Federal Civil War Blanket with Chainstitched “US”

This is a new all wool reproduction of the type of blanket issued by federal and state arsenals during the Civil War and for many years thereafter.

This is an economical representation of the lesser quality blankets delivered by many blanket mills, cutting corners on the Army specifications. These "shoddy" blankets were made with a mixture of wool fibers in various colors that produced a gray overall color when finished. Army inspectors accepted these due to the always critical need for blankets. After the war, many thousands of blankets were stored in Army warehouses and issued to the Regular Army until the stock was exhausted. A new pattern of blankets were adopted in 1876, but few were purchased because there was still a huge stock of Civil War blankets in the warehouses.

Weight 4 pounds, size 66x84 inches. Gray mixture with brown stripe at each end. Sides are left raw, ends are cut, turned under and whipstitched. These have not been "picked" to raise the nap so have a rather hard finish when new, but will soften with use.