Mary Carswell's Grand Army Quilt

Detail, "Grand Army Quilt " 

by Mary Carswell, 1885, Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Connecticut

Here's an embroidered, pieced and appliqued quilt

to add to the file of Civil War Commemorative Quilts.

Mary E. Carswell  of Waterbury made this quilt of "bits of silk from North and South."

The 49 blocks depict army corps badges and other symbols.

In the corners are 4 Saint Bernard dogs and in the borders,flags. 

"On the edging is the name of every President of the United

States with date and term of office and date of death."

Mary Carswell was a member of the Women's Relief Corps of the Grand Army of the Republic. Here's a page from the minutes of a 1901 convention. She's listed at the bottom as an alternate delegate.

See photos of the quilt at the Mattatuck Museum's website:

http://www.mattatuckcollections.org/Obj6199?sid=338577&x=3995562

The quotes describing the quilt are from an 1885 New York Times article, copied from the Springfield Republican, See a PDF of that NYT article here:

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F60F14F83E5B10738DDDAC0A94D1405B8584F0D3