Gloves ?

[18thmississippi]

ive seen sutlers who sell the knitted fingerless, as well as ones with fingers, gloves. But my questions is what kind of gloves did the common foot soldier typically wear? Both federal and confederate.

 

[Craig L Barry]

Like braces (suspenders), they were not items that were issued by either side. They would be private purchase or sent from home. There were period accounts of women who knit mittens for the Army. Here is a pattern from 1862:

Directions for Knitting Mittens, ca. 1862, courtesy of the Women's Central Relief Association, the New-York Historical Society, New York NY.

 

[johan_steele]

At Ft Abercrombie the 4th MN had buffalo robes & buffalo mittens with some of the men also having fingerless gloves.

The buffalo robes & mittens were, I believe issued as were greatcoats. Despite temps that hit -30 I've not found any instances of frost bite or hypothermia.

 

[UCVRelics]

The Regular CS soldier got what ever was sent from home. The Southern soldier was more worried about shoes.

 

[Grayrock Volunteer]

The gloves of Private Burton Marchbanks, 30th Texas Cavalry, posted from Adolphus Confederate Uniforms: http://adolphusconfederateuniforms.com/homemade-clothes-of-burton-marchbanks-30th-texas-cavalry.html

Cheers,
Garrett

 

[D.H. Hill]

Gloves of Pvt. Walston, 37th (?) NC. KIA Ft. Mahone March, 1865. Note a couple fingers are worn off. Pattern resembles those of Pvt. Marchbanks. They appear to have been tucked into his belt at the time of his death.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003005135/PP/resource/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003005128/PP/

 

[JohnW.]

At Ft Abercrombie the 4th MN had buffalo robes & buffalo mittens with some of the men also having fingerless gloves.

The buffalo robes & mittens were, I believe issued as were greatcoats. Despite temps that hit -30 I've not found any instances of frost bite or hypothermia.

I can speak from experience....you are not going to freeze in a buffalo robe.

 

[LoriAnn]

I missed this thread the first time around. Pretty cool! Just like socks, the regular gloves and fingerless mitts look just like we knit them today.

That funky mitten, however, is not seen too often in my particular yarny circle.

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

Gloves worn were the gloves sent from home or private purchase.....Personally, I have a pair of mittens that were knitted by Suzy the Shepherdess and I am quite happy with them! http://www.suzy-the-shepherdess.com/purchase-patterns/historic-patterns/

 

[LoriAnn]

So did the soldiers have fingerless gloves?

It's comforting to see in the above image that knitters back then also had a little trouble figuring out proper finger width. It rarely looks right! That's one reason the fingerless glove pattern is so popular.

Dude gloves with fingers of questionable width. (That yarn is a Cormo sheep and Yak blend.)

Dude fingerless gloves that sort of bypass the problem, as I gave him partial fingers.

Mittens are fabulous.

 

[LoriAnn]

Gloves worn were the gloves sent from home or private purchase.....Personally, I have a pair of mittens that were knitted by Suzy the Shepherdess and I am quite happy with them! http://www.suzy-the-shepherdess.com/purchase-patterns/historic-patterns/

I love that she decided to raise her own sheep. That's the ultimate in my eyes! I know of a woman who does the same, spins the yarn, and then knits her husband a sweater every year.

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

I love that she decided to raise her own sheep. That's the ultimate in my eyes! I know of a woman who does the same, spins the yarn, and then knits her husband a sweater every year.

She sells at a few reenactments that I go to......She is a nice person, always with a smile on her face!!......My son, who is now 15, talked with her about her one sheep named "Booger" when he (my son) was 10....he thought it was funny then, and, to this day, always asks her if she still has "Booger"!

 

[LoriAnn]

She sells at a few reenactments that I go to......She is a nice person, always with a smile on her face!!......My son, who is now 15, talked with her about her one sheep named "Booger" when he (my son) was 10....he thought it was funny then, and, to this day, always asks her if she still has "Booger"!

Thank you for posting her site. I visit the yarn shop in Galena where she sells her yarn, I'm not far from the Marengo shop and sometimes find myself out that way, and I plan on photographing reenactments this year, so...looks like I'll have a chance to check out her yarn!

I really like the way she raises her sheep.