Civil War Mail Bag Question

[advanceguard]

Gents,

I am trying to construct a proper mail bag for mail call at an immersive event. I am using a purported original from the neighboring county, but I am no expert. Provided are the images of the original I am trying to copy if it is appropriate. Could anyone shed some light on this for me, as to whether or not this is even correct for our time period?

[arkangel33]

Re: Civil War Mail Bag Question

Sean,
I'm no expert but for whatever it's worth E. Gaylord is listed in Goods, Dealers and Makers as having ongoing long term contracts for mailbags. Doesn't help the project much but I have thought about this idea as well.

[arkangel33]

Re: Civil War Mail Bag Question

Wisconsin Veteran Museum has a mail bag listed as " Bag Mail"
Here is the info on it.

Bag, mail, cotton, canvas, enameled, black, one piece, flapped, w/lining, wool, jacquard woven, green, tan, floral pattern. Button holes, two, on flap edge, w/reinforcement (buttons missing), triangular pieces of enameled canvas sewn to back, originally attached shoulder strap. Button holes, reinforced, leather also along one side seam from original carriage closure system.
History Used by James P. Albee, Company G, 4th Iowa Inf. for carrying mail and newspapers from Marietta, Georgia to the 1st Divison, 15th Corps during Seige of Atlanta, 1864. Field manufactured in style of haversack using a carriage curtain taken from a southern planter’s coach.
Dating Note: Carried between Marietta, Georgia and Atlanta,1864.
Dimensions H-20 W-13.75 inches

[Hank Trent]

Re: Civil War Mail Bag Question

The bag in the OP is almost identical, other than the stamping, to mail bags we used to fill for bulk mail to be given to the post office in the 1970s. Edited to add: I think ours were just stamped U.S. and a year date, and they were supplied by the P.O. and the property of the P.O.

It's a half-size bag, for smaller locations. The regular size was about twice as deep, therefore about waist high. That doesn't mean it's not period, just that if it is, the style hadn't changed.

The mailbag that Mike Brase described, with a shoulder strap, sounds more like what a mail carrier would use closer to the point of delivery similar to the blue canvas shouldbags they still use today, while the bag in the OP looks more like what mail would be sorted into to be transported in bulk on a train (or truck today). It also might be used to take mail directly to a regiment of course. In other words, they might both be period but would have different purposes.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Marine Mike]

Re: Civil War Mail Bag Question

The grommets on the shown sample bothers me. Though we see two piece grommets on gum blankets, it's considered a no-no for tents, hammocks, sails. Do we have anything that can a more definitive light on this?

[arkangel33]

Re: Civil War Mail Bag Question

So I did some looking around and came across an image of mail handlers in front of a wagon for the 2nd Corps mail. The bag at one of the feet of the guy to the right in the photograph has a dark colored mail bag that is of the style that has a leather sewn bottom, Dark canvass body, with a leather top that from the image to having a lateral strap the goes through a series of 6-8 footmen loops. It explains why an accouterment maker would get a 4 year contract with the Govt' to produce mail bags.