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Soap on campaign

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  • #46
    Re: Soap on campaign

    I was hoping to find more info on procurement and issue of soap by the army -- the Contingent Fund expenses I mentioned earlier were for the office of the Secretary and clearly a bit better than what one could get in the field. Unfortunately in looking through 1861 Subsistence Department contracts I only found a series of contracts for "soap" at about 4 to 6 1/2 cents a pound depending on where or when bought. Knowing that Augustus Meyers worked as a Commissary Sergeant, I checked his "Ten Years in the Ranks" but found reference only to the occasional issuance of a "small piece" of soap.

    FWIW, another reference -- a letter to Congress from the Secretary of the Navy on prizes taken -- contains an inventory of materiel captured at sea, which on pp. 589-590 includes several lots of soap that give us a picture of commercial packaging:

    lot 306:
    1 case, containing 4 boxes honey toilet soap, 3 dozen each, cakes 4 oz.; 3 boxes brown Windsor soap, 3 dozen each, cakes 6 oz.; 12 boxes magnum bonum assorted soap, 3 dozen each, cakes 8 oz.; 1 box prize medal honey soap, 6 dozen each, cakes 6 oz.; 8 boxes royal household assorted soap, 3 dozen each, cakes 4 oz.; 1 box royal household assorted soap, 6 dozen each, cakes 2 oz.; 3 boxes royal household assorted soap, 3 dozen each, cakes 6 oz.; 3 boxes brown Windsor soap, 3 dozen each, cakes 4 oz.


    In fact the whole document, or at least the inventories, gives a pretty interesting picture of the sorts of things picked up from blockade runners, including clothing and drugs (I'm wondering what a "cotton undershirt, merino finish" would look like?):

    http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA5...AYAAJ&as_brr=0
    Michael A. Schaffner

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    • #47
      Re: Soap on campaign

      more from Washy Ives:

      Aug. 10 1862
      " our rations are quite scanty. now we get 1/4 lb of flour, 1 lb beef or bacon, eaten up by (skippers?) and a little salt to the man every day. 5 oz. sugar to the man every week and no soap."

      Ives was with the 4th FL. I think the 4th was in East Tn in Aug of 62, but I'm not sure. Anyone have Crute's handy?
      Bryant Roberts
      Palmetto Guards/WIG/LR

      Interested in the Palmetto Guards?
      palmettoguards@gmail.com

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      • #48
        Re: Soap on campaign

        Great find Michael!
        Andrew Gale

        21st Arkansas Vol. Inf. Co. H
        Company H, McRae's Arkansas Infantry
        Affiliated Conscripts Mess

        Cpl. George Washington Pennington, 171st Penn. Co. K
        Mustered into service: Aug. 27, 1862
        Captured: Spottsylvania Court House, Virginia, May 12, 1864
        Died: Andersonville Prison, Georgia, Sept. 13, 1864
        sigpic

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