Blanket coats are an interesting "make do" garment, (or perhaps better yet blankets were a make do source of coating) that were seen on both the frontier and in the more well established areas of 18th century America from Canada to Florida and west to New Orleans. Period terminology with this item can be tricky- some primary documents refer to white French point blankets as "Match Coats."
"20 pairs 3 point Match Coats" Aug't 10, 1785.' Pennsylvania Archives, vol. x. p. 496.
Sometimes the term "matchcoat" applied to both a length of woolen fabric wrapped around the body (frequently a piece of undyed list "stroud" cloth) as well as a tailored garment made up into a coat.
Some Eskemaux came along-side, and traded their Cloaths...just gone from the Schooner, the Peoples Cloaths who had been trepanned the last year, particularly a brown Waistcoat , which had had white But- tons on it , and a white Great - coat . The Great - coat meant was a French Matchcoat , which the Efkemaux Captain had on , made up in a Frock according to the Manner that they wear them . The supposed brown Jacket was a French brown Cloth, and there were two Eskemaux who had them...[The Great Probability of a North West Passage; Thomas Jefferys, Theodorus Swaine Drage · 1768]
In a letter to John Forbes dated January 24, 1759 (Fauqier papers) Governor Fauquier writes:
"As Coll. Washington’s Regiment were so much exposed to the Hardships of the Weather for want of Cloaths, I have ordered each of them a Blanket to be made up in to a coat to guard them from the Inclemency of the Season, which is the utmost, if not more than, I have a power to do till the Assembly meet in February…"
There is some evidence that members of the Virginia provincials had them a bit earlier and that their utilitarian nature favored them to some officers:
DESERTED from the Virginia Regiment, June 19, 1756, from the Mouth of Patterson's Creek, the following persons, viz.
William
Pane, aged 30 years, 5 feet 6 inches high, has dark brown hair, sandy
complexion, blind of the left eye, Virginia born, but off in his
regimentals, late Captain John Mercer Company.
Francis
Glascock, Capt. Harrison's company, aged about 21 years, 5 feet 10
inches high, fair hair, ruddy complexion, Virginia born: Had on when he
went away, a blanket coat , a pair of buckskin breeches, and had with him two ozenbrigs shirts, and a fine one.
"The Virginia Troops good Cloated in Blue faced with Red and Looping besides which each man buys for himself a Match Coat, which is made of a thick Flannel. They die it brown with Hickory Bark and make the Match Coat Short. " Loudon, November 13, 1757 Quoted in The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Major Robert Rogers Todish/Zaboli p303. Another quote mentioning "a Brown Match Coat with Brown Buttons" for New England Rangers in the 1740s is on the same page.
Adam Stephen to George Washington, September 13, 1758
Letters to Washington and Accompanying Papers. Published by the Society of the Colonial Dames of American. Edited by Stanislaus Murray Hamilton.
CAMP ON LOYAL HANNON Sepr. 13th 1758
SIR,
We have fortifyd this place; & taken post ten miles to the westward on Kishiminatos,1 about forty miles from Fort du Quesne. In obedience to Col Bouquets Commands I wrote you by Sergt. Boynes to send up the mens Cloathing, but humbly Conceive, that Blanket Coats would suit Better than any that can be got for your Regiment. -- You will be so good as to excuse me for not being particular about our Situation & designs; as I cannot depend on your getting Letters that I write -- Some of great importance wrote by others; have fallen into the hands of the Enemy I offer my Compliments to the Gentlemen with you and am with respect,
... Sir, Your most Obt. hbe St
... ADAM STEPHEN
Christopher Hardwick to George Washington, December 12, 1758
Letters to Washington and Accompanying Papers. Published by the Society of the Colonial Dames of American. Edited by Stanislaus Murray Hamilton.
