1864 Civil War Quilt
Ye have fought our battles for us
Showing how the brave can die
We are waiting to receive you
When you lay your armors by.
We’ll stitch with the needle
And fight with the tongue
‘Till every old rebel
Is conquered or hung.
Hope is the anchor of the soul
‘Tis Jesus makes the wounded whole
Believe in Christ, the Victory’s won
Look up, by faith, receive thy crown.
These are words that appear on a potholder- style quilt, each block bound separately, then joined together, made by the Ladies Aid Society in Portland, Maine, made in 1864.
Motifs that appear on the surface blocks are bunting flags, a lighthouse with a flag, an anchor, a Bible, drums, stars, crossing flags, an eagle with arrows on the left, canon balls, swords and more. There are twenty blocks in all.
This quilt is very dark in color, with some of the designs almost indiscernible from a distance. I don’t believe it would photograph well. This is held in a private museum in New England. I cannot clearly remember any details about the quilt, only those I wrote down at the time. I saw it several years ago. It appears to be a group effort quilt made to honor soldiers who fought during the Civil War.
Patricia Cummings
