Civil War Quilt, 68” x 86”, made by the Ladies Aid Society, Portland, Maine, c. 1864

This quilt was made by the Ladies Aid Society of Portland, with each quilt square made by a different member of the society. The pieces were then assembled into a stunning show of patriotism and support for Union soldiers. The “potholder” quilt has a tan cotton background with twenty squares, each containing a different design.

Quilting was a common activity for Civil War Ladies Aid Societies, which they performed in addition to rolling bandages, knitting, and working to lend aid to the soldiers away at war. Though its ink is faded, a short poem is written on the square with the anchor (upper left corner):

Ye have fought our battles for us
Showing how the brave can die
We are waiting to receive you,
When ye lay your armor by.
               
We’ll stitch with the needle
And fight with the tongue
‘Till every old rebel
Is conquered or hung.

Hope is the anchor of the soul.
‘Tis Jesus makes the wounded whole;
Believe in Christ, the victory’s won,
Look up, by faith receive thy crown

Currently, this quilt is on view in Lowell, Massachusetts, where it is on loan to The New England Quilt Museum for its exhibition titled “One Foot Square, Quilted and Bound,” from April 14 to July 10, 2011. The quilt went through extensive conservation in 2010. It was recently discovered that the Brick Store Museum’s Civil War quilt has a “sister quilt,” which was also made in Portland, but now resides in Connecticut.

Gift of Mrs. Thompson Boynton.

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