13th Virginia at Schoenbrunn Village or Dutch Blankets, Petty Sutlers and The Little Things

Tony Bertalino leads the blankets into Schoenbrunn Village 

    Rare moments in the hobby are not to be missed, and once again Alan Kraus and company delivered. It's usually the little things that make the hobby enjoyable, and while some things seem like a small detail, they can really immerse you in the moment. Anyone can start a unit, tell guys to go out and buy some generic blanket for their impression and call it good. But often in the context of the military, items were purchased in largequantities and as close to factory made as you could get in the pre industrial age. The continentals in the late 1770s were issued large amounts of "dutch" blankets. 

“DESERTED from Capt. Nathaniel Fox's company of the 6th Virginia, James Anderson, a black soldier, six feet high, about forty years of age ... and fond of liquor; had on when he went away, a light grey cloth coat and waistcoat: the coat faced with green, a pair of oznabrig overalls, and a small round hat with a piece of bear-skin on it: He took with him a pair of leather breeches which he had to clean, and also his firelock, cartridge- box, and new Dutch blanket ... John Gibson, Col. 6th Virginia Reg.” (Pennsylvania Packet, 13 May 1778)

We don't really have a solid idea of what they looked like in terms of stripes etc, so a choice was made and the blankets you see below were issued. Dave Barno did a excellent job of sewing the rolls of blankets up in 2 bundles and we delivered them into camp via packhorse. The blankets were then cut from the roll which made for an excellent interpretive opportunity. 

Captain Kraus cuts his blanket from the roll

    Petty Sutler, Eileen was on hand to offer fresh garden goods and tobacco and secret rum rations to the men of the 13th adding another layer of immersion to the weekend. 

Eileen, petty sutler 

    The 13th was actually in and around the area of Schoenbrunn Village during their deployment and this added another layer of realism. Schoenbrunn Village, founded in 1772 as a Moravian mission among the Delaware Indians, was the first Christian settlement in Ohio. Although the village prospered for several years, pressures from encroaching settlers and British-aligned Indians forced the abandonment of Schoenbrunn in 1777, shortly after the start of the Revolutionary War.

    I was happy to be back in the field doing this again, brushing up on drill and getting my kit up to speed. Hoping to have the regimental coat finished soon and leather accoutrements acquired and made. A great weekend. Looking forward to more.