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 I was excited to discover wool undergarments of this color being specifically called for by the U.S. Sanitary Commission.
Within a month of being officially organized in 1861, The U.S. Sanitary Commission began requesting red wool flannel drawers. These wool undergarments would have been constructed by volunteer sewists on the home front for wide distribution to soldiers. By that autumn, directions to construct red wool undershirts to specifically clothe rheumatic patients began being circulated. Throughout the war, there are continued references in U.S. Sanitary Commission primary source material to donated red wool flannel undergarments. So, why were some Sanitary Commission undergarments red?
This color was not chosen for aesthetics, but rather because of the believed medicinal value of the vegetable-dyed red wool flannel. An 1860 dated issue of the “Medical and Surgical Reporter” states:
“A very excellent, gentle counter-irritant is the wearing of the ordinary, very coarse, thick, red flannel, next to the skin. The popular belief of the warming properties of this kind of flannel is not without foundation; for it is asserted by competent persons that in the red dye stuffs which are used in coloring this flannel poisonous species of sumach enter largely; and this explains the peculiar cutaneous eruption which is so often seen in persons wearing, this coarse flannel, especially when new, serve two purposes—protecting the body against cold and changes of temperature, while it acts at the same time as a counter-irritant.”
Essentially, the concept of a counter-irritant appears to be not unlike the sophomoric joke of when someone has a headache, to stomp on their foot. The irritating pain in their now stomped foot, directs their attention away from the irritating symptoms of their headache. Fortunately, the study of medicine has made some great strides since the 1860s.
Irritants that red wool flannel was thought to counter, included rheumatism associated symptoms. During the Civil War, rheumatism was a leading cause of medical discharges from the U.S. Military. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers suffered from types of rheumatism during the war, and the most likely causes were lengthy bouts of rheumatic fever and reactive arthritis after experiencing dysentery. Rheumatic associated symptoms were also attributed to being related to soldier health concerns such as scurvy and malaria.
While rheumatism was a frequently encountered illness, it was also described as one of the easiest to fake by “malingerers” who were seeking a medical discharge. This apparently became so problematic that by the spring of 1863, the Bureau of the Provost Marshal directed only symptoms related to rheumatic illness, visible through examination by a physician, to exempt a soldier from military service. For those suffering with rheumatism, and who continued to serve their country, it was believed that red wool flannel undergarments would be of benefit.
The exact numbers of red wool flannel undergarments distributed by the U.S. Sanitary Commission is unknown. However, with the extensive amount of wool underclothing provided to soldiers by this organization during the war, the numbers appear to be significant.
Standing out from the typical off-white and gray colors of U.S. military issued shirts, reproduction red wool flannel shirts are an excellent way to visually highlight a character in film, photographs, artwork, and theater performances. These garments also create a layer of depth to museum exhibits and living history interpretation, by not only providing an example of the advances in medicine over approximately the past 160 years, but also through sharing the story of both the soldier and the home front.
Visit the following link to check out patterns for authentically recreating historic U.S. Sanitary Commission red wool undergarments: