Confederate Rain Fly

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

Does anybody know a source for 27 in. duck?
Thanks,

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

Andrew, don't jump so fast.

This a great thread and I’m a big Alfred May fan but I’m not sure you got the answer you need. I would dig more if you want a 27 NC answer. You know where the 27th was the summer of ’63 and you may be surprised to find what they were issued then.

Dig in South Carolina.

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

Thanks Garrison, I was hoping for some info on confederate flies but I guess it kinda turned into a confederate tentage discussion. Do you know where to dig in South Carolina? I know the 27th was there for quite a while and the troops mention it being quit hot down there, sound like good place for a fly.

[fahtz]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

While hanging out with Robert Serio this weekend I was able to look at an example of this haversack he made for his business papers.

[DougCooper]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

One of my all time favorite and mysterious quotes about CS tentage:

"The fields became white with their tents, and from the bend on the Richmond Pike came into view long lines of men bearing arms and trains of wagons." Appomattox Court House resident George Beers commenting on the arrival of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 8, 1865, one day before the surrender.

The quote is contained in Chris Caulkins "Lee's Retreat, A History and Field Guide." I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else but wonder if Beers was seeing HQ tents, shelter halves, wagon covers or?

[Jimmayo]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

One of my all time favorite and mysterious quotes about CS tentage:

"The fields became white with their tents, and from the bend on the Richmond Pike came into view long lines of men bearing arms and trains of wagons." Appomattox Court House resident George Beers commenting on the arrival of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 8, 1865, one day before the surrender.

The quote is contained in Chris Caulkins "Lee's Retreat, A History and Field Guide." I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else but wonder if Beers was seeing HQ tents, shelter halves, wagon covers or?

Maybe this will help solve the mystery. It is from "The Passing of the Armies" by Chamberlain and he is writing his observations on the morning of the surrrender.

Our earnest eyes scan the busy groups on the opposite slopes, breaking camp for the last time, taking down their little shelter-tents and folding them carefully as precious things, then slowly forming ranks as for unwelcome duty. And now they move. The dusky swarms forge forward into gray columns of march.

[Silas]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

Here's a link to one of my old articles which addressed use of tent flies and shelter halves. I did much digging in the O.R.'s for information on that article.

A version was printed in the old CCG seven years ago. I don't think the current editors would approve an article which discussed reducing the number of tents at reenactments and increasing the use of tent flies and shelter tents.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

Nearly all the orders I've seen refer to "tent flies" as the authorized item... The Quartermaster Manual specs for these are:

WALL TENT FLY

Length: 15 feet 6 inches
Width: 9 feet

To be made of cotton duck, 28 1/2 wide, clear of all imperfections, and weighing ten ounces to the linear yard.

A three inch tabling to be finished on the ends and on and a half inch tabling on the sides, six thread Manilla line used under the tabling on the ends.

Strong Grommet holes to be worked on the tabling near the ends of each seam, and at the corners of the fly, of sufficient size to admit the lines, also near the ends of the ridge, to admit the spindles.

Stay pieces for the corners and ridge to be of the same material as the fly, and to be nine inches square.

The fly to be made in a workman like manner in every respect, with not less than two and a half stitches of equal length to the inch, made with double thread of five-fold cotton twine, well waxed. The seams not less than one inch in width, and no slack take in them.

The eave lines to be of six thread Manilla line, nine feet long in the clear and ten in number.

All lines to be well whipped one inch from the ends with waxed twine and properly knotted.
Slips as at present furnished.

HOSPITAL TENT FLY

Length: 21 feet 6 inches
Width: 14 feet

To be made of cotton duck, 28 1/2 wide, clear of all imperfections, and weighing ten ounces to the linear yard.

A three inch tabling to be finished on the ends and on and a half inch tabling on the sides, six thread Manilla line used under the tabling on the ends.

Strong Grommet holes to be worked on the tabling near the ends of each seam, and at the corners of the fly, of sufficient size to admit the lines, also near the ends of the ridge, to admit the spindles.

Stay pieces for the corners and ridge to be of the same material as the fly, and to be one foot square.

The fly to be made in a workman like manner in every respect, with not less than two and a half stitches of equal length to the inch, made with double thread of five-fold cotton twine, well waxed. The seams not less than one inch in width, and no slack take in them.

