North Carolina blanket

[Jack Enright]

Re: British Import Blankets

Dear all,

having failed to track down a definitive description of a typical blanket, as supplied to the British Army in the early 1860's (which seems to be the type which was also exported to America for military use), via military museums, I've tried checking it from the other end, i.e., the manufacturers.

I've found a historical website, with a forum similar to this, based in Bradford (in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England) which may be able to help. Bradford was the centre of the woollen industry in England for centuries, and still has a wealth of archive material about the industry.

I've posted a message on their forum today, asking for details as to the blankets, such as size, weight, colour, markings and / or stripes, and whether the weave was herringbone or plain. Any info, I'll post it here.

Fingers crossed, chaps! :D

Best regards,

Jack Enright
24th MI Vol Inf (UK)

[DougCooper]

Re: British Import Blankets

Jack - exactly the right course - the best description will come from them. Thanks for doing yeoman's work here!

[Ken Knopp]

Re: British Import Blankets

Great Topic!!

I have done quite a bit of research both here and in England on Confederate Blankets, albeit, most in the area of saddle balnkets. Nonetheless, it has afforeded me a great deal of exposure to imported British blankets, CS manufactured blankets and the domestic issue of both (incl. Infantry).
Much of this info was published in my first book, CONFEDERATE SADDLES AND HORSE EQUIPMENT and my second book just released MADE IN THE CSA, SADDLE MAKERS OF THE CONFEDERACY. Both contain quite alot of info including numbers of imported blankets that came from England through Bermuda, Nassau, etc. to the Ordnance Dept's main port of entry at Wilmington NC. I also published an article some years ago on the Spanish Moss Saddle Blanket that many of you may find of interest. See my website for free access to this article or to order copies of my books

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

I might add a few notes of interest on this subject:
1. The Ord Dept shipped to the South from England "grey" blankets in very large quantities (in "bales" of approx 100 each or so aboard Blockade Runners) and some of the British Army issue "Buff" blankets. I have seen at least one of these buff blankets (kinda cream coloured or "off-white" in a private collection and hav espoken to Trioani about his). These imports began in 1861 and continued to the end with prioritization at various times during the war.
2. The South also purchased from the Brits large numbers of "numnahs" or, wool felt pads that were regular British-army issue items. These were first developed in India and then used extensively by the British in the Crimean War. The South imported these for exclusive sale to officers and as occaisionaly issue to artillery.
3. After the Crenshaw Factory in Richmond burned in May 63, blankets were very scare in the east (always had been in the west however) necessitating a priority on their import especially in the winter of 63-64.
4. Scarcity caused the War Dept to order the confiscation of wool saddle blankets imorted by the Ordnance Bur and turned over the the Quartermaster Bur. for issue to infantry in 63-64.
5. The most preveleant saddle blanket issued east or west was the Spanish Moss saddle blanket. Many, many thousands of this cheap, durable and excellent alternative were made during the war. In fact, some contemporary authorities of the time period thought it superior to the wool blanket for use on riding animals (see article).
6. "Carpet blankets" were issued to infantry aand cavalry on occaision throughout the war. I know of several documented references to carpet being cut up and issued (I think I remember the Arkansas State House carpet being used for this) and even some "Brussels" carpet being purchased from a contractor for issue.

I hope this is of some benefit. My books and articles detail and extensively footnote/document this information. Check out the web site for more info.

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

Thank you!!
Ken R. Knopp

[RyanBWeddle]

Wilmington Manifests

Doug - -

I have some copies of info out of the Wilmington,NC records from the Nat.Archives I believe, I will get it tonight, and post what I have . . .

