

[DocReynolds]

Re: Dog Tent Poles

Three??? hmmm. I cross the top an' two upright....yea, mine got issued when I stopt in tha woods... Tha Ar-mee never give me nun, I jest took 'em off'n tha treez...Why carry what you kin git 'long tha way???

Pete Bedrossian
150th Ny

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Dog Tent Poles

This is Virginia's spouse posting.

I believe it is in _Hardtack and Coffee_ that the author mentions as the day wore on and the soldiers sensed they were going to go into camp, they would start dropping out of the ranks and grabbing fence rails and each soldier would then march into camp with his musket on one shoulder and a rail on the other. These rails could serve as uprights and a start on firewood for supper. I can't find my copy right now but someone else should feel free to correct my recollection if I haven't described it properly.

Michael Mescher

[lukegilly13]

Re: Dog Tent Poles

Chuck,
I thought your question was short, sweet, and to-the-point until I read folks posts in reply to this. Are you looking for the time that the Union army stopped using the 2-piece pole that was often used with shelter halfs? If so, I believe the two piece poles were used until WWI. Or, are you asking...when did the union army stop forming tents from three poles? That is a very interesting question as it has been my understanding that the army intended the "dog tent" to be pitched with two upright poles passing through grommets on the tent to be held tight with a "guy rope". If someone has a copy of The Federal Civil War Shelter Tent they can probably comment more accurately than I as I know longer have a copy and am posting from memory. Or were you looking for replies of how people currently, people's modern opinions of the 2 piece pole, and/or how soldiers pitched dog tents?

[Matt_E_Wright]

Re: Dog Tent Poles

I believe he's referring to the folding three piece pole used to make one upright. Here's a link:

http://www.greatwar.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=664720

According to the description the Army started making these in 1910. I'm a little leary of that only because the early 1900s were an incredibly transitory period as far as Army equipment goes.

However, the two piece civil war pole is cited as the shelter tent pole still in use under the Army's 1889 specifications. While the 3 piece pole may have been adopted earlier than 1910, I do not think the two piece pole would have been used much after 1910, because the length of the pole sections would have been too long to make the "short roll" w/ the rest of the M1910 equipment.

Matt Wright