Sibley tent
The Sibley tent or bell tent is a type of tent whose walls are held up by a single central pole. It has a circular floor plan of some 10 ft to 15 ft across. Guy ropes were connected every 2 ft around the top of the walls - these had to be carefully tensioned to hold the pole upright and keep the tent in shape. Iron reinforcements were added to the top opening.
History
The Sibley tent was invented by Henry Hopkins Sibley, who had studied the tipi during the expeditions he carried out in the Old West. A patent was granted for his tent design on April 22, 1856 (no. 14,740). In accordance in an agreement with the Department of War in 1858, he would have received five dollars for every tent they made. However, Sibley joined the Confederate States Army after the outbreak of the American Civil War and did not receive the royalty. The Federal Army had used almost 44,000 Sibley tents during the war. After Sibley's death, his relatives attempted unsuccessfully to collect the royalties.
