Thank QNS and QE. My collection of CW is so odd ball. I did a CW swap with another board member with 10" sizes, another with 5" charms, and yet another purchase with several FQ's. So really no info on the selvage. But over time I have narrowed the sources to Nancy Gere, Barbara Brackman, Terry Clothier Thompson, Jo Morton, Judie Rothermel, to name a few. Once in a while you will find information on the selvage ie circa 1850-1870. American Civil War started in 1861 and ended in 1865. Many of the designers stretch that period from the Antebellum (prewar) through Reconstruction (postwar) to fit in that 1850-1870 time frame. Shirtings (white or cream colored backgrounds with little color designs) are generally considered post 1870.
I was given a gift certificate to a LQS a long time ago and chose a book on fabric dating. It has been so informative and then I follow Barbara Brackman's blogs. She has an exceptional grasp on history and what fabrics were produced when.