The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

[RNMCSA]

This could perhaps fit in many disscusions, but as I just came across it in an account I am currently reading I thought I would share it.

"At the commencement of the war, the Southern army was as poorly armed as any body of men ever had been. In the infantry, my own regiment as an example, one company had Springfield muskets, one had Enfield, one had Mississippi rifles, the remainder the old smooth bore flint-lock musket that had been altered to a percussion gun. The cavalry was so badly equipped that hardly a company was uniform in that particular; some had sabers, nothing more, some had double-barrel guns, some had nothing but lances, while others had something of all. One man with a saber, another with a pistol, another with a musket, another a shotgun, not half a dozen men in the company armed alike. The artillery was better, but the guns were mostly smooth bore, and some of the horses had wagon and plow harness. It did not take long for the army of Northern Va. to arm itself with better material. When Jackson's troops marched from the valley for Richmond to join Lee in his attack on McClellan, they had captured enough arms from the enemy to replace all that were inferior, and after the battles around Richmond, all departments of Lee's army were as well armed. After that time, the captures from the enemy kept us up to their standard. Our ammunition was always inferior to theirs.

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Towards the close of the war, nearly all equipments in the army of Northern Va. were articles captured from the Yankees. All the wagons were captured, and to look at them on a march, one would not know that they belonged to the Confederacy, many of them having the name of the brigade, division and corps of the Yankee army branded on them. Nearly all the mules and horses had U. S. branded on them; our ambulances were from the same generous provider, our tents also, many of them having the name of the company, etc., branded on them; most of the blankets were those marked U. S., also the rubber blankets or cloths; the very clothing that the men wore was mostly captured, as we were allowed to wear their pants, underclothing and overcoats. As for myself, I purchased only one hat, one pair of shoes, and one jacket after 1861. We captured immense quantities of provisions, and nearly all the “hard tack” and pork issued to us was captured.

"

ONE OF JACKSON'S FOOT CAVALRY: HIS EXPERIENCE AND WHAT HE SAW DURING THE WAR 1861-1865 INCLUDING A HISTORY OF "F COMPANY," RICHMOND, VA., 21ST REGIMENT VIRGINIA INFANTRY, SECOND BRIGADE, JACKSON'S DIVISION, SECOND CORPS, A. N. VA.: Electronic Edition. Worsham, John H

[bAcK88]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

Be wary of post-war Confederate accounts. The author will usually have an agenda, such as the ragged, poorly supplied Confederate soldier lasting years again the vastly superior (in almost every way but generalship) Yankees aka Lost Cause.

It would very interesting if someone checked out the records that survive for the 21st Virginia and see if they compare with Worsham's remembrance.

Bill

[RNMCSA]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

Another interesting excerpt in regards to equippage.

"
I went back to my company with a light heart, made disposition of my gun and ammunition, and took my baggage with me. I will take occasion to tell what that consisted of, and at same time will say that it was rather above the average in our army, as to quality as well as quantity. I had a very good oilcloth haversack to carry my rations in, a tin cup, a splendid rubber cloth, a blanket, a pair of jeans drawers, and a pair of woolen socks; every article captured from the enemy! The socks and drawers were placed in the blanket, the blanket was rolled up with the rubber cloth on the outside, the ends drawn together and fastened with a short strap. To carry this we put it over the head and let it hang from the shoulder. Thus equipped, I reported to the surgeon."

I cannot atest as to any agenda Mr. Worsham may or may not have had. I can say there have been a few instances of his remembrance thus far read I am a little suspect of. His discripptions of camp life and campaighn seem for the most part to be fairly genuine. I find it difficult to discount out of hand the story of someone who actully was there though.

[David Fox]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

Amen, Bill. I very much enjoy Worsham's writings, but, as with so many veterans' reminiscences, they tend to be shot full of blanket superlatives: "worst", "best", "entirely", etc. Worsham would have the ANV accoutred primarily with captured Union wagons, gear, tents, etc. "towards the close of the war". He even has Lee's army then wearing primarily captured Federal clothing. Given the last major Rebel captures in the eastern theatre were during the Gettysburg campaign perhaps eighteen months earlier, this on its face is unlikely, independant of other evidence.

