Description

This is the inner bag which buttoned inside the haversack to carry certain foodstuffs and items the soldier wished to “separate” from other contents. (we have rec’d some inquiries in the past from soldiers concerned that the button in “liner” was not as deep as the haversack body. Some patterns of haversack did have a full body liner designed to be removed and either washed or replaced. They proved inadequate as the grease permeated them and quickly soiled the bag beyond effectiveness. This more shallow liner was designed as a suspension  “compartment” where, along or in tandem with his poke sacks, the soldier could put more valued foodstuffs he wished to keep separate from the slop in the bottom of the bag, thus it is purposely made shorter than the haversack) Made of various cheap materials during the period varying from simple cotton and coarse weave muslin, to flour sack and cotton towel material based on accounts, etc. (Documented original haversacks are very rare, few if any matching original inner bags exist for examination to make any informed statement concerning actual practice and production or this rather useful item. The 1863 regulations simply lists it as an “unpainted inner sack”) Replacements, when procured, were home made or purchased from enterprising fellows. (they simply did not last long – with some personal accounts indicating they were commandeered to use for anything from gun cleaning to an emergency sink run. HOLD!! DON’T do IT man! Instead buy a weekend supply of our Gayetty’s medicated paper – the necessity of the age!) These were not necessarily fitted to the bag but basically had three buttonholes roughly lining up to the three corresponding buttons sewn into the  inside top edge of the haversack body and thus served their basic purpose. Ours are 12 to 12 1/2″  wide, the width of the majority of regulation and army  pattern haversacks, and 9″ deep. All button holes are handsewn. The top opening of the bag is hemmed and then folded over to the inside and stitched so the buttonholes are reinforced double strength. The bag body is made in one piece, folded over sideways, then one side and the bottom have a machine sewn inseam which is also topstitched. We produce them also from a variety of surplus materials from tighter weave unbleached sheet material to coarse weave muslin. If you have a preference say so please in order comments. If not you will get what we grab. We can mark these bags for you with any of our advertised period maker marks to correspond with your haversack if desired – again please indicate in comments or the bag will come unmarked – no returns if not specified.