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Gentleman:
I ran across this article while doing some research on another topic and thought it might be of interest. The ‘Guide for Claimants of Deceased Soldiers” provides information to families on how to receive back pay for their deceased relatives. It also serves as a guide for officers to help them determine how much a soldier may have been due. Within the guide are copies of the acts of the Confederate Congress repealing the commutation system. The date of the soldier’s death would help determine if he were due any back pay from the commutation system. Also included is a list of uniform prices as of 1864. What is striking is the amount of bureaucracy that families had to go through to get a claim processed.
An Act to repeal the law authorizing Commutation for Soldiers' Clothing and to require Clothing to be furnished by the Secretary of War in kind.
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That so much of the existing law as provides commutation for clothing to the soldiers in the service of the Confederacy, be, and the same is hereby repealed; and hereafter, the Secretary of War shall provide in kind to the soldiers respectively, the uniform clothing prescribed by the Regulations of the Army of the Confederate States. And should any balance of clothing be due to the soldier at the end of the year, the money value of such balance shall be paid to such soldier, according to the value of such clothing, fixed and announced by order of the War Department. [Approved October 8, 1862.]
II. In accordance with the above Act of Congress, no payment of commutation for clothing will be made for a period extending beyond October 8th, 1862. When payment of said allowance has been made prior to the promulgation of this Order, for a term which will not expire until after the date of this Act, issues of clothing in kind will be made, to commence at the end of such period. Where it has not been so paid, clothing will be furnished from the 8th October, 1862.
III. A soldier is allowed the uniform clothing stated in the following table, or articles thereof of equal value. When a balance is due him at the end of the year, he will be allowed the money value thereof, as herein set forth; to be paid him upon the muster and pay roll of his company. When he shall have drawn clothing in excess of the amount allowed, it will be charged against him upon the muster and pay roll of his company. If discharged before the expiration of the year, and he shall not have been furnished with clothing in kind, or paid commutation thereof, for the period of service rendered since the 8th October, 1862, he will be entitled to receive the money value of the clothing allowed, in proportion to such period of service.Statement of the cost of Clothing for the Army of the Confederate States, for the year commencing January 1st, 1864
• Cap complete, . . . . . $2.00
• Cover, . . . . . 38
• Jacket, . . . . . 14.00
• Trowsers, . . . . . 12.00
• Shirt, . . . . . 3.00
• Drawers, . . . . . 3.00
• Shoes, pairs, . . . . . 10.00
• Socks, pairs, . . . . . 1.00
• Leather stock, . . . . . 25
• Great coat, . . . . . 25.00
• Stable frock (for mounted men), . . . . . 2.00
• Fatigue overall (for eng'rs and ord.), . . . . . 3.00
• Blanket, . . . . . 10.00
The guide is very extensive, even providing a travel expense for transporting the soldier’s body from one locale to the other. This information is from the ‘Documenting the American South’ website of the University of North Carolina This is an excellent research site and contains many facsimiles of documents from the era. http://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/fowler/fowler.html (This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text.)
Regards,
Bruce Blackmon
I ran across this article while doing some research on another topic and thought it might be of interest. The ‘Guide for Claimants of Deceased Soldiers” provides information to families on how to receive back pay for their deceased relatives. It also serves as a guide for officers to help them determine how much a soldier may have been due. Within the guide are copies of the acts of the Confederate Congress repealing the commutation system. The date of the soldier’s death would help determine if he were due any back pay from the commutation system. Also included is a list of uniform prices as of 1864. What is striking is the amount of bureaucracy that families had to go through to get a claim processed.
An Act to repeal the law authorizing Commutation for Soldiers' Clothing and to require Clothing to be furnished by the Secretary of War in kind.
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That so much of the existing law as provides commutation for clothing to the soldiers in the service of the Confederacy, be, and the same is hereby repealed; and hereafter, the Secretary of War shall provide in kind to the soldiers respectively, the uniform clothing prescribed by the Regulations of the Army of the Confederate States. And should any balance of clothing be due to the soldier at the end of the year, the money value of such balance shall be paid to such soldier, according to the value of such clothing, fixed and announced by order of the War Department. [Approved October 8, 1862.]
II. In accordance with the above Act of Congress, no payment of commutation for clothing will be made for a period extending beyond October 8th, 1862. When payment of said allowance has been made prior to the promulgation of this Order, for a term which will not expire until after the date of this Act, issues of clothing in kind will be made, to commence at the end of such period. Where it has not been so paid, clothing will be furnished from the 8th October, 1862.
III. A soldier is allowed the uniform clothing stated in the following table, or articles thereof of equal value. When a balance is due him at the end of the year, he will be allowed the money value thereof, as herein set forth; to be paid him upon the muster and pay roll of his company. When he shall have drawn clothing in excess of the amount allowed, it will be charged against him upon the muster and pay roll of his company. If discharged before the expiration of the year, and he shall not have been furnished with clothing in kind, or paid commutation thereof, for the period of service rendered since the 8th October, 1862, he will be entitled to receive the money value of the clothing allowed, in proportion to such period of service.Statement of the cost of Clothing for the Army of the Confederate States, for the year commencing January 1st, 1864
• Cap complete, . . . . . $2.00
• Cover, . . . . . 38
• Jacket, . . . . . 14.00
• Trowsers, . . . . . 12.00
• Shirt, . . . . . 3.00
• Drawers, . . . . . 3.00
• Shoes, pairs, . . . . . 10.00
• Socks, pairs, . . . . . 1.00
• Leather stock, . . . . . 25
• Great coat, . . . . . 25.00
• Stable frock (for mounted men), . . . . . 2.00
• Fatigue overall (for eng'rs and ord.), . . . . . 3.00
• Blanket, . . . . . 10.00
The guide is very extensive, even providing a travel expense for transporting the soldier’s body from one locale to the other. This information is from the ‘Documenting the American South’ website of the University of North Carolina This is an excellent research site and contains many facsimiles of documents from the era. http://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/fowler/fowler.html (This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text.)
Regards,
Bruce Blackmon
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