Civil War Soldier's Sewing Kit "Housewife" with dated needles and Eagle buttons

This is another great piece being offered, it is a Civil War soldier’s “Housewife” sewing kit that measures 4 1/2” x 3” when closed”. It appears to be homemade, which was very common when soldiers went off to war. Inside are a package of sewing needles dated “1857” along with some Union Eagle buttons.

Most Civil War soldiers owned just one set of clothing, which was quick to wear out during long marches and bitter fighting. As you can imagine, mending clothes was a must for soldiers. Therefore, most Civil War soldiers carried a “housewife”, or sewing kit. They contained the items necessary to darn socks, replace buttons, or fix a hole in a jacket.

Some were made for soldiers by wives, mothers, daughters, and friends. Other commercial examples were sold by the camp sutlers. They are always on display in Civil War museums, such as Gettysburg and the Museum of the Confederacy. Also, in my book “The Civil War Soldier – His Personal Items”, I show examples and go into more detail about these essential sewing kits (see pictures).

This is a nice soldier’s sewing kit and would go great with a display of a soldier’s personal effects.