What I remember they are details accounts of the various bales of blankets, woolens, shirts, etc. that came into the port of Wilmington of various blockade runners - -

Back to the question of blankets - I've said this before - we need to differentiate between two different types of imported blankets from England:

1. British Military Surplus/British Military Regulation Items(i.e. the Troiani example, marked WD, etc etc.)

and

2. Commericial Made/Contracted British Blankets made for export/sale to USA / CSA.


Their is some evidence from Gaede/Childs that the brown "Gettysburg" blanket that County Cloth offers may well be of the second nomenclature, it's coarse 'herringbone' weave according to their research is very commonly associated with British/English looming techniques of the period and very well may be a commercially English produced blanket for exportation/sale/contract to the CSA.

I have to think that more wool blankets coming from England were not any sort of a British Military Regulation blanket, but rather woolen blankets purchased from British Commercial Woolen Mills. Even though they made have been loomed for a military purpose in mind, it doesn't automatically equate them with a Regulation British item.

The quote on "Rotten British Blankets" I found earlier this year supports this claim/thought, in the quote it even states that the "British Imported blankets" in storage in Boston are nothing like the regulation blanket of the British Army:

From: Scientific American. / New Series, Volume 5, Issue 21: pp. 321-336
The English Rotten Army Blankets.

"The editor of the Boston Commercial Bulletin states that he went into the United states depot for army clothing, at the corner of Mercer and Howard streets, and examined the army blankets which have been
imported from England. He pronounces them to be rotten and asserts that they are made of rags taken from the cast off garments of the paupers of the
United Kingdom. He says, “we took hold of one of these blankets in order to pull it out from under five or six for examination, when the piece in our hands
parted company from the main body.” This piece he took to Boston, and it is now in the sanctum of the Bulletin. These imported blankets are gray, and are
not at all like the army blanket of the British soldier, which is white, and made of excellent long wool ; and is capable of enduring two years’ hard service. Has the government been swindled in the purchase of these shoddy foreign blankets, and who is responsible for the fraud?

AND

FROM:
Vanity fair. / Volume 4, November 16, 1861, pp.227

"The Blanket Question"

Under the above heading, articles have appeared in the daily papers for a week or two past from the statements made in which it appears that the gray blankets imported in such large quantities from England for our army are specimen fabrics composed of "shoddy, waster and low noils," instead of wool.

From this we have been led to draw several inferences with regard to the "blanket question". The gray blanket seems to indicate that there must have been a black sheep connected in the business somehow and a good deal of fleece around, generally; but in that case why was there nothing but "shoddy, waster and low noils"? On this we feel ourselves impelled to put the blanket question point blank to the colored animal, in the words of the old nursery rhyme slight altered to suit the requirements of the vernacular:

" Baa! baa black sheep, ain't you got no wool ?"

The spurious blankets are impeached of dirt. They are said to take up no end of that cheap luxury, and to be extremely retentive of it. This suggests another turn of the "blanket question," and we behold in fancy the dirty article putting it to the "proper authorities" in the significant words - "How are you off for Soap?"

As the word "soap" is sometimes used to express the sinews of war, the above query must be rather cutting to the "proper authorities," who paid such a miserable price for the adulterated rugs.

There is another phase of the "blanket question," which may be termed the comic side of it. Adjutant General Thomas, in his famous "journal", records how Assistant Quarter-Master Davis took a contract for blankets at the West, and furnished bad ones. Hereupon, the latter officer states that he was confined to his bed at St. Louis, when the contract was fulfilled, and was not in a condition to think about blankets.

To this we can only say that, if bed is not a fit place to think about Blankets in, then are the Sheet upon which we have written these remarks no better than waste, or wasted paper."

Anyways - my thought is that most of the "British Import" blankets were made by civilian/commercial mills in England and were NOT of a British Military source.

But anyhow - I'll try and post that info tonight on the Wilmington Manifests......

