February 16, 2009
Brenda Phelan
American Military Quilts
Quilts we wrap them around ourselves on cold nights, we use them as decorations across chairs or the foot of beds, perhaps we even lay them on the floor for man's best friend to draw warmth and comfort from. Since the anniversary of this nation quilts have played an intricate part in our history. We not only drew comfort from them, but they were a necessities for warmth in winter. Quilts have also been used to mark the passing of events political, historic and just everyday events, I am sure everyone who has had a child received some sort of quilt or blanket, some with names and birthdays, some just for everyday use. Quilts also served another purpose.
During the Civil War (1861 -1865), the Sanitary Commission, which was founded
in 1861 to assure that hospitals were sanitary and to give aid and comfort to
the wounded, quickly developed into something much larger. The Sanitary Commission
not only collected funds and supplies, but through the Ladies Auxiliary and their
fairs they collected clothing and quilts. Women donated
quilts that were quite simple in design. Sometimes instead of quilting women would use
period comforter ties to hold them together. Some blankets were block quilts with
messages of love and faith. Quilts were given as a part of the Union soldiers' comfort packages, which
included rations. The Sanitary Commission
gave out between 150,000 and 250,000 blankets and quilts that were made or donated
to the Sanitary Commission by northern women. This figure does not include any
personal blankets or quilts the soilders carried from home. A soldier would
roll his blanket up perhaps with other belongings inside and carry it with
him into battle. He would use it perhaps on warm nights for a pillow or to lay his weary body upon. He would use it on winter nights as comfort
against the cold. If he were wounded it would become his hospital blanket, and
because of the shortage of wood, if he perished from his wounds it would become
his burial shroud. These quilts meant the world to the soldiers who received
them. One soldier wrote to thank a student for his blanket, “How highly I value it, how carefully I shall
preserve it, and how I shall take it home with me.”
Of the 250,000 quilts in existance only 4 survived . One of these resides in the Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands California.
The Home of the Brave Quilt Project has carried on the Sanitary Commission's mission by sending comfort quilts to those who have lost a soldier in the line of duty. I am a recipient of one of their beautiful works of art. I am honored to have it.
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There are many quilters today who continue this tradition. (Please see our Links Page to view the list.)
I want to thank all of them for their hard work and dedication in bringing comfort and a smile to the faces of the people who are filled with sadness after losing a loved one. Please know how important your work is; every stitch has a special meaning for those of us that grieve. You do a wonderful thing and we at the Ltc. Mark Patrick Phelan Foundation salute you.
President Abraham Lincoln said it best when he thanked the women of the Sanitary Commission for their work during the Civil war, “In this extraordinary war, extraordinary developments have manifested themselves, such as have not been seen in former wars: and amongst these manifestations nothing has been more remarkable than these fairs for relief of suffering soldiers and their families. And the chief agents in these fairs are the women of America… I must say, that if all that has been said by orators and poets since the creation of the world in the praise of women were applied to the women of America. it would not do them justice for their conduct during this war… God Bless the women of America."
*Quotes from American Quilter Spring 2002, "The Commemorating in Cloth" by Don Beld.