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Re: Confederate issued to home procured uniforms - Ratio
It was either William Watson or William Tunnard, both of the 3rd Louisiana Inf. and both wrote memoirs after the war, said that the regiment only drew clothing from the Gov't twice in their 4 year service. The regiment received clothing in Oct. of '61, and then again in the winter/spring of '64/'65. The 3rd spent their entire service in the Trans-Miss., with a short time at Vicksburg.
When looking at the numbers of clothing, shoes, etc., that were produced by the Confederate QM's around the South, it's important to keep in mind that just because uniforms were being made didn't mean that these uniform were making onto the backs of the soldiers in the field. We like to look at the number of uniforms being produced and say "ah ha, the Confederate soldier was well clothed, just look at the numbers of clothing being made", etc. In Shreveport during the summer and fall of 1864, a Union spy made his way from New Orleans to Shreveport, over to east Texas and back to NOLA. He reported that there were warehouses full of clothes and blankets in Shreveport, but if you read primary accounts of the soldiers serving in that department they tell a different story. Then, while reading the OR's one day, I cam across a report from a Confederate Commissary officer, and he was making mention of all the food stuffs that were going rotten because there was no rolling stock to get the food out into the field to the men who needed it. How much more important is it to feed your army than to give them a new jacket? As the war progressed, the South was looking it's railroads (i.e. engines, cars and tracks) and wagons were becoming more and more scare, too. Yes, a clothing depot reports that they made 200,000 jackets, but have you researched beyond that to find out how these jackets were getting from the depot to the soldiers in the field? Or, do you just assume that because a depot made 200,000 jacket that it means 200,000 Confederate soldiers received a new jacket?
It was either William Watson or William Tunnard, both of the 3rd Louisiana Inf. and both wrote memoirs after the war, said that the regiment only drew clothing from the Gov't twice in their 4 year service. The regiment received clothing in Oct. of '61, and then again in the winter/spring of '64/'65. The 3rd spent their entire service in the Trans-Miss., with a short time at Vicksburg.
When looking at the numbers of clothing, shoes, etc., that were produced by the Confederate QM's around the South, it's important to keep in mind that just because uniforms were being made didn't mean that these uniform were making onto the backs of the soldiers in the field. We like to look at the number of uniforms being produced and say "ah ha, the Confederate soldier was well clothed, just look at the numbers of clothing being made", etc. In Shreveport during the summer and fall of 1864, a Union spy made his way from New Orleans to Shreveport, over to east Texas and back to NOLA. He reported that there were warehouses full of clothes and blankets in Shreveport, but if you read primary accounts of the soldiers serving in that department they tell a different story. Then, while reading the OR's one day, I cam across a report from a Confederate Commissary officer, and he was making mention of all the food stuffs that were going rotten because there was no rolling stock to get the food out into the field to the men who needed it. How much more important is it to feed your army than to give them a new jacket? As the war progressed, the South was looking it's railroads (i.e. engines, cars and tracks) and wagons were becoming more and more scare, too. Yes, a clothing depot reports that they made 200,000 jackets, but have you researched beyond that to find out how these jackets were getting from the depot to the soldiers in the field? Or, do you just assume that because a depot made 200,000 jacket that it means 200,000 Confederate soldiers received a new jacket?
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