North Carolina blanket

[DougCooper]

Comrades this subject has been bandied about for quite some time and the basic answer is still: What did Brit import blankets look like?

Fred Gaede and others have done excellent work here but as far as I know, there is no identified wartime imported blanket other than the 4 surviving "NC" blankets which we believe were imports. All of these have the "NC" sewn in to them. There is a feeling (but no proof) that there may have been loads of these blankets sent through the blockade that were meant for all parts of the Confederacy, but may not have had the NC sewn in. The question is:

1. Did a version of that blue-gray blanket come through without the "NC?"

2. If so, where did they go?

3. What other type of imported blanket came into the CS?

There are tantalizing little snippets from QM reports about blankets in the TMD, Navy OR's, etc, but no smoking gun description that I can find. We would like to plan a blanket issue to the troops in support of preservation at Mansfield 2004. We can get the currently made "NC" banket by Waterside Woolens and are going to negotiate to have a run made without the NC sewn in - but I am interested in everyone's thoughts on whether we are on solid (mushy) ground authenticity wise.

Chime in as you arrive at the cool new site!

[Reserve]

Doug,

There is an original British tan blanket used by a cavalryman in Troiani's Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War. Not sure of the page number though.... It has the WD and arrow stamps so it must have been British issue. An article I had on British imports lists them as white. I will look for it and post the details later on...


Ethan Rogers

[DougCooper]

Doug,

There is an original British tan blanket used by a cavalryman in Troiani's Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War. Not sure of the page number though.... It has the WD and arrow stamps so it must have been British issue. An article I had on British imports lists them as white. I will look for it and post the details later on...


Ethan Rogers

Ethan - yes apparently that was used as a saddle blanket and I have heard of references to white import blankets as well, but no origin. Looking forward to your article. I find it interesting that the Tait cloth (British Army Cloth) and the NC blankets are made from what appears to be the same yarns.

Kevin Black has some interesting finds from some QM reports he is pouring over and will post them once he gets on the forum.

[Reserve]

The article is from the June 22, 2003 Panama City News-Herald (an odd place for such info.) Page 4B. There was a reenactment of an attack on the salt-works in that area and the local Historical Society did the research and submitted it to the paper.

That quoted the Tempestuous Triangle by E.W. Carswell, that is actually where the following came from. "Enfields, lead, powder, white blankets, and cloth came throught the blockade at Saint Andrews. Governor Milton ordered 200 wagons to haul away the munitions and equipment." The date of this import was March 1862. Interesting to see English cloth being imported this early as well as white blankets being specified.

One interesting thing about the cavalry blanket though, is the fact that many CS troopers actually used normal blankets in lieu of special saddle blankets. The Alabama State Museum for example notes this with an original they have.

[Jack Enright]

Dear all,

I've been in touch with Kevin Black ref. these blankets, and got passed on from a local regimental museum in Salisbury to the National Army Museum in London. One of the staff there was kind enough to send me a pretty detailed reply, which I thought might be of interest or help, so first, here are the questions I asked:-


"I am making enquiries on behalf of a friend of mine from Mississippi, Kevin Black, who has been researching the history of the 4th Texas Infantry in the Confederate Army.

He has found some documents indicating that this regiment was equipped with British Army blankets, purchased by the Confederate purchasing agents based in England, and smuggled through the Republican blockade. He says that importing woollen goods from England was quite common, as even at the start of the American Civil War, the Confederacy's manufacturing capacity was very limited, and this was exacerbated when their main blanket factory was burned down in May, 1863. Kevin says he has been shown what is claimed to be a replica, which measures 60" x 80", weighs 4 3/4 lbs, is coloured white, and has a plain weave. It has no markings, such as WD, or the broad arrow. He says he has seen another blanket in a private collection in America, which is claimed to have a provenance back to a Confederate cavalryman. This is coloured grey, and is marked with the letters WD, and the broad arrow.

However, yesterday I visited the regimental museum of the Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, in Salisbury. One of their displays includes a private showing uniform and accoutrements as used in China in 1860. His water bottle was not marked "WD", as I would have expected, but "B O", with the broad arrow in between the B and the O. The curator explained that this stood for Board of Ordinance, which was a purchasing agency working on behalf of the British Army. This made me wonder about the blanket my friend has seen; would a blanket issued around the date he specified have also been marked "BO", rather than "WD"?

My other query is this. I would have thought that a civilian blanket manufacturer would not mark any blankets as being Army property until they were definitely sold; as if the sale was not completed, would the manufacturer have been able to sell the marked blankets to anyone else? I can well believe that a civilian buyer might be wary of buying such a blanket, as it might lay him open to accusations of theft - and the penalties for stealing military property in those days would be pretty fierce!

To sum up; I would like to establish the following points:-

What was the colour, size, weight and markings, of a standard issue British Army blanket through the period 1860-65 (as issued to an Infantry of the Line regiment);

Did the Army sell off any surplus blankets around that time? (I have seen other references to the Tower selling off surplus muskets when they were superceded by Enfield rifle)

Do you have any documentation relating to civilian blanket contractors, who might have sold blanket of the British Army pattern to Confederate agents?