Decr. 12th. 1758
One Marke & Tent Table (Iron Screw to Do Missing) 4 Camp Stools Bedstead, 2 Mattrases, 4 Blankets, 6 Pack Saddles (one of Which Miles Carrys with him) 2 Oyl Cloths, 2 Candle Sticks 1 Pr. Snuffers, 1 Pr. Curtins, 1 Bottle Oyl 5 Cups & Six Saucers (some of which have peaces broke out of them) 2 Tumblers, 1 Do. Broke, 3 Table Cloths, 2 Pr. Sheets, 1 Box of Candles, 1 Curry Comb & Brush, 1 Pr. Saddle Bags, 3 horse Beels (one of Which is at Winchester) 1 Cag of Wine, 13 Plates 1 Bason, 1 Blanket Coat, 4 Wanteys, Hors Shoes & Nails, 2 Boxes, 2 Pr. Legings 1 Copper kettle (the Cover missing Miles says it is at Winchest. 1 Tin Quart Mug, 1 Tea Kettle, 1 Small Tent 1 Tomehock 2 Delph Bowls 7 Knives 9 Forks -- Part of a Bottle of Musterd -- some Spices, 2 Pewter much bent Dishes, 7 Table Spoons, 3 Tea Do. 2 Pieses of Supe [soap] 3 Neats Tongs --
... Decr. 12th. 1758 I have Recd. the before Mentiond things (except such as is excepted in the Memorandom) I say Recd. Pr. Me... CHRISTOPHE HARD WICK
Although useful, they may have been causing some issues with Identification of friends vs. foes on the Forbes expedition:
Barton Forbes Exp diary
Wednesday Sept 20th 1758 P 203
"Orders are issued that no Officer for the future shall appear in a Blanket coat."
In addition to soldiers and Canadians, references survive for blanket coats and jackets being worn by Indians, Slaves and Indentured Servants.
"To JOHN STEPHENSON, Pensacola "New Orleans, April 22, 1769
I hope are [ere] this comes to hand you have recivd. The things I sent you By Savon, and Should this not overtake you at pensacola hope it will find you safe arrivd in England, which Shall be always glad to hear; the Spanish Frigate Saild for the havana 3 days ago We are Still in Suspence About the Result of the Rupture between the French & Spaniards but is the General oppion of the people here that it will fall to the Spaniards if so Cash will Circulate in this place, and the Articels you was kind Enough to promise to send me will Answer extream Well, I omitted to Mention Blankets in the Memorandum, which if you think proper to send please to let them be good Blankets proper for making Blankett Coats with Either black or Blue Strips only [.] I am afraid Mr. Monsanto Will Shortly be pushed very hard for money he owes at Mobile to Messrs. McGillivray & Struthers for Negroes Bought of them a long time Ago[.] I have nothing more at present worth your notice but should this Reach you at pensacola refer you to Mr. McNamara who no[w] goes there[.] I am with due Esteem…P.S. Youl please to send me the Universal History will bound with proper Cutts and Maps tho they should Cost 6d or a Shilling More a Volume. …" (The Merchant of Manchac: The Letterbooks of John Fitzpatrick 1768-1790 ed. Margaret Fisher Dalrymple Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1978, 46.)
Virginia Gazette(Dixon & Hunter), Williamsburg ,November 25, 1775.
WARWICK, November 15, 1775. RUN away from the Subscriber's Plantation in Prince Edward County, on Saturday the 11th Instant, four Negro Fellows, viz. PRINCE, CATO, CHARLES or TRASH,
and BILLY BURTON.----Prince is a very large Fellow, is an African, and speaks badly, and is very drunken and quarrelsome, he is notable for being an excellent Swimmer and Diver. ----
Cato, a thick well Made Fellow about 5 Feet 6 or 7 Inches high, is also an African, and speaks very broken English, and is a tolerably sober well behaved Fellow.
----Charles or Trash, for he will answer to either Name, is a Native of Jamaica, a small slim Made Fellow, about 5 Feet 4 or 5 Inches high, and about 25 Years of Age.----
Billy Burton, a Mulatto, a stout young Lad, about 19 or 20 Years of Age, was raised at this Place, and is a very well behaved Fellow.
All of them but Trash were clothed this Fall in Dutch Blanket Coats and Breeches, Trash had Clothes such as Water Negroes generally wear, though he and all the others had other Clothes with them,
so that it is probable they will change their Dress.