Ryan

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: Wilmington Manifests

Here is some of the info I dug out of the National Archives: Record Group 109 Chap. 5 Vol. 218:


Blankets Received by the Richmond Depot

From England: brought through blockade on steam Beauregard to Wilmington on November 26, 1863. Shipped to Richmond via Railroad:

#Bales Total Quantity Color Dimensions Weight (each)
3 142 Gray 68" x 85" Not noted
4 200 Blue Gray 56" X 80" Not noted
4 200 Blue Gray 56" x 85" Not noted
4 200 Blue Gray 58" x 82" Not noted
4 200 Brown Gray 58" x 82" Not noted
2 200 Gray Mackinaw 56" x 82" Not noted
2 300 Single Gray 56" x 84" 6 lbs
2 200 Brown Gray 56" x 78" 5 lbs
1 100 White Mackinaw 60" x 80" 5 lbs
1 100 White Mackinaw 56" x 84" 7 lbs
1 100 White mixed Mackinaw 56" x 78" 8 lbs
1 100 White mixed Mackinaw 56" x 78" 5.5 lbs
1 99 White mixed Mackinaw 56" x 78" 5.5 lbs
1 99 White mixed Mackinaw 60" x 80" 6.5 lbs
2 200 Blue Gray Mackinaw 56" x 78" 6 lbs
2 200 Blue Gray 56" x 78" 6 lbs

Total this shipment: 1,498 blankets



Other blankets rcvd by Richmond Depot - listed in bulk with no descriptions.

Nov. 19, 1863 From Steamer Hansa: 1,200 French Wool Blankets - 24 Bales

Jan. 11, 1864 1,700 Blankets

Jan. 16th.1864 6,400 Blankets

April 8, 1864 750 Blankets (15 bales)


==========

--- That is all for now, I have another record group sumation that would take all night to type in so I'll get around to it some other time....
It is interesting, it lists lots of the ships into Wilmington, Mobile, and Charleston and their cargos - - tune in next time for "bales of overcoats", "tait clothes", "bales of blankets", and much much more - I'll get it in a spread sheet sometime - -

Cool stuff above though, I still maintain most of these blankets being imported are NOT british military issue/regulation.

[tmdreb]

Re: British Import Blankets

"I would guess that the Stephen Hart was taken on the open ocean. If she had been intercepted trying to run the blockade, the owners would have no case for recovering the ship and cargo, whereas siezure in international waters is a different matter."

International law and the legality issues of cargo seizures did not always stop the USN from confiscating a cargo or capturing a ship. The thought was that while a US judge would probably rule the seizure illegal, if the trial could be postponed until after the War, then the seizure was just as successful as if it were legal.

The situation at Matamoros was really quite interesting. There were at least 5 nations who were very interested in the trade going on at that port. Both American nations, Mexico, France and England all had a stake in the supplies coming into that port to trade for Confederate cotton. When researching this trade, I was interested to find that England considered the trade at Matamoros completely unaffected by the US blockade of the South, due to the fact that it was between two neutral nations. The British ships coming into Matamoros were not blockade runners, as they were technically going around the blockade. Of course, they were frequently harassed by the USN, and England was concerned about this enough to send the Royal Navy to the Gulf of Mexico.

I realize this doesn't tell us anything about what imported blankets look like, but is rather a reminder to remember that the rules weren't always followed, and that they varied from country to country to country....

[RyanBWeddle]

REPOSTING - Re: British Import Blankets

Reposting this from it's earlier disapperance:


I would think either that the term "Mackinaw" refers to either heavy wool blankets (of any color or design) or actual Mackinaw style blankets with a wide plaid pattern over the solid color - - -

No evidence of factory origin, I would suggest searching the "Citizens in Business" record groups with the National Archives to see about possible blanket factories contracting with the CSA.

I am still not convinced that the Tait fibers and North Carolina blanket fibers are a "match", yes they may be similar, but that only proves that blue-grey goods were common in import (we already know that), I would not however be willing to associate a name like Tait or any other to the imported blankets of that color - -

Here is some more info on blockade shipments into the south - it gives a very nice idea of the physical volume of goods coming into the southern ports in '64. Also some interesting items too!

http://authentic-campaigner.com/resources/NARG109CH5V227.pdf

[BorderReb]

Re: British Import Blankets

A few years ago I read a diary, or at least a diary quote (memory has faded) of a Union soldier that mentions the Rebels shaking out their white blankets on the hills overlooking Chattanooga. Sorry,...that's all I remember. :(

I seem to recall the mention of British Army blankets, though I don't think the color was mentioned, along w/ about 15,000 Enfields coming into the CSA through New Orleans in time to arm Johnstons Army prior to Shiloh. I can't recall the source at the moment, though it may have been Sword's book on Shiloh.

