Wearing knapsacks/blank rolls in battle

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Wearing knapsacks/blank rolls in battle

Gents-

I agree with everything said.

My only addition would be to include this picture of a dead Confederate photographed along the Hagerstown Pike after the Battle of Sharpsburg still wearing his hardpack. This is the only soldier in this group along the Hagerstown Pike wearing a knapsack/hardpack. The rest of them are not wearing theirs most likely because they were ordered to drop them or decided to leave them behind. Yet despite the orders or recommendations of others this soldier did not want to lose his pack and wore it into the battle.

My point is the Civil War citizen soldier orders or not did what he wanted...at least until he got caught. ;)

[-Zach-]

Re: Wearing knapsacks/blank rolls in battle

I have only read one account on this I am sure there are more out there though.The one I hade read is talking about the 86th OVI in Cumberland Gap Tennessee. It is said that the commanding officer had the men drop everything except leathers and canteens when they was going to make an assault on some fortifications.He even told the men not to load they was going to make the charged with weapons empty for the fact that the boys would get anxious and fire and therefore give away the position. I have always thought it was neat!