This linen tent fragment was separated from one of General George Washington’s tents in the 1800s. George Washington Parke Custis, Martha Washington’s grandson, cut it from the inner chamber of the sleeping and office marquee and likely gave it away as a souvenir. The inner chamber divided the sleeping and office marquee into rooms and served as an insulating layer. Today, the inner chamber, which bears many scars from wear and tear and souvenir taking, is owned by the National Park Service and on display at Yorktown Battlefield in Virginia. 

Object Details

  • Inner Chamber Fragment
    Made by Plunket Fleeson
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    1776
    Linen
    Museum of the American Revolution, 2003.00.0353

Learn More

A recreated of an end of Washington's tent displayed with his camp bed and additional camp items.
 

Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington's Tent

February 17, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington's Tent brought to life the journey of George Washington’s tent from the Revolutionary War to an enduring symbol of the American republic.
Explore Exhibit
Image 082720 George Washington Tent Collection
 

Washington's War Tent

General George Washington's original sleeping and office tent from the Revolutionary War.
See Object
Washington Field HQ Sleeping Marquee Exterior View
 

Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters

Explore the Museum's handsewn, full-scale replicas of General George Washington's Revolutionary War sleeping, dining, and baggage tents through 360-degree images in our Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters.
Read More
Three brown wooden tent stakes with one sharp end to dig into the ground and one notched end to hold rope.
 

Tent Pins

These wooden pins, or stakes, were driven into the ground to hold ropes that kept George Washington’s marquee tents upright.
See Object
Wooden tensioners and hemp ropes used to erect George Washington's headquarters tent during the Revolutionary War.
 

Marquee Ropes and Tensioners

These rope fragments, tensioners, and wooden pins were to secure General George Washington’s sleeping and office marquee.
See Object
Large weathered leather bag, or portmanteau, used to carry George Washington's belongings during the Revolutionary War.
 

Washington’s Valise or Portmanteau

Philadelphia upholsterer Plunket Fleeson made two valises (also referred to later as portmanteaux), including this one for General George Washington in 1776.
See Object