‘These blankets Lee’s Grandfather
Alfred Cunningham,
(named James Alfred)
brought home from  the Civil War’

One of two identical butternut blankets brought home by James Alfred Cunningham of West Gardner, Maine. Put carefully aside and stored for decades so as to remain free of moths, mice and mold, the blankets remained bundled together fortunately with a family identification tag preserving Pvt. Cunningham’s prize. We are pleased to note that one of the blankets has been placed in the Gettysburg Visitors Center Museum collection while the other, shown here, remains in the Hayes family collection. A well- used butternut blanket with the same off red stripe was at one time housed the original Museum of the Confederacy collection in Richmond, Virginia. Pvt. Cunningham entered the military as a member of the 5th Maine unassigned infantry transferring to the 19th Maine Infantry in October of 1864 then to Co. F of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery in December 1864 and was mustered out on September 1, 1866.