Army cots

[dorcas]

Is there some way to identify civil war cots? There is one that my Dad and Mom kept that was said to be a cot used by my g grandfather, John B. Beams, during the war. It was recently removed from the family home and stored in a shed. All the years I was growing up it was referred to as "Pap's" civil war cot.

[flattop32355]

Take a few pictures from different angles with a digital camera and put it up on here for the "experts" to take a look at (I ain't one of 'em).

[plankmaker]

I have seen Civil War Army cots mentioned in a few instances. Most of these involve the establishment of homes for Civil War orphans. The descriptions of them are basically limited to narrow, iron, and sleep two children. The photos I have seen of different hospitals also mostly look like narrow metal bed frames.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[paul hadley]

Here's an officer's cot that a Google search turned up, along with some 2006 discussion on this very site, so maybe a search here is in order?
All this talk about cots is making me sleepy -- better rest up for tomorrow's turkey banquet!
Paul Hadley
(Hope my attachment attached)

[Spinster]

Mr. Hadley,

That image won't enlarge for me--I'd be interested to know if there is a patent date stenciled on the frame of the bed.

Reason being--I've got two wooden folding beds, with the wire mesh on the platform. One of them sports a headboard which is awfully close to a bed I once saw at Gettysburg NPS before the bulk of the collection was stored---but my bed had an 1880 patent date.

[MBond057]

Here is a Civil War era cot.

[dorcas]

Thanks for your replies. This cot is iron and looks basically like a narrow bed. When I am back to the homeplace I might get a picture of it. Great Grandpap was in the hospital a number of times and convelacing in camp, too.

Dorcas

[tompritchett]

When I am back to the homeplace I might get a picture of it. Great Grandpap was in the hospital a number of times and convelacing in camp, too.

Being iron, I could see the potential of the cot being from a hospital or from a permanent convelance camp but I would find it hard to believe that it would be found in any semi-mobile camp environment just because of the relative differences in weight between an iron frame versus a wooden frame.

[mravery]

Hello all,

Here is one that is dated 1862.

Thought about making a copy of it though not sure if it would hold my 215lbs as those legs look awfully tiny

[mravery]

Another