Civil War linen fragment, ca. 1863
Item 84652 info
Maine Historical Society
Many of the physical needs of soldiers – as well as other types of support – came from women at home.
Women in Maine, as elsewhere, collected "lint," scraps of linen and other cloth, to send to military hospitals during the war.
The paper surrounding the linen remnant reads, "Linen used during Rebellion 1861-65 brought from Washington by 'Florence Perry' (i.e. Elizabeth Anne Chase Akers Allen)."
The linen was saved inside the paper cover. Akers Allen, a native of Strong, had worked as a clerk in Washington during the war and wrote poetry, including “Rock Me to Sleep,” which was quite popular during the war.
Item 16 of 17
