American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

60 x 70 in. grayish-brown blanket with a mix of machine stitching and hand-stitching. One corner with the letter "S" hand-stitched with red thread, opposite corner on reverse side of blanket with stencil marks appearing to be a "92" over the letter "G." Condition generally good but with two holes near edges (approx. 2 in. dia. and 2 x 3 in. respectively) and several smaller losses along edges. 

HDS indicates that Henry B. Sanford (1817-1879) enlisted on 10/30/1861 at Potsdam as a 2nd lieutenant and was commissioned into Co. G, NY 92nd Infantry. He commanded Co. G from  May 1862 to January 1863 when he took command of the Ambulance Corps of the 1st Brigade, 4th Div., 18th Corps. He is listed as wounded 10/1/1864 at Chaffin's Farm, Virginia. 

Consignor relates that blanket was used by Sanford. Overall construction of blanket seems typical of 19th century military blankets, however, lack of vertical stripes at end of cloth and lack of "US" suggest minimally that the blanket was not US issue. Blanket could be state issue, though more likely was later, perhaps Indian Wars era. Under black light blanket shows no evidence of fluorescence. Attribution of use by Sanford could indicate that the blanket was utilized by Sanford at a veterans' reunion. These were often held on battlefields where original soldiers slept on original ground, camping and living much as they had during battle.