Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

[sigsaye]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

My question would be, What are you carrying in the knapsack that you don't have room for the blanket? I could see it if you were really humping eight days rations and 120 rounds of ammunition, but are you? For a week end, I can't think of that much stuff to carry.

Steve Hesson

[DougCooper]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

I do it all the time CS and sometimes US (see avatar), and it makes it easier to march, easier to bed down, easier (faster) to pack up, easier to carry items you might hang from the haversack (like 3 days rations) and ammunition...just easier. Kind of a soldier thing. I never have a sore back, shoulders, etc., no matter the distance (BGR, Mansfield March, etc). The reason is simple - another 3-5 pounds in the knapsack puts more weight out away from your body hanging by the straps. Since the only thing in the blanket is a blanket, the weight close to your body is negligible for a blanket roll and it is not bulky in the least. The knapsack is not bulky either, obviously.

As far as documentation goes...how much documentation has anyone on here seen about such things as where the blanket is?

"For a week end, I can't think of that much stuff to carry." Steve - soldiers didn't pack for a weekend, they packed for the war - one of the fallicies of reenactor thinking.

[jtrotta]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

I agree with Doug.

My question would be - why wouldn't it be authentic?

We've seen it show up in drawings and photos, so we know it's not a completely bogus idea. How common was it? Not sure. But if you have the right equipment with you, shouldn't you do your best to make it work for you? I have to think they would have. If I was on the march and my knapsack was killing me, and the difference between keeping or chucking my blanket was simply slinging it over a shoulder to better distribute the weight, I bet I'd at least try it before I chucked my blanket.

Just my .02

[Gallinipper]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

Just my $.02 too, but I think the weight distribution and ease of access points Doug mentioned are noteworthy. When have you ever known a soldier- especially a soldier on the march- not to try to make things easier on himself?

I don't have the photo handy of Confederates at halt in the streets of Frederick, MD. More clues there, anyone?

Rich Croxton

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

How much of this discussion is based on 'Reenactor Practice' vice 'Historical Documentation'?

1) I posted a picture made by a Confederate veteran showing the practice. He featured this in other pictures.

2) Take a man, give him only the gear used by the "old fellows" and put him in the situation where he must use it, and he will likely develop ways of using that gear that match what the "old fellows" did.

That's my take on it.

[Phantom Captain]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

Hello all,

I'm a new member and poster to this fine community! I think we need to define the context here. Are you talking about carrying your knapsack and blanket roll while marching, milling around camp etc? Or wearing it while actually in battleline and going into a fight?

I think that really makes a difference since from a few primary sources that I've come across it was very common practice to drop everything but rifle, cartridge and cap box and canteen before going into a fight while posting a guard over the dropped items. Makes total sense to me. While references are not that easy to find they are out their and it makes it seem like the practice was more common than not.

Anyone else have anything more and/or can verify?

Michael Boyd

[john duffer]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

This is just dim, second-hand memory but my understanding is the practice was so if you were ordered to drop packs you would still have a blanket in case said packs were gone for a while/forever.

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

1) I posted a picture made by a Confederate veteran showing the practice. He featured this in other pictures.

John, you are one of four individuals who posted or linked documentation of the practice. So my voicing of the quip about whether we are using documentation or reenactor practice as our standard was not directed at you.

However, at this point there are 22 posts in this thread. 4 actually post some documentation of the practice and the remaining 18 talk about personal experience.

2) Take a man, give him only the gear used by the "old fellows" and put him in the situation where he must use it, and he will likely develop ways of using that gear that match what the "old fellows" did.

This does not pass my smell test. It is 'likely' we would come up with similiar methods, but it is not 'certain' we would. We are different beings, with different body types and different experiences removed by 150 years. Except by grounding our practices and fieldcraft in historical documentation we will fall prey to coloring our practices with our modern experiences.

With that said, I gladly yield...

[Ryan Halsey]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

I do this for CS and US. It is easier to maneuver and march. You can also carry more for those long marches (not that you want more) I agree that is is also quicker to bed down, pack up, etc.... I also agree with the previous post about dropping the knapsacks.

[Ryan Halsey]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

I have a picture of my relatives in Co. I 51st Va Infantry from Grayson County VA. Some of the soldiers are wearing blanket rolls, some knapsacks, and some are wearing both. I try to portray these men as I had over 20 relatives in the company.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

No, Peter, don't yield. You have a valid point.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

Thank you all for bringing the post back to looking at documentation instead of "I do it's"....and I admit, i'm guilty of being one of the "I do it" posters...However, here is the above picture I discussed:

You be the judge of whether or not they are wearing both...but I believe there are maybe a couple.

[BrandonEnglish]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

This isn't definitave but it looks like maybe 2 of these guys have a knapsack and bedroll. Of course we all know this picture, but I really can't make it out, you guys can decide.

[coffey]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

I have went with a knapsack and bedroll alot. It's slightly hard to do support arms, And if you wear your canteen and haversack up high, They both will be in your armpit. But besides that Its pretty comfortable.

[PogueMahone]

Re: Wearing a bed roll and a knapsack?

Brandon, Luke, I don't see it on any of them.

I don't think the practice is a reenactorism, because there is some evidence they did it. But I think when you see a whole company of Confederates at an event doing it, it may be "over represented".