GuttaPercha French Knapsack?

[Mild53]

Hi I'm reading a November 17 letter form a 5th Maine soldier posted in Virginia. He writes, "we received new knapsacks of French style & manufacture they are made of guttapercha & are light and handy.

I've never heard of or seen a guttapercha knapsack. Do you know what this is? Can you send an image? Thanks.

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

Guttapercha, in the sense of the rubber-like coating.

Here is a repro using 'tarred'…

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

And the descriptor of the tree product:

 

[Mississippian1861]

I wonder if he is talking about a Short's Patient Knapsack. Some French knapsacks were purchased by the US but most of them were fairly early in the war.

 

[Mild53]

Guttapercha, in the sense of the rubber-like coating.

Here is a repro using 'tarred'…

View attachment 569588

Ah , so it's just a coating on lieu of tar?

 

[Mild53]

And the descriptor of the tree product:

View attachment 569589

Thanks

I wonder if he is talking about a Short's Patient Knapsack. Some French knapsacks were purchased by the US but most of them were fairly early in the war

 

[Mild53]

Thanks

I should have been more clear, the letter was form Nov 17, 1861. Seems "early warning". The soldier describes the packs as "light and handy"

 

[Hammons]

Some in the Smithsonian collection -

Gray's gutta percha knapsack was used during the Civil War.

The Gray gutta percha knapsack, composed of two layers of unbleached cotton sandwiching a sheet of vulcanized gutta percha, was used during the Civil War.

www.militaryimagesmagazine-digital.com

knapsack

Currently not on view

americanhistory.si.edu

knapsack

Currently not on view

americanhistory.si.edu

Some other gutta percha items

Canteen | American Civil War Museum

AOTM - U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum

U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum - Ft. Lee, VA

qmmuseum.army.mil

Civil War 1858 Canteen With India-Rubber Adjustable Sling | J. Mountain Antiques

This is a regulation 1858 smooth sided canteen with original gray wool cover. It has black stenciled letters that may be related to an Ohio unit or a man's initials. The rarity with this piece is the use of an India- Rubber adjustable sling (or gutta percha) that looks like a buckle used on...

www.jamesmountainantiques.com