US Army towels

[G.W. Strong]

I was watching this film, from May 20, 1898, and I got to wondering what those towels were like. Anyone know about army towels in the CW, IW or SAW periods?

http://memory.loc.gov/mbrs/sawmp/1329.mpg

[Old Top]

GW

Looked a lot like flower sacks or something along that line, I do not know if towles were issued during the time frame or just what ever was handy.

Top

[Pitspitr]

Major Strong
My reprint copy of U.S. Army Uniforms and Equipment 1889 by the Quartermaster General of the Army does not mention towels. Common towels of the period were cotton huck or the cotton today's "tea towels" are made of.

If you are focusing on the Span-Am period as it appears, you should pick up a copy of the above book when you get a chance .

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/US-Army-Uniforms-and-Equipment-1889/Quartermaster-General-of-the-Army/e/9780803295520?ean=9780803295520

[PJ Hardtack]

I asked my wife about this and she said - "Huckabuck". What does google or wikipedia say?

[G.W. Strong]

Major Strong
My reprint copy of U.S. Army Uniforms and Equipment 1889 by the Quartermaster General of the Army does not mention towels. Common towels of the period were cotton huck or the cotton today's "tea towels" are made of.

If you are focusing on the Span-Am period as it appears, you should pick up a copy of the above book when you get a chance .

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/US-Army-Uniforms-and-Equipment-1889/Quartermaster-General-of-the-Army/e/9780803295520?ean=9780803295520

My son wants to do SAW so I am mining the interwebs. I will buy that book.

[cpt dan blodgett]

May want to check O U press and see if they have it on sale.

[Pitspitr]

I would doubt OU would handle it as it's a Bison Book (Published by NU) Of course now that we're in the Big 10 OU Vs. NU isn't quite as big a rivalry

[Major 2]

My Sister has my Mom's old cedar chest...there a number of heirlooms & keepsakes

Like my Grandfather's infant dress ... I heard it referred to as long clothes... not a dress.
There is quilt my Great Grand Mother made circa 1850's
and some Linen Towels they are small by today standards something like 18" X 24"  or close to Face towels size.
I was told they Bathing towels course I suppose if all one had was bowl & pitcher they were fine.

These are unbleached Linen with blue stripe ( actually 3 one each long side ) woven as thin line,  wider line and another thin line all of which are about 1/2 " total in wigth.

I searched the web and found a vintage cloth site ( this Photo ) is close thought not the colors of ours
The stripe would be all blue with white between

[G.W. Strong]

Barnes and Noble had a second hand copy for $0.99 plus $4 shipping. It is on its way to me.

[Pitspitr]

Barnes and Noble had a second hand copy for $0.99 plus $4 shipping. It is on its way to me.

I Noticed yesterday that there's a line drawing of the buckles you were asking about in it. I think you'll find it quite helpful.

[G.W. Strong]

I Noticed yesterday that there's a line drawing of the buckles you were asking about in it. I think you'll find it quite helpful.

Excellent!

[cpt dan blodgett]

I was going to suggest buy the least expensive towel you can find, use it until you can read the news paper thru it, then launder with heavy starch possibly toss on some 40 or 60 grit carborundum while starch is still wet.  Should approximate what I was issued in 1968, which was probably a vast improvement over the 1868 model.