Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

[Honved]

Gents,

I'm looking for 1st person accounts of knapsacks being used in the Army of Tennessee during the time period of late 1863 thru the Atlanta campaign of 1864. If anyone would care to share their research, I would greatly appreciate your info.

I will post my findings (which to date is not alot) in a future post or research article if the data warrants.

Best regards,

Todd Guthrie

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

While not first person accounts, this link might help http://www.blueandgraymarching.com/a...ntal-ordn.html . Also if you have the book Entrepôt it list out supplies of both English Imports and domestically produced knapsacks being issued to the Army of Tennessee.

All the best,

Andrew

[csuniforms]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

The late great Howie Madaus of Confederate Flag fame told me that when they captured Atlanta they found thousands of English imported knapsacks in storage there. I dont have an documents but always remebered that story as at the time he was showing an original knapsack for research purposes.

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms.

[David Fox]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Have not read it in a while, but believe Sam Watkins's "Co. Aytch" has several references to knapsacks.

[Texas Pard]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

If anyone is interested, here is the link to the free online audio book of Company Aytch.

http://librivox.org/co-aytch-by-sam-r-watkins/

Weldon Svoboda

[markj]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

NARA RG 109, Ch. VIII, Vol. 340 "Miscellaneous Orders Received and Issued, Newman's [23rd] Battalion of Tennessee Volunteers. 1862-1864.

Hd Qrs Browns Brigade
March 6th 1863

General Order
No (13) 73(76) }

From and after this date every Regimental Commander Field Officer & Company Commander is requested to be able to State the exact Strength of his command for duty and account for all absentes [sic] to State the number of Guns Haversacks Knapsacks Cartdrige Boxes [sic] Cartridges &c belonging to their respective commands
They are required to be able to State promptly on the Drill field & else where any or all these facts as well as to answer any other questions relating to the condition and efficiency of their respective commands any failure will be regarded & treated as a mark of official incapacity and neglect of duty

By Order of Genl [J. C.] Brown
C. G. Rogers
Act Genl [sic]
**************

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[markj]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Please see attached inventories pertaining to the 32nd TN.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

There is a great quote in Cozzen's Shipwreck of Their Hopes, of a Federal scouring the battlefield at Chattanooga for a CS knapsack to replace the one he lost at Chickamauga. He also describes in detail the contents.

[Mississippian]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

I think knapsack use in the AoT from 1863 to the fall of Atlanta is very heavy. I've looked at a lot of ordnance papers over the past year and it surprises me to see that in many regiments 90% to 100% of men are using them. In the spring of 1864 knapsack issues slow to a trickle as the arsenals stop making them and thats when usage starts to decline.

Now Bayonets are another matter.....we have way too many in our ranks. In some regiments only 25% of the men have them.

Will MacDonald

[brown]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Will,
These are both great observations. I saw similar numbers in the 90s looking at a smaller sample of Tennesseans in the AoT. Also, haversack and canteen use was not universal in the units I researched, even when knapsacks were near universal.

I think knapsack use in the AoT from 1863 to the fall of Atlanta is very heavy. I've looked at a lot of ordnance papers over the past year and it surprises me to see that in many regiments 90% to 100% of men are using them. In the spring of 1864 knapsack issues slow to a trickle as the arsenals stop making them and thats when usage starts to decline.

Now Bayonets are another matter.....we have way too many in our ranks. In some regiments only 25% of the men have them.

Will MacDonald

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Open up your Entrepot (what, you didn't get it?? awwww son, that's no good) to page 264.
"...Circular No.383 dated April 22, 1864, Gorgas transmitted the following request to his ordance officers in the field:"Please to advise as to the propriety of dispensing with knapsacks and substituting a light oil cloth six feet by three feet--so arranged as to be convertible into a shelter tent." <--Note, CS QM mentioning shelter tents

From Dalton, LC Oladowski forwarded the circular to his Division ordnance officers within the AOT with the request that "you will please call attention of the Brigade and regimental commanders to the above order and transmit as soon as practicable their different opinions." Few of the responses are extant, some from Clayton's brigade (AP Stewarts div) do.
The commanding officers of the 18th Ala, 38th Ala, and 32nd Ala, all supported the oilcloth over the knapsack. Clayton endorsed his commanders "I think the change proposed is advisable and should by all means be applied.

Brig. Gen. Randall Gibson was even more emphatic: "The oil cloth six feet by three feet is preferable to the knapsack in the field. Knapsacks are useless on active campaigns and the oil cloths should be carried and issued. I have been in the field since the war began and justifiably condemn knapsacks--they are totally unfit for [illeg] service". Post War Gorgas recalled that "in time, knapsacks were little thought of by the troops" and "were eventually voted out of order".

Ordnance Bureau circular No.42 dated May 24, 1864 Gorgas announced to the arsenals: "The manufacture of knapsacks will be discontinued, only those cut up will be made up. Existing contracts for knapsacks will be changed to furnishing enameled cloth or something else to save the contractor from loss. Instructions will shortly be issued as to a substitute for the knapsacks".

Webster goes on to mention several quarterly reports that reflect this.

[Mississippian]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Bryant,

Speaking of C.S. Shelter tents, I have seen a few isolated QM returns listing "shelter tents" in late war returns (Nov-Dec '64) in the NC/VA area, I know one was from a NC cavalry unit. I've only seen a couple.

Will MacDonald

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Will,

Looks like the Qm may have been trying to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. a 6x3 oilcloth can be used in a couple of different ways.

[Mississippian]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Aside from a few early war issued to Louisiana troops I can't recall any "oilcloths" or "groundcloths" being issued. I seem to recall Magee and George made a good many up and sold them to Louisiana.

I'm thinking that these were shelter tents as in the Federal use of the term. I think there is a tent that belonged to a fellow named May in the 61st NC that some speculate is a late confederate effort to copy the federal article even though the QM was still issuing "A" and Wall tents late in the war.

Will MacDonald

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Knapsack Use In the AOT 1863-1864

Will,

you do waaay more searches than I do, but I interpret Gibsons quote to mean that oilcloths were a fairly common item. If Gorgas is soliciting advice IE pick A) knapsacks or B) oil cloths, then the ordnance dept must be overeeing production, letting contracts and issuing them, no?