Original Civil War Vulcanized Rubber Soldier’s Poncho / Gum Blanket

Original Civil War Vulcanized Rubber Soldier’s Poncho / Gum Blanket – Although rubber came into use many years prior to the onset of the Civil War, the process of vulcanization, initially utilized in the 1840s, would allow the manufacture of rubberized clothing to begin. The U.S. Army took distinct advantage of this new technology during the Mexican War, contracting for the first U.S. military issuance of rubberized knapsacks and ground cloths. In 1861, when the Civil War started, the U.S. army quickly contracted for the procurement of waterproof accoutrements for enlistees; manufacturers were contracted to make thousands of ground cloths and ponchos – these would be dubbed as “gum blankets” and would become standard issue for most Union troops. Ultimately, between 1860 and the end of the war, the Federal government contracted for almost 3 million rubberized gum blankets and ponchos, issuing one to virtually every Union soldier, thereby providing protection to each recipient protection from the rain and muddy ground. These blankets, like this rare survivor, were approximately (dependent upon the contractor) 60 inches in width and 70 inches long; each blanket had brass grommets on the outer edge of the blanket. The rubberized outer layer was applied to a cotton muslin or comparable cheaper fabric which served as a substrate. Initially, the substrate cotton had a layer of black varnish or rubber, although by the mid to latter period of the war, all gum blankets and ponchos were rubberized. The rubber was deemed markedly more flexible and resistant to the vicissitudes of inclement weather. According to the Army and the bevy of contractors, the blankets provided “protection against common colds and rheumatism as well as against more fatal disorders such as pneumonia and influenza.”

This example remains in excellent condition; it is markedly flexible, with both the rubber and muslin layer in fine condition. In the center portion of the blanket, is a slit, with a metallic (zinc) button for allowance of the soldier’s head into the blanket, thereby becoming a poncho. The heavily industrialized North mass-produced over 1.75 million rubber blankets and 1.15 million ponchos through suppliers like the Union India Rubber Company. The majority of these ponchos were issued to mounted troops, while the blankets (without head protrusion slits) were issued to infantry troops. This poncho has six brass grommets, evenly spaced around the outer perimeter. Additionally, this poncho has, in two corners, the inked initials of the soldier/owner – “E. K. G. Co.”; stamped in one corner area is: “2 ½ / 64577/18” – possibly a contractor’s number or soldier issuance designation.  A scant few of these ponchos remain today in such fine condition as this example.

Measurements: L – 69”: W – 42.5”