Knapsacks & Blanket Rolls Redeux

[BishopLynch]

Re: knapsack vs. blanket roll

How long is this thread going to continue? Enough already.

[Dale Beasley]

Re: knapsack vs. blanket roll

Gregory,
I believe it is our duty to make sure that this could be the longest thread that lived past the crash.

Now back to the story...I still think that it is the blanket roll that is more "Marching Friendly"

[BishopLynch]

Re: knapsack vs. blanket roll

Our duty to make a thread survive? I think we get the point already! You're beating a dead horse!

[Jimmayo]

knapsack or blanket roll or carpet bag

Many soldiers used a gaily colored carpet bag with their possessions securely tucked away inside. Excavated specimens have been recovered with little wheels in the bottom and an extendable handle for those long marches.

(Just beating that dead horse.)

[Dale Beasley]

Re: knapsack vs. blanket roll

Actually on the Pharr Road near Raymond, on which the Confederates were retreating, hand held bags have been found with the maker marks of "Confederate Tourist"

[C.R. Henderson]

Re: knapsack vs. blanket roll

I believe the "Confederate Tourist" bag had the matching bag with the "Shermanite" label, didn't it?

[Michael Semann]

Re: knapsack vs. blanket roll

This hackneyed old thread ran it's course awhile back. I'm closing it to prevent further beating of this dead horse.

[hendrickms24]

Re: knapsack question

I think a more authentic solution than the greatcoat straps is to use some twine of some variety. Didn't the regulations stipulate that the greatcoat straps would be tied around the coat when it was turned in for the Summer months?

Mr. Cross,
Could the greatcoat strap have been different from the straps on the knapsack? I am just wondering if the regulations specify that the straps are indeed the same ones.

Thanks for your reply,

[roundshot]

Re: knapsack question

An old trick I was taught many, many years ago was to double-loop the blanket straps thru the strap tabs on top of the knapsack, i.e. under, then back over, and then under again. When tightened slightly, it will "scrunch) the knapsack top into a slight "V," and the knapsack straps will form a nice pillow on which to set the rolled coat/blanket. The straps will not slide once double-looped, and keep the desired article nicely perched on top-no need for a stick. I was told by an "old hand" back in the early 80s that this is how "they" did it and that the strap tabs on top of the knapsack were made wide to accomodate the practice. While I cannot confirm the historical accuracy of that, I do know it works quite well.

[pipthelimey]

Asbestos Groundcloths

I thought that would get your attention!
I'm sure someone has seen this before, but I found this transcription of Albany newspaper articles on the net and thought I'd share. http://www.uttyler.edu/vbetts/albany.htm It makes for some good reading. It's got some interesting items about "Comforters" for the local company being contracted by a QM captain, recipes for ersatz coffee and salt beef, and of course the following:

Water-Proof clothing--Asbestos.

We are pleased to learn that Messrs. Golueke & Wilson, of Washington, Wilkes county, Ga., are manufacturing a light and pliable cloth which is said to be impervious to water, and serve as a substitute for the ordinary, but more costly India Rubber cloth, and is said to be admirably adopted to camp service. There is another article which seems to be forgotten and almost entirely out of use, which may be worked to advantage in the manufacture of soldiers cloth and articles of clothing of similar use. We refer to a mineral called "Asbestus," [sic] and which may be found in abundant beds both in Southern Tennessee and Northern Georgia. This article, if we mistake not, when properly manufactured, or woven into cloth, will prove a most excellent article for soldiers use, for travelling purposes, and especially for firemens clothing. It is both water-proof and fire-proof. An instance is recorded wherein a fireman clothed in a tissue made of this substance, with a proper hood as a covering for his head, was surrounded by a flame of fire and remained in this position for ninety seconds. His pulse during this time rose from 72 to 152. Another fireman repeated the experiment, and remained in contact with the flames for 3 minutes and 47 seconds. It was formerly used for shrouds for burying the dead, and may now be used as a valuable article for lining fire-proof safes, and serve a better purpose than the ordinary fire-proof paint for covering houses. In short, it can be woven into thread and manufactured into goods for many valuable and useful purposes, both public and domestic. Will not some of our more scientific citizens experiment on this subject, and furnish us with the result of their investigations?

ALBANY [GA] PATRIOT, December 19, 1861, p. 2, c. 1

[ewtaylor]

Re: Asbestos Groundcloths

Asbestos has been used for thousands of years. It was used as napkins and tablecloths for the kings and emperors of Europe hundreds of years ago.
everett taylor

[pipthelimey]

Re: Asbestos Groundcloths

See, this is why I hang with you guys...

:)

[pvtheath]

Blanket Roll

Hello,

I'm fairly new to reenacting and have really only been doing it for about a year now. I was wondering what is the most authentic way to make a blanket roll using both a blanket and gum blanket. Thanks.

Pvt. Brad Heath

[paulcalloway]

Re: Blanket Roll

Here's a quote Mark Jaeger produced a few seasons ago:

(Corporal Frederick Pettit to Evan Pettit, "Camp opposite Fredericksburg, Va. Jan. 13th 1863")

"In the morning we were ordered to be ready for picket a 9 o'clock. We do not take our knapsacks and tents, but roll our woolen blankets in gum ones and tying the ends together throw them over the shoulder. We also take our canteens and haversacks with all the grub we cn get for we eat a great quantity on picket. Our guns and cartridge boxes complete the rig."

Source: Gavin, William G., ed. "Infantryman Pettit: The Civil War Letters of Corporal Frederick Pettit [Company C, 100th 'Roundheads' Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry]." New York: Avon Books, 1990.

That's one way - Hardtack & Coffee has images of soldiers carrying their gum blankets on their belts. There's also the gum blanket as a separate roll method.

[Justin Runyon]

Re: Blanket Roll

This has been posted before, but I've always liked it.