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STENCIL ID’D CIVIL WAR ISSUE BLANKET WITH CORPS BADGES

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This Civil War US issue blanket is in excellent condition, retains its original gray color to the body and the black color in the end stripes, along with its three-line open ended, chainstitched US near the middle that has shifted in color to a slightly olive green. It has no holes or other damage, and was given a narrow, ¼” red binding along the top and bottom edges, likely by the soldier during his off hours, along with a small, red Third Corps diamond, 2 x 2”. at the top left corner and a similar red First Corps disk, 1-1/2” in diameter at the upper right corner. On the reverse of the upper edge of the blanket are the remains of two-line black ink stencil about 2 X 9” overall. We have not satisfactorily made out the soldier’s name in the top line. The lower line seems pretty clearly to be his hometown: “SAXONVILLE,” followed by what appears to be “Mass.,” which would make sense both for the location of that town, near Framingham, and the Massachusetts collection from which this blanket came. We see no holes, frayed spots or moth damage with the exception of some wear to the red binding along the top and bottom edges.

The blanket measures approximately 62-1/2” wide and 80-1/2” long. The top end stripe is 3-1/2” wide and 3-1/2” from the top edge. The bottom stripe is about 3-1/4” wide and 3-3/4” from the bottom edge. The red edge binding along the top and bottom is ¼” wide. The US is in the center of the blanket, the letters about 3” apart. The U measures 5-3/4” and the S, 6” with the width varying slightly, ranging from 1” to 1-1/2” across the three lines of yarn. The top of the U is about 37” from the top edge of the blanket.

The US 1861 Regulations specified only that blankets were to be, “woolen, gray, with letters US in black, four inches long, in the center; to be seven feet long, and five and half feet wide; and to weigh five pounds.” Surveys of extant examples show a wide variety in color, weave, finish, exact dimensions, size and placement of the “US,” etc. Some of this is due to manufacturer variations, with many domestic and foreign makers, and some due to age, exposure to the elements, etc. An admittedly small sample of some 12 twelve blanket showed variation in width from 66 to 68 inches, and in length from 78 to 82 inches, with the end stripes generally a quarter of an inch on either side of 3 inches. “Gray” was sometimes taken by early researchers to refer simply to unprocessed wool to explain the tan-brown colors most often encountered, but current scholarship takes specification at face value and attributes the tan-brown to oxidation of iron mordants used in the dying process, which was supposed to be done “in the yarn.” Experiments indicate the color shift could occur between two and four months of use. This preserves both the black of the yarn used in the end stripes, and the gray of the body as a whole, likely from variation in the chemical composition of the mordants and dye combined with careful storage. See, in particular, “The Army Issue Blanket,” by the redoubtable “Ed Quigley” in the Columbia Rifles Research Compendium, edited by John E. Tobey, for a survey of some Civil War blankets, US stitching patterns, discussion of the dying process, etc.

This is a very strong example that would be tough to improve upon. Some patience and a stronger black light might succeed in bringing out the name fully. In the meantime, cross-referencing Massachusetts units who might served in both the 1^st and 3^rd Corps, and likely in the First Division of each, might narrow things down, though it is always possible the soldier served in two different regiments.  [sr] [ph:L]

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