If you have a blanket of this period on display, I would think it well worth the trip to see it. Also, if you think the best way for me to find the answers my friend needs is to get a reader's ticket for your archive, I understand I would need to provide a reference. I am employed in a College of Further Education in Winchester; would a senior member of the academic staff in the History Department be acceptable as a referee?

With thanks,

Jack Enright"
Emma Dixon, of the National Army Museum, sent me the following reply this morning:-

"Our Ref: 8730.7/ED

Dear Mr Enright

Enquiry: British Army Blankets, c.1860-1865

Thank you for your enquiry concerning British Army blankets of the period c.1860-1865.

Unfortunately, there has been very little written on blankets of this period, and I regret that we do not have an example in our Collection which would confirm aspects such as colour, size and weight.

I can inform you however that the initials WD (War Department) superseded BO (Board of Ordnance) in 1856. After 1856 you would not normally find the letters BO on items marked with the Government ownership markings, unless of course a soldier was supplied with an item already in store. With regard to the water bottle you have seen displayed, may I ask if there is a possibility this item may be a replica? It is a common mistake amongst re-enactors and museums to overlook this change of marking in 1856.

I have found a reference to a blanket of the Crimean War period, 1854-1856, which is described as a buff-coloured blanket with a red stripe and BO markings. Unfortunately the British Army Lists of Changes in Military Stores only begin in 1860 and I could not find a reference to how they might have changed after the War. (Emma would be referring to the Crimean War; JE)

It is particularly difficult with this period to assess the type of blankets issued. Both the Army and the suppliers would have sold off excess equipment and you often find unmarked equipment supplied by the civilian blanket contractors who could produce what they wanted for the market.

There are a number of books in the Reading Room of the National Army Museum that cover the equipment of this historical period, but I do not know if they could tell you anything more. If you do wish to conduct further research into this subject, the reference you have suggested would certainly be acceptable.

I hope this information is of assistance and I'm sorry I could be of no further help.

Emma Dixon
Department of Weapons, Equipment and Vehicles"

I've forwarded this info to Kevin, and thanked Emma on behalf of Kevin and myself. I'm sorry, to quote Doug Cooper, that we're still on pretty mushy ground as far as these blankets are concerned!

But I'll keep digging at this end, and post any further info I find. That is, as and when I can fit it in with my preparations for relocating to my new job on January 5th!

Best regards,

Jack Enright
24th MI Vol Inf (UK)

[Michael McComas]

I likewise was making inquiries for Kevin, and received this response from Bill Adams, a noted collector of British military good:

Some [British blankets] were aboard the schooner Stephen Hart that was captured by the federals in March, 1862. The US Army wound up with the blankets that were in the cargo. The cloth included "white twilled flannel and brown Holland, for lining army overcoats;" and large quantities of Silesia sleeve linings with colors listed as "brown," "drab," or in some cases simply as Silesia. There were 15,432 prs of stockings; 6,800 4 ½ lb gray blankets; 1,600 5 lb white blankets; and 150 5 ½ lb white blankets.

On March 19, 1862 the cargo of the captured blockade runner Stephen Hart was appraised by Orison Blunt. Blunt stated: "I found every article to be of value for use in our own army and navy,except a large quantity of rebel buttons; these buttons having been manufactured in Great Britain for the use of the rebel army, and stamped with a rebel device, I was unable to put any value upon them, except that of old brass."

[DougCooper]

Mike - do you remember or does it state where the Hart was captured?

Thanks everyone for working this baby for us - hopefully we can generate enough info and maybe an original for a reproduction. Troiani's blanket may be the real deal then if there is no difference between a regular blanket and a saddle blanket as issued. I cannot imagine the CS QM sent one type of imported blanket to the cav and another to the other branches.

me thinks the blanket experts need to make a trip to Connecticut

[1stMaine]

Comrade Doug,
If anyone ever gets the chance to visit the National Army Museum in Chelsea, London, they will be mightily impressed. It is far and away, imho, a better visit than the Imperial War Museum.
I found the staff and exhibits to be excellent and user friendly. It's a place not as well known as the IWM, and so less-frequented.
There are many collections of regimental clothing and issue equipments around the country, and it will probably boil down to mailing those associations to see what they may or may not have. Two that I know are very helpful is the 23rd Regiment of Foot at Caernarvon castle, Wales, and the 24th Foot at Brecon, Wales. The staff at these regimental homes/museums are normally retired members of the unit, and thus well versed in it's history and the little nuances, etc.
The other source that needs to be investigated further is the Museum of the Confederacy in Hamilton, Bermuda. It has a wealth of data on the blockade runners and their manifests, since most of thrm stopped there on their way to the Southern ports, and had to declare maniefsts, etc, for cutoms officials. When I was last there, there were huge numbers of images of the ships in port, and lots of copies of manifests, but what the stus currently is, and what access their may be I cannot tell.
Respects,

[DougCooper]

Tim - care to join me for a Dark and Stormy at the Grotto on Bermuda? For all, Tim and I were lucky enough to deploy with our P-3 squadrons to Bermuda during the Cold War to track Russki missile subs...now that was tough duty! Dang, I was an ignorant fly boy back then and did not realize a great CW museum was under my nose.

I volunteer to lead a team to Hardship Island - hopefully we can get funding from some obscure historical research grant with limited oversite.

[Johan Steele]

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.

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Dusty