Dixie Diary 8: Confederate Silver

Block 8

Confederate Silver

8" Version

Confederate Silver, a basic patchwork design, recalls the deprivations that started to appear in Louisiana. After a year and a half of war even the basics were hard to come by .

In the fall of 1862 Sarah Morgan left part of her family boarding in the town of Clinton, while she accepted the hospitality of her sister-in-law's family at Linwood Plantation, near Port Hudson on the Mississippi, held by the Confederates. 

Linwood was photographed for the first edition of Sarah's diary.

Albert G. Carter finished building the house in 1848. His daughter Lydia married

Thomas Gibbes Morgan, Jr., Sarah's brother.

The young women were invited to view a dress parade, although the General extending the invitation warned them he could only send a "Confederate carriage," a wagon drawn by a mule.

A mule team and the driver

Drawing by Edwin Forbes

Library of Congress

September 24, 1862, Linwood, East Feliciana Parish

"Now, in present phraseology, 'Confederate' means anything that is rough, unfinished, unfashionable, or poor. You hear of Confederate dresses, which means last year's. Confederate bridle means a rope halter. Confederate silver, a tin cup or spoon. Confederate flour is corn meal….

"And what a sad sight the Fourth Louisiana was, that was then parading! Men that had fought at Shiloh and Baton Rouge were barefooted. Rags was their only uniform for very few possessed a complete suit, and those few wore all varieties of colors and cuts. Hats could be seen of every style and shape from the first ever invented down to the last one purchased evidently sometime since. Yet he who had no shoes looked as happy as he who had, and he who had a cap had something to toss up, that's all."

Linwood is the white square

Block 8

Confederate Silver

Snapshot of Sandi Brothers's 12" version with a 1" frame, set on point

The pieced block has a BlockBase number.

BlockBase #2301

But it is so basic that a name hasn't been published.

Cutting 12"

There is only one pattern piece.

Cut 2 squares dark and light 13-1/4"  (13 3-16" if you use the 1/16th" default)

Cut each square into 4 triangles with 2 cuts. You only need two triangles of each shading.

Cutting 8"

Cut 2 squares dark and light 9-1/4"  (9 3-16" if you use the 1/16th" default)

Cut each square into 4 triangles with 2 cuts. You only need two triangles of each shading.

To piece the block think diagonally and join 2 triangles to make a larger triangle.

Optional applique:

Applique a star or a heart after piecing.

Go back to the January 5, 2013 post to see a JPG with the heart and the star.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2013/01/dixie-diary-1-her-flag-flying.html

Northern cartoonists satirized the Confederate solider

in 1862. Despite deprivations they hung on for three more years.