ROBERT DONALD.
ROBERT OWEN.
Virginia Gazette(Dixon & Hunter), Williamsburg ,April 4, 1777.
FORTY SHILLINGS REWARD. RUN away from the Subscriber, the 29th of November, a likely young Negro Fellow named JOE,
about 5 Feet 10 Inches high, had on, when he went away, Jacket and Breeches made of dark coloured Kersey, with white Metal Buttons,
a short Coat made of a Dutch Blanket, with white Metal Buttons, Virginia knit Stockings, and plain Shoes. As he was brought up in Williamsburg,
I expect he is lurking about there. Whoever takes up the said Slave, and commits him to Gaol, or brings him to me in James City County,
shall receive the above Reward
JOSEPH HORNSBY. YARMOUTH, April 1, 1777
sometimes blankets were used to fashion jackets as well:
- Maryland Gazette, 23 June 1757
"Deserted from Francis Ware’s Company, the 14th of this instant June, on his march to Fort-Frederick, Patrick Grame, a Scotchman, aged 25 years,
5 feet 4 ½ inches high, of a brown complexion, has dark eyes, and black hair, middling long, has a down look, and is mark’d with the small-pox; had on when he went away, a jacket made of a Dutch blanket, grey country-made stockings, and shoes about half worn.
Whoever takes up the said deserter, and delivers him to any of the Recruiting-Officers in this Province, or contrives him to Fort-Frederick, shall have two pistoles reward paid by Francis Ware "
Virginia Gazette(Purdie & Dixon), Williamsburg ,December 10, 1767.
RUN away from the subscriber, about the 3d of last month, in Prince William county, near Dumfries, a Scotch servant man, named ROBERT CRAIG, about 5 feet 5 inches high, by trade a weaver, of a dark complexion, wears his own black short hair, and talks the Scotch dialect very broad; had on when he went away a drab coloured cloth great coat much patched, a jacket made out of an old Dutch blanket, an old felt hat welted round the brim with coloured thread, an old pair of osnabrug breeches, and a pair of ribbed yarn hose. Any person taking up the said servant, and conveying him to me, shall receive a reward of Three Pounds Virginia currency, besides what the law allows.
WILLIAM BRIGGS. N.B. The above servant, I am informed, has wrote himself a discharge.
Virginia Gazette(Purdie & Dixon), Williamsburg ,September 28, 1769.
NORTH CAROLINA, Sept. 3, 1769. COMMITTED to the publick jail for the district of Halifax an outlandish Negro man who calls himself HARRY, about 25 years old, 5 feet 6 inches high, and his fore teeth very much decayed; has on an old jacket made of a Dutch blanket, Negro cotton breeches, and an old brown linen shirt. He says he belongs to William Hunter, but cannot tell in what province his master lives. The owner may have him on proving his property, and paying charges.
CHRISTOPHER DUDLEY, Jailer.
The parallel garment among French Canadians was called a Capote, and was sometimes made with cloth, but at others of blankets, and frequently featured a hood and tied closure (see the image at the top of this page).
A great discussion of Blanket coats/Capotes in service with the British Army during the revolution can be found here . Nathan K has blogged on capotes/cappo coats here at the Buffalo trace blog
and instructions for a Von Germann style blanket coat are up at Fort Ticonderoga.
Various methods of fastening and finishing were used in the period:
"a striped Blanket Coat, with flat Pewter Buttons..." NY Gazette 2/2/1767
"a blanket coat with yellow binding..." NY Gazette 5/8/1769
"new blanket coat, tyed with brown yard strings" PA Gazette 8/10/1769
"a short Coat made of a Dutch Blanket, with white Metal Buttons" VA Gazette 4/1/1777
"a homespun blanket coat lappelled and bound with blue ferret..." PA Packet 3/21/1782
All in all, a blanket coat, whether a hooded overcoat in the Canadian fashion or simply a coat or jacket using a blanket for cloth is another garment to consider when gearing up for winter.