[Secesh]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

John Worsham's book, though excellent reading, has always been a little suspect of over-embellishment of the facts and a glorification of The Cause...Also, Worsham's military career ended in 1864...I found "Footsteps of a Regiment" to be much more factual; however, as to what life was really like in the ANV I would recommend "Letters to Amanda; The Letters of Marion Hill Fitzpatrick to his Wife"...His letters were not written for a mass audience, are immediate and period to the time of what was occurring.

[RNMCSA]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

And yet he and others like him provide a wealth of knowledge. They may at the later date of there writings remember some things with a bit of romance. I find it strange that men far removed from and un known to one another would write of things so similar in regards to equipage and there be no truth in the matter. Additionaly on this account is the discripptions given by Union soldiers of the Confederates. I believe the whole "ragged reble" them to be a bit over played, but one cannot discount the many discriptons given by both sides of Confederates using Federal equipment. However my purpose in posting these exerpts of John Worsham's writtings was not to advocate for the use of Federal equipment by Southerners. It was to give examples of how some soldiers may have looked, and commonalities in there use of equipment available to them while on Campaighn. For example is this quote about camp.

"We stayed several weeks in the lower valley, mostly in Jefferson County, every few days moving our camp; sometimes because of an alarm from the enemy, sometimes merely to be in a fresh place. Gen. Jackson did not allow his men to camp in one place too long. New camps were more healthy, in consequence of which, we rarely stayed two weeks in the same place. It was very easy for the men to move, because by this time we had learned to live without tents. The only shelter the men had was oil or rubber cloths and cotton flies. The latter were pieces of cotton about four by six feet in size, hemmed around the borders. Button holes were worked around these borders and buttons sewed on at certain places; they were so arranged that three of them buttoned together made a very comfortable shelter for three men. We were dependent on the Yankees for them, as I never heard of our quartermaster issuing any. The men who could not get these, made a “shebang,” by putting two forked sticks in the ground, about six feet apart, laying a pole in the forks, placing bushes with one end on the ground, the other inclined to the pole, enclosing in this way one side and the ends, and leaving the other side open. This would accommodate three or four men. The men with care could make them impervious to rain. They were very comfortable in warm weather. In moving, all that was needed was to roll up our fly or oilcloth and take it with us, put our small lot of cooking utensils in the wagons, put on our accouterments, and take arms. Then we were ready for a march to another camp, or to meet the enemy."

[bAcK88]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

I'm not discounting Worsham out of hand; I'm just advising that you take his account with a grain of salt. One always need to be aware of the individuals perspective and his/her intended audience and how that will ultimately color one's description/vantage point.

I agree with Tom, "Letters to Amanda" is a fantastic read! A lot of neat little insights, such as Marion asking his wife to make him clothing throughout the war.

Bill

[Silas]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

Here's a postwar account not too long after the war : Detailed Minutiae of Soldier Life in the Army of Northern Virginia by Carlton McCarthy (1882) Link : http://books.google.com/books?id=gXM...page&q&f=false Not too thick on The Cause. Lots of interesting factoids.

Now, if you want a fairly contemporaneous account of a regiment during the war and published during the war, there's this unique account : Our boys: The personal experiences of a soldier in the Army of the Potomac by Alonzo F. Hill, 8th Pennsylvania Reserves (1864)
http://books.google.com/books?id=NDS...page&q&f=false Wrong side of the conflict, but same fields of battle.

[David Fox]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

Recognizing the topic of "Ragged Rebel" has been well thrashed in this forum over the years, directives for the Sharpsburg campaign being currently circulated for southron reenactors here in the southeast recommend holes, tears, patches, etc. Not discounting the accuracy of this entirely, it is worth looking at the scores of pitiable Confederate dead photographed in September at Antietam, appearing in Frassanito's photographic essay "Antietam". Although disheveled in death, I'm unable to identify a frayed pants cuff, knee rip, or elbow out amongst them. Same with Gettysburg. "Secrets of the Dead".