The eave lines to be of six thread Manilla line, fifteen feet long in the clear and fourteen in number.

All lines to be well whipped one inch from the ends with waxed twine and properly knotted.

Slips as at present furnished.

Other citiations refer to cutting up existing wall and other tents to make flies, so size will likely vary in these cases depending on what's available...

Anyone know if these come from CS Quartermaster Specifications...if so, where can I find a copy?

Thanks,

Paul B.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

WALL TENT FLY

Length: 15 feet 6 inches
Width: 9 feet

To be made of cotton duck, 28 1/2 wide, clear of all imperfections, and weighing ten ounces to the linear yard.

A three inch tabling to be finished on the ends and on and a half inch tabling on the sides, six thread Manilla line used under the tabling on the ends.

Strong Grommet holes to be worked on the tabling near the ends of each seam, and at the corners of the fly, of sufficient size to admit the lines, also near the ends of the ridge, to admit the spindles.

Stay pieces for the corners and ridge to be of the same material as the fly, and to be nine inches square.

The fly to be made in a workman like manner in every respect, with not less than two and a half stitches of equal length to the inch, made with double thread of five-fold cotton twine, well waxed. The seams not less than one inch in width, and no slack take in them.

The eave lines to be of six thread Manilla line, nine feet long in the clear and ten in number.

All lines to be well whipped one inch from the ends with waxed twine and properly knotted.
Slips as at present furnished.

Question: How is the "tabling" mentioned here acomplished? Is this simply where excess material is folded over on the ends of the fly? Or is this an additional piece of material (3.25-3.5 inches in width) which is added to the side of the tent, then folded over (with the raw ends of the seam being contained within the fold), and stitched down? Would it be appropriate to have mitered corners where the edges of the sides, and ends meet?

Thanks,

Paul B.

[hta1970]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

I just found this in the compiled military service records at the National Archives of Major William G. Bentley who was commanded the depot supplying camp equipage to armies operating in Virginia as well as making camp equipage. It shows the amount of cloth used to make the various tents as well as the costs.

Enjoy!

[Enfilade]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

This excerpt taken from the excellent article on the 35th NCT from Dave Hunter and Chris Graham found on our website(northstaterifles.com) research page.

[B][I]"On October 27, a month after the army returned to Virginia, Burgwyn wrote," Sent one wagon today to bring our tent flies from Warrenton, Virginia." William Day described the use of tent flies in the 49th NC bivouac during late October(1862).

"Instead of tents we had what was known as flies. They were cloths about ten feet wide and fifteen feet long and were put up by placing a fork in the ground at each end with a pole from one end to the other and fastening one side of the cloth to the pole and the other to the ground. They made very good shelters unless the wind and rain blew in the open side." "

Mark Berrier
North State Rifles

http://www.northstaterifles.com

[DougCooper]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

Here's a link to one of my old articles which addressed use of tent flies and shelter halves. I did much digging in the O.R.'s for information on that article.

A version was printed in the old CCG seven years ago. I don't think the current editors would approve an article which discussed reducing the number of tents at reenactments and increasing the use of tent flies and shelter tents.

Yeah, no doubt you are in their top ten heretics list for attempting to prove that privates don't get personal common or wall tents.

Your article remains one of the great pieces of scholarship on all things canvas.

[BobRoeder]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

For whatever it might be worth for the discussion regarding CS Tent Flies....

From The Fighting 57th North Carolina: The Life and Letters of James Calvin Zimmerman by W.R. Hartley & David J. Zimmerman, pg. 33

In Camp near Fredericksburg Virginia
November the 24th, 1862

Dear Wife......we have no tents or any thing to half shelter us we have a few flies or big sheats four or five to a company.....

[CSchneider]

Re: Confederate Rain Fly

Digging up an old thread, but worth it. Here is a compilation of some of the information discussed in this thread, along with a good bit of new information, that should answer most of the questions posed here. Includes the dimensions of the Richmond-made "Fly Tent" as well as instructions on how to make them (and some nice tidbits on the Confederate-made shelter half as well). Quite amazing how many of these were actually made for the ANV and Valley District.

https://www.libertyrifles.org/research/uniforms-equipment/confederate-tents

-Craig Schneider