Only Known Surviving Example of a Civil War U.S. Army Officer's Wall Tent

[Shotgun Steve]

The only known surviving example of a Civil War U.S. Army officer's wall tent. It is 9 feet high, 9 feet long, and 15 feet wide. The poles are original. The tent belonged to Surgeon John Wiley of the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. The 6th took part in many of the major battles of the East, including the Peninsula Campaign, Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, to mention a few. For a history of the 6th New Jersey, please click here. The tent has been in the collection of the noted Civil War medical historian Dr. Gordon Dammann, and it is featured in two of his books on Civil War medical antiques. It remained in the estate of Dr. Wiley, of Cape May , New Jersey, until 1988, when I originally sold it to Dr. Dammann. The tent is presently on display at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Frederick, Maryland.

[Dr. Bob]

I have a friend that hand sews these tents, to the Army specifications.  PC in all respects!

[Books OToole]

Having had a tent built to pre-civil war military specifications; I think that the discription of the tent pictured above is incorect.
The caption states that the tent is 9 feet tall, 9 feet long and 15 feet wide.

It is the width that I do not believe. Just looking at the photograph, it is apparent that the tent is not nearly twice as wide as it is long.

The pre-civil war wall tent dimensions are 8'6" at the ridge (tall) and 9' X 9'. (wide X long).  The pictured tent looks just about the same as my modern made military wall tent.


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