Civil War Material Culture Studies
Mar 25, 2025
Regional Cotton Sanitary Commission Shirts
The fluid environments encountered first-hand by U.S. Sanitary Commission volunteers contributed as a driver for regional soldiers’ aid organizations to adapt hospital shirt patterns to meet the needs of suffering United States soldiers.
Dec 20, 2024
Instructions for a Civil War Handkerchief Night-Cap
A substantial number of lives were interrupted during the dark days of the American Civil War. To keep soldiers and civilians comfortable as they endured cold temperatures while away from home, instructions for an impromptu handkerchief night-cap were printed in an issue of the "American Agriculturalist." This post shows how to easily recreate a handkerchief night-cap for a museum exhibit mannequin, an actor, or a living history interpreter.
Dec 18, 2024
Exploring a Variation of Cloth Trigger Finger Mittens
This variation of cloth trigger finger mittens was printed by the widely-circulated northern publication: "American Agriculturalist." As the United States government did not typically issue mittens to soldiers, this pattern provided an opportunity for volunteer sewists on the home front to manufacture mittens at almost no cost by recycling old woolen civilian clothing such as coats and trousers.
Nov 24, 2024
Museum Fundraising Tips for a Civil War Exhibit
Thinking about constructing or revitalizing a Civil War exhibit for your museum in the upcoming year? The fourth fiscal quarter is a perfect time to partner with funding entities to make your exhibit a reality! Here’s five fundraising tips to explore based on the experience of Civil War Patterns’ owner.
May 16, 2024
Mystery of the Mismatched Shirt Sleeves
Sometimes as a historian, I find it’s necessary to play the role of a detective and ask “whodunit” and “what’s the motive,” when working with the mysteries of Civil War material culture. One of these mysteries is the mismatched shirt sleeves that are occasionally encountered on Civil War era men’s shirts.
Dec 15, 2023
Sourcing and Distribution of U.S. Sanitary Commission Clothing
Hundreds of thousands of garments made through organized volunteer efforts on the home front, contributed to saving the lives of U.S. soldiers who were fighting to preserve our nation and make others free. Something as simple as a wool shirt could mean the difference between life and death during a war when more men died of illness than bullets and artillery.
Dec 15, 2023
Red Wool Flannel Shirts as Medicine
Red wool flannel shirts were common enough in the United States military during the Civil War that they are frequently depicted in historic artwork, written about in period narratives, and observed in tinted historic images—but there is not much evidence of them being contracted for and issued on a large scale by the United States military. That’s why it is exciting to discover red wool undergarments being specifically called for by the U.S. Sanitary Commission.