US Emergency Issue Blanket

[Guest]

I have a question and have attempted to come to a conclusion but unfortunately.. Have not been able to. Which is why I come to my always faithful, AC. What is the deal with the US Emergency Issue Blanket? It is an emergency issue, you see most "Authentic" reenactors carrying them around. But is it truly authentic to have so many Union troops with this blanket? Wouldn't it be authentic to have a few guys here and there but in the long run wouldn't most troops on both sides either A. A captured blanket from a retreating foe, or B One brought from home or sent from home? I mean I understand having a few troops with them but is it truly authentic when an entire authentic-campaigning company has one? Will anyone help me with this?

[J.H.Berger]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

Well Elijah, I think you are talking about the tan blanket with brown stripes that Woolrich produces and many sutlers carry. It is rather small in size and is called by them "Emergency issue blanket".
If that is the blanket you are referring to here is what I would say about it.
The name of it is in my opinion given to it by the manufacturer and has no historical background. Emergency perhaps because it is pretty small in size and does not need that much material. You have to keep in mind than many high end blanket reproductions look similar to this blanket because some of them are also of a tan color. Original blankets can be found in many different shades both the blanket itself and the stripes. So you cannot say there is only one correct color.
The blanket itself pretty much looks like a typical issue blanket although the material used for it is better than most original material that used quite a bit of shoddy material in it. The one I have examined had the typical 2/2 twill weave and except for the small size and the lack of the US it is a better repro in my opinion than the grey ones Woolrich offer due to the wrong weave. However it is simply too small.
I don't know if many authentic reenactors in the US carry these or if you have simply mistaken the high end tan blankets for the Woolrich Emergency blanket but a reason why people might carry it could simply be its relatively low price.

[Guest]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

Thank you very much

[weed]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

My original US "Issued Blanket" (which I have not taken out of it's display case in a number of years) at first glance looks like this "energency blanket". Although this name is historically incorrect. The ones the authentic guys (myself include) I have 3 from the Wisconsin Vet's Museum and one from Charlie Childs, are very close in weave and weight to my original and do resemble this Woolrich "emergency blacket" at first glance.

JMWeed

[Guest]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

Thank you both very much.

[David Jarnagin]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

My going to way in a little on this thread since I know the whole story behind the emergency blankets. There is no such thing as the “emergency blanket” as reenactors get them today. The blanket was all based off of one owned by Charles Cogar of the 2nd Iowa. The original blanket is a light tan with dark brown strips. In the late 1970’s there was a miss-understanding over the color of original blankets so it was thought it was a blanket made in emergency. If you want to e-mail me I will give you the whole story or at least what I remember 30 years later.


With all this said there are records from 1861 where the State of NY is getting blanket in all colors. These were bought from current stocks on hand at merchants in the State of NY. These were blue, red and many other colors.

David Jarnagin
djarnagin@bellsouth.net

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

Hallo!

Just to add a wee bit to what was already shared-

In brief and to over generalize...

"Emergency" is a hobbyism that grew out of a view of the Period inability of domestic blanket sources/makers to meet the tremendous demand of having to supply large numbers of troops coming into service. (Many of the issued federal blankets were foreign made such as French or British.)

And, the problem with determining whether an original blanket was say unmordanted logwood dyed brown (contrary to the regs) instead of gray (per regs) or that the blanket was originally dyed with iron mordanted logwood and the gray "degraded" over time to fade to some shade of brown or tan.

Of course, when having a blanket to issue was more important than its color, "non reg" blankets were just as good even if say red or what have you.

Curt

[mike44thva]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

Mr. Jarnagin, I can't resist, email sent.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

On the subject of tan, brown, etc., original Federal blankets, I have never understood the assumption that they might have been logwood dyed gray when issued. I do understand that the regulations called for a gray blanket, and the majority of surviving originals are tan/brown, but that's not enough evidence to support the existence of logwood-dyed gray blankets. Have chemical analysis been done on original blanket fibers to determine this?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: US Emergency Issue Blanket

Hallo!

"Have chemical analysis been done on original blanket fibers to determine this?"

Exactly...

IMHO, though, it is easier to get a thread from a blouse buttonhole than for someone to offer a piece of their original blanket.

:)

Curt
Augustus Gordon Weissert Mess

[79thpard]

I was under the same impression and would believe that if they were gray using natural dye they would fade
and if that happened then I could understand it being tan I own one and it’s probably not out of question that these existed but to what extent? Is it completely farb to own one or is the gray the right way?
my understanding is both existed due to various manufacturers producing as close as possible to what what was supposed to be issued and it’s not out of question that some supply chain quartermaster or big Whig at the top would say this will do regardless of the variation in color Im not defending if its farb or
if it’s not but in the time period when dyes were natural
and fading did happen or they were made tan from the get go I can see its use since someone above stated the various colors issued to New Yorkers and a surviving example being the cogar blanket for an iowan yank and that a number of you have said you own originals that look the color
I’m going to bet there are other examples out there
Hidden in some ones mothball closet that would fit the description as well

the real question is should I scrap my blanket?
and look for another?

chris roberts 79th New York company C

[79thpard]

Some examples as far as the original color I’m uncertain