I was told by some gents of the 4th Alabama that they had evidence of the white blankets being in Bragg's Army at Chatanooga as they were listed as Captured after Missionary Ridge... I have no idea how accurate their research was.

All forum members are required to sign their full names to all posts. Please create an auto-signature in your profile. 1st Warning. Failure to do so by 12/10/03 will lead to your post being deleted.
Dusty

[DonSmithnotTMD]

Re: REPOSTING - Re: British Import Blankets

Reposting this from it's earlier disapperance:
I would think either that the term "Mackinaw" refers to either heavy wool blankets (of any color or design) or actual Mackinaw style blankets with a wide plaid pattern over the solid color - - -
http://authentic-campaigner.com/reso...109CH5V227.pdf

It seems a little odd considering the context, but isn't mackinaw a British English term for raincoat?

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: REPOSTING - Re: British Import Blankets

Don,

"Mackintosh" or "Mack" is what you are thinking :stormy: ... Mackinaw is something different.

After some more research and conversations with Childs, etc. Mackinaw in these references probably deals more with thickness and weight descriptions more so than pattern/design...

[LWhite64]

Re: British Import Blankets

Jeff,
I have read the same account and for some reason I think it has a connection to Phil Sheridan, could this be where you saw it? Ive been trying to remember for some time.

Lee

[NewRichDepot]

Re: British Import Blankets

I have seen examined several original documents, or copies of original documents - that list British import blankets. Most of these came through Wilmington in 1863 & 1864. One particular document lists several bales of blankets with the color, weight and dimensions of the blankets. I will have dig it up, but once I do I will copy it and make it available to anyone that wants it.

Christopher White

[jandksuttorp]

North Carolina blanket

After a search using the search function, and a search of the Web, I cannot find any information on the North Carolina issue blanket. I need to know what time frame the blanket was issued and used, and who used it? Was it only issued to Tarheels, or did it find its way to other state troops?
I have a beautiful Waterside Woolen Mills NC blanket (Blue with dark stripes and a red N.C.) that I bought off the AC last year, and want to know what impressions I am limited to. Yes, I know that I should have found this out before I bought it, but I couldn't pass it up!:D

Thanks to anyone with info.
John Eric Suttorp

[roundshot]

Re: North Carolina blanket

They were in use as early as mid-1863 as documented by the specimen now in the MOC owned by Capt. JSR Miller of the 1st NC State Troops. Miller was killed at 2nd Winchester in June 1863.

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: North Carolina blanket

Here is a latter from J.N. White NC's chief purchasing agent in the UK.
He purchased most of hi material from Alexander Collie & Co.


January, 1864 Mr. J.N. White
Warrenton, NC N.C Sate Commissioner

Mr. J.N. White
N.C Sate Commissioner


"To His Excellency

Governor Z. B. Vance

While in England I purchased chiefly through the firm of Alexander Collie & Co. for the State and shipped to Bermuda.

I...purchased 20,000 pairs of Army shoes 10,000 pairs of Gray Blankets 160 dozen Flannel shirts 5800 yards of Army Cloth 10,00 of Gray Cloth of finer quality and 70,000 pairs of Cotton and Wool Cards, 5 card setting machines with wire and other furnishings sufficient to keep them running for perhaps 12 months and probably some other articles of small value not now recollected. (These) articles or most of them were expected to be shipped about the first of January 1864 but as I left England early in December I do not know whether they have been shipped or not..."

From "No Soap, No Pay, Diarrhea, Dysentery, and Desertion" by Jeff Toalson.