The Sibley tent was invented by the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

military officer Henry Hopkins Sibley and patented in 1856. Of conical design, it stands about high and in diameter.Sibley, "Conical Tent" It can comfortably house about a dozen men. The Sibley design differed from other conical tents, or

bell tent A bell tent is a human shelter for inhabiting, traveling or leisure that has been used since 600AD. The design is a simple structure, supported by a single central pole, covered with cotton canvas. The stability of the tent is reinforced with ...

s in a number of ways. Sibley's design is supported by a central pole that telescopes down into the supporting tripod so that it takes less space to pack and store. The tripod could be erected over a firepit for cooking and heat. The Sibley design also required no

guy rope A guy-wire, guy-line, guy-rope, or stay, also called simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing structure. They are used commonly for ship masts, radio masts, wind turbines, utility poles, and tents. A thi ...

s, being held down by twenty-four pegs around the base. Additionally, unlike earlier designs, the use of a cowl over the central pole allowed for ventilation and for the escape of smoke, regardless of wind direction.

History

The

US Patent Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexa ...

granted Sibley his patent April 22, 1856 (no. 14,740). The US Army used the tent exclusively during the Utah Expedition during the winter of 1857–58, proving the design. Several of the Plains Indian Wars veterans noted the tent's similarity to Indian lodges—the smoke hole, the

tent peg A tent peg (or tent stake) is a spike, usually with a hook or hole on the top end, typically made from wood, metal, plastic, or composite material, pushed or driven into the ground for holding a tent to the ground, either directly by attaching to t ...

s around the outer edge, the fire pit, etc.Billings, ''Hardtack and Coffee'', pp. 47-48: "The Sibley tent was invented by Henry Sibley, in 1857. He was a graduate of the United States military academy at West Point and accompanied Capt. John C. Fremont on one of his exploring expeditions. He evidently got his idea from the ''Tepee'' or ''Tepar''—the Indian wigwam of poles covered with skins, and having a fire in the centre—which he saw on the plains." In accordance with an 1858 agreement with the Department of War, Sibley would receive $5 USD for every tent made. However, Sibley resigned from the US Army to join the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

after the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He received no royalties on his patent. The Union Army produced and used nearly 44,000 Sibley tents during the war. After Sibley's death, his relatives attempted unsuccessfully to collect the royalties from the War Department.

References and notes

;Bibliography *Billings, John D. ''Hardtack and Coffee: Or, The Unwritten Story of Army Life''. Boston: George M. Smith & Co. (1887). *Harrington, Charles, M.D. ''A Manual of Practical Hygiene, for Students, Physicians, and Medical Officers''. Philadelphia: Lea Brothers & Co. (1902). *Marcy, Randolph B., Capt. ''The Prairie Traveler: A Hand-Book for Overland Expeditions''. New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers (1859). *Sibley, H.H. "Conical Tent", U.S. Patent No. 14,740: United States Patent Office (April 22, 1856). ;Citations

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References and notes

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