[RNMCSA]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

I understand what you are saying, and I am aware of embelishments. I think though that we should consider his account of equipment allong with those of others with a little less scepticisim. To what end would he and others have to fib about there clothing and accouterments? Saying they were equiped by whatever means is not saying they were withought or in rags. But i digress Im simply trying to share what I found to be very discriptive and interesting images of the Confederate soldier. I personaly feel that the best way to achieve Authenticity is by studying period photographs, writings etc. I have read on here time after time to do just that. I intend on reading "letters to Amanda" as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.



"1861He carried a knapsack, containing a jacket, white vest, dress shirts, collars, white gloves, toothbrush, undershirts, drawers, socks, soap, towels, needlecase, with needles, thread and buttons; an oilcloth, blanket, extra shoes, canteen, haversack, and tin cup.

1862. He carried a knapsack containing woolen shirt, undershirt, drawers, socks, soap, towel, toothbrush, and needle-case; oilcloth, blanket, extra shoes; haversack, tin cup, canteen and a tin can for cooking


1863He carried an oil cloth, in which was wrapped a blanket, drawers, and socks; haversack, in which was towel, soap and needle case; canteen, tin cup and tin can for cooking.


1864He carried an oil cloth, in which was wrapped a cotton fly tent; haversack, in which was towel, soap and needle case; canteen, tin cup and tin can for cooking."

[Secesh]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

Here's the gist of Worsham's writing...Beneath the myth of the Lost Cause runs the common denominator that "We could have won, but didn't because of of bad equipment, bad weapons, bad supplies....however, we hung on IN SPITE OF THIS...Psychologically though, the message being given is "We were using their equipment because we were superior and could do so...they were not using ours." To use an enemies equipment means it was taken from them physically or thru force. He is saying in effect that the Confederates were using Federal equipment and there was nothing the Feds could do about it...

[RNMCSA]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

I agree Silas Carlton McCarthy's book is an excelant read. I will be adding the otherone you mentioned to my reading list. I also agree with your assesment David. Looking at the many photos available of casualties there is not much evedince of ragged uniforms. In almost every soldiers account I have read they talk about times when uniforms etc. were in ill repair, you usually find this towards the end of an arduious campaighn or particularly drastic fight. Another common them is the use of the oil cloth. I see a lot of modern soldiers wrapped in blankets but few with those blankets wrapped in an oil cloth. I invite others to post any details they have of soldiers and their equipment.

[RNMCSA]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

Here's the gist of Worsham's writing...Beneath the myth of the Lost Cause runs the common denominator that "We could have won, but didn't because of of bad equipment, bad weapons, bad supplies....however, we hung on IN SPITE OF THIS...Psychologically though, the message being given is "We were using their equipment because we were superior and could do so...they were not using ours." To use an enemies equipment means it was taken from them physically or thru force. He is saying in effect that the Confederates were using Federal equipment and there was nothing the Feds could do about it...

The fact is they were and did. I could give a wit about the whole idea or desire to believe in a lost cause. The war ended 150 years ago. I do however desire to portray the life of the soldier as it was. Photographic evidence, ordenance reports, and memoir's all support the fact that both sides used captured equipment. However with the supply problems of the Confederacy it was definatly more common for Rebel Soldiers to be using Federal equipment than the other way around.

[Secesh]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

No one said they didn't...we merely said take Worsham's memoirs cautiously....Current research has shown, however, that Confederate soldiers were better supplied from their Depots, especially with English made goods in the last years of the War, than was generally believed in the last 150 years.

[RNMCSA]

Re: The Confederate Soldier in the ANV

True, I have read much of that as well. I think my intent has been misconstrued. I was hoping to get a thread started similar to the one on English traps being used by Ga. Regiments where we could share information found on equipment, camp life, etc. in the ANV. I know there are many threads on idependet aspects of this, however the searching for these threads can go on and on. Over time some excelant information gets lost in the shuffle. Would it not be benificial to have dedicated threads for the differant Armies where information could be compiled? As I stated earlier there are some aspects of Worshams writings that raise flags and others that are enlightening. IMHO