confederate blankets

[nmilbury]

Hello gentlemen,
A few week ago there was a interesting discussion about British import white and blue-gray blankets that were prevalent from around 1863 to the end of the war. Before the blanket mill (I cant remember its name or find it online) near Richmond burnt down in May 1863, it was sending to the depots domestically produced blankets. How did these blankets look like? I know of the herringbone twill Confederate Issue blanket at Gettysburg that Charlie Childs patterend his from. Would this be an example of one of these domestic Southern blankets, or would they be made of jeans like other depot goods? also besides the Gettysburg one, are there any surviving issued blankets, and not ones sent from home?
Sincerely,
Nathan Milbury

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: confederate blankets

The herringbone blanket which County Cloth refers to as their 'Gettysburg' blanket is thought by it's producers to have a possible imported origin, as the HBT pattern is consistent with english looming at the time.

More likely than not these domestic blankets you are tracking down are a plain woven variety. Plain colored wool on a wool or cotton warp. County Cloth has produced these in the past, and I believe are coming out with a new example this year.

[DukeRPSC]

Re: confederate blankets

"How did these blankets look like? I know of the herringbone twill Confederate Issue blanket at Gettysburg that Charlie Childs patterend his from. Would this be an example of one of these domestic Southern blankets, or would they be made of jeans like other depot goods? also besides the Gettysburg one, are there any surviving issued blankets, and not ones sent from home?"

So many questions, so little bandwidth.

First, the blanket CC reproduces is not herringbone, but it does have a pronounced twill. It is a coarse yarn and very scratchy. I think the consensus is that this would be a domestically ( Southern ) produced blanket. Herringbone is one thing. Twill is another.

I live in Lexington County, SC and grew up in West Columbia, SC. Nearby was the site of Saluda Mills aka Saluda Factory ( Named after the Saluda River ), a fabric mill wrecked and burned by Sherman's troops as they passed through this area in 1865. I have seen the mill races. This factory produced blankets and fabric for CS uniforms. No known examples of Saluda Factory (Mills ) blankets or fabric survive.

CS domestically produced blankets and imported blankets both fall into the realm of speculation and conjecture. Some extant relics have provenance, both domestic and otherwise. Others do not. Some things we will never know. Some we must attempt to deduce from known construction and material techniques and content.

Come to Columbia, SC some time and look at the ruins of the factory. You can see the stars on the statehouse where Sherman's troops fired on it from nearby to the factory site.

Hope this helps.

PS

Contrary to some idiots posting on a competitor board, there is no "West Lexington, SC"

[nmilbury]

Re: confederate blankets

Thanks for the great info Ryan and David. :D I have never been able to handle one of the Child's blankets, so I don't know whether it is hemmingbone twill or just a blanket twill, but I remember it being cited on County Cloth's website as such. Im doing a "tour" of the South early this summer, and of course I'm going to Columbia, SC, so that I plan to see. Thanks for that bit of info.
Sincerely,
Nathan Milbury

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: confederate blankets

David -

If you look carefully at the 'Gettyburg' blanket, it does indeed alter it's twill, in a large wide, herringbone style. CRC even refers to it in this fashion. Which he maintains is typical of English looming practice at the time.

You can clearly see the twill shift in the attached photo. Which repeats 5 or 6 times across the width of the blanket See lower post for correction to this statement - RBW . . .

[Nighthawk]

Re: confederate blankets

Ryan-

The twill doesn't repeat 5 or 6 times. Here is an excerpt from the documentation that Charlie and Fred send with each blanket.....

“ It is a painstaking effort, utilizing custom spun, heavyweight yarns that include a high
percentage of shoddy or re-processed wool. The yarns are woven on an antique power loom to
duplicate the tight, 2/2 twill of the original. The rolls of blankets are only fulled (washed with
cleansers to remove most of the natural oils in the wool) to duplicate the finish of the original.
The blanket is not napped.

“ This reproduction accurately duplicates the surviving original in a local, private
collection. While there is no specific soldier or unit connected to this blanket, the original has an
old tag attached to it indicating it was taken from a deceased Confederate soldier on the
battlefield of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. While clearly appropriate for a mid-War impression
associated with the Army of Northern Virginia, the style is generic enough to be suitable for any
period or Confederate army of the War.

“ However, the blanket has two features which make it different from the usual military
blanket of the era. Most blankets have the 2/2 twill running in only one direction, so the diagonal
“ridges” of the twill generally run from one upper corner to the opposite lower corner. In this
blanket the twill reverses three times, creating two two-panel chevron’s ( or ‘V’s) in the body of
the blanket. You may have to look closely to see it, but the chevrons are there. The other feature
is the wide end stripes are flanked by two smaller stripes. Generally there is just one stripe at each
of the ends of military blankets, as seen in our 1851 Federal blanket reproduction.”

[nmilbury]

Re: confederate blankets

Now you'all have got me wondering, what is the precise definition of herringbone twill? It seems to me if the twill reverses as in a herringbone, then it should be called so, and if it does not, like in most Civil War garments, than it is just a "pronounced twill." I am used to the HBT uniforms issued to GI's in World War II, but that material's twill reverses many times---The 'Gettysburg' blanket changes direction three times---From Ryan's picture, it is apparent that the twill does indeed change direction, so this to me would make it herringbone. But there is a distinct difference in the two materials. The blanket merely changes direction, while the jacket material actually reverses direction and face. Any thoughts?

(From At the Front's website--HBT material)

County Cloth's 'Gettysburg' blanket


Sincerely,
Nathan Milbury

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: confederate blankets

Paul,

Thanks for clearing that up, my terms were 'incorrect'. Those info sheets that Gaede sends when he mails the blankets are great! Since I picked mine up direct from Childs at a show I never got one. :cry_smile

It is indeed an chevron rather than an HBT. I was simply writing alot of that from memory, and referenced phone conversations with Childs where we referred to it both as an 'hbt' in a generic sense, when it is a chevron...

HBT is "A pattern consisting of rows of short, slanted parallel lines with the direction of the slant alternating row by row ...."

Sorry for the confusion. . . :confused_

[Moonshine]

Re: confederate blankets

Does anyone know the providence of the blanket pictured in Fighting Men of the Civil War "Tenting Tonight" section? I see the footnote makes reference to the Nannos collection in Philad. I visited this museum/house some years ago hoping to see this artifact but alas it was not there. Has anyone seen it in person and does anyone know if Mr. Kline would reproduce this piece. If it's a civilain blanket it doesn't have the seam down the middle where 2 pieces are joined into one as his civilain blankets are. I wonder how this blanket was made and from where.

Jim Ross

[Reserve]

Re: confederate blankets

The blanket you are referring to in Fighting Men is not the only blanket like that. One very similar was sold awhile back through a relic dealer as "Papa's Army Shawl" or something like that. I had a picture of it on my old computer, but it is gone. They are both CS and both of the same pattern, color etc. To my knowledge neither has a center seam. Makes you wonder about when and where they came from.

On another note the CW Soldiers Museum has a 1st Fla. Infantry blue blanket on display that is still in family hands that I think may be a CS issue blanket, of some type. I remember it had black end stripes and was fairly heavy. I don't think a reproduction of this type is available, but it is something to look into in the future. It appears though to be a CS issue blanket of some type (maybe English but maybe CS manufacture).

[Masked Battery]

Re: confederate blankets

Blue with black end stripes? That sounds sort of like the one I've got. Where's it located? I'd like to compare/contrast.
Thanks.