Help with impression

[dpalyka]

I am an N-SSA member hoping to go out for the Miller award in May.
Heres my problem, I am doing a late war impression (11th INZ), I have read in letters that although they were issued knapsacks at the beginning of the war they were forced to abandon them at one point.
This may seem ignorant to alot of you, forgive me, I am learning...
I know that they all had at least 2 blankets and a rubber tarp.
I have bought a Jarnigan rubber tarp, a Family heirlooms civilian style blanket and a Julius Jones Blanket... I feel based on my research that this is a reasonable approximation.
So, what else do I need? What would be rolled up in the blankets? How would they be fastened to my body?
I also have a nice tarred haversack, but dont know what to put in it. The 11th ate "in mess" so they were not given any rations unless they were traveling away from the unit for some reason...

[Nighthawk]

Re: Help with impression

Damon- Give me a shout off the board at Vonrichthofen54@Yahoo.com
I am also in the N-SSA, and have been in the Miller too. Our team (34th Btn. Va. Cav.) commander is head of the uniform comittee. I'll be glad to help. How did the 11th carry their blankets? W/O packs, probably blanket roll or "shortroll" style. Look for photo or written documentation. As to the haversack contents issue, there are several great articles on campaign camping on this website. Go to Links, then Articles. Try and make some live authentic rounds, and packages of same for your cartridge box. If you are doing a campaign im pression, try not to look too spit and polished. Repair any rips or tears in your clothing in a period manner, make sure you would pass a period inspection. Most importantly KNOW about your unit, why you have what you are carrying, where it was issued to you, etc. This is a competition that even the hardest of the hardcorps would have to work at to win. Keep in mind that the judges really know thir stuff too! I doubt you can bluff a guy like Mike Vice! Talk to you off the board!

[markj]

Re: Help with impression

Hi,

Depending on your time, money, and willingness to travel you would be well served to see what is in the regimental order and clothing account books for the 11th IVI. These are maintained in Record Group 94, Entries 112-115 at the National Archives in Washington DC. Additional resources you may want to check are the Indiana State Archives (Adjutant General Regimental Correspondence Files), Indiana Historical Society, and the Indiana State Library, county historical societies, and even the newspapers published in the Indiana counties that furnished troops to the 11th IVI (e.g., Montgomery, Marion, etc.).

You should also look at contemporary woodcuts of the 11th IVI as these may be potentially helpful. A number of them were published in "Harper's Illustrated Weekly" in 1861-1862, particularly for the Western Viriginia Campaign (i.e., "Three Months" troops) and the action at Fort Donelson. Some of these are currently being offered on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2233472034&category=13960

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2233714943&category=136

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3712910618&category=10170

However, as you might guess, you'll have to be careful with these depictions since much "creative license" was taken with them.

Finally, the "Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867" could be potentially helpful to you regarding questions about arms and accoutrements used by the 11th IVI. In fact, I conducted a comprehensive survey of all Indiana regiments listed in this just last week for 4th Quarter 1862 (ending 31 Dec 62) and 3rd Quarter 1863 (ending 30 Sep 63): the 11th IVI is reported to have carried a mix of .58 Springfields and .577 Enfields. The "Three Months" unit (Apr - Aug 61) carried 1855 .58 Springfield rifles with saber bayonets. If you need confirmation, I can dig up this info for you since I found the original arms issue and turn-in information at the Indiana State Archives.

The "Summary Statements...." will only give you general descriptions of the accoutrements (e.g., "Cartridge box, elongated ball, Calibre .58") so you may have to utilize other sources like "Cartridge Boxes of the Union Infantryman" to get a better grip on what type(s) of accoutrements would be appropriate for your impression. You should also note that both the "Three Months" and "Three Years" 11th IVI were initially equipped at Indiana state expense, under the state commutation system, in 1861 so there were undoubtedly variances in equipment and accoutrements from "official specs." I have some reason to believe the 11th IVI was initially issued hard-frame knapsacks manufactured by the Columbus OH contractor "Denig & Co."

Anyway, sorry to rattle on. Please let me know if I can assist you further. I live less than 30 minutes from Crawfordsville IN, the pre- and post-war home of Lew Wallace so, needless to say, I have some interest in the 11th IVI! Quite a few of its veterans are buried in the local area as well.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[dpalyka]

Re: Help with impression

Hi,

Depending on your time, money, and willingness to travel you would be well served to see what is in the regimental order and clothing account books for the 11th IVI. These are maintained in Record Group 94, Entries 112-115 at the National Archives in Washington DC. Additional resources you may want to check are the Indiana State Archives (Adjutant General Regimental Correspondence Files), Indiana Historical Society, and the Indiana State Library, county historical societies, and even the newspapers published in the Indiana counties that furnished troops to the 11th IVI (e.g., Montgomery, Marion, etc.).

I have done all but the national archives, the IN archives were sadly mostly a waste of time...
The greatest resource has been the Indianapolis Daily Journal:

May 13, 1861

KNAPSACK CONTRACTS- The Quarter Master General awrded contracts on
Friday last, for 4,600 knapsacks. Sulgrove & Reynolds were the
successful bidders for 3,000, and Hinesly & Kelly and J.C. Hereth for
1,600. The contract price is a few cents less than half a dollar, we
believe, for each knapsack.

You should also look at contemporary woodcuts of the 11th IVI as these may be potentially helpful. A number of them were published in "Harper's Illustrated Weekly" in 1861-1862, particularly for the Western Viriginia Campaign (i.e., "Three Months" troops) and the action at Fort Donelson. Some of these are currently being offered on eBay:

I have those, but they are too vague and too early for my impression...

However, as you might guess, you'll have to be careful with these depictions since much "creative license" was taken with them.

Finally, the "Summary Statements of Quarterly Returns of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores on Hand in Regular and Volunteer Army Organizations, 1862-1867" could be potentially helpful to you regarding questions about arms and accoutrements used by the 11th IVI. In fact, I conducted a comprehensive survey of all Indiana regiments listed in this just last week for 4th Quarter 1862 (ending 31 Dec 62) and 3rd Quarter 1863 (ending 30 Sep 63): the 11th IVI is reported to have carried a mix of .58 Springfields and .577 Enfields. The "Three Months" unit (Apr - Aug 61) carried 1855 .58 Springfield rifles with saber bayonets. If you need confirmation, I can dig up this info for you since I found the original arms issue and turn-in information at the Indiana State Archives.

Please, send me anything you have on the unit... :)

Anyway, sorry to rattle on. Please let me know if I can assist you further. I live less than 30 minutes from Crawfordsville IN, the pre- and post-war home of Lew Wallace so, needless to say, I have some interest in the 11th IVI! Quite a few of its veterans are buried in the local area as well.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

Thank you so much, I will also be happy to share everything I have dug up...
I have strong reason to believe that there were actually 3 uniforms issued and that what is typically considered the 3yr uniform was actually not issued until vetranization...

[Tyler]

Re: Help with impression

Mark,
How would one go about finding records like that for other regiments? Books, reports, etc. Are they held in a specific section, do you search a specific place, or call them? Thanks for the help.
-Tyler Putman

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Help with impression

I have done all but the national archives, the IN archives were sadly mostly a waste of time...
The greatest resource has been the Indianapolis Daily Journal:

May 13, 1861

KNAPSACK CONTRACTS- The Quarter Master General awrded contracts on
Friday last, for 4,600 knapsacks. Sulgrove & Reynolds were the
successful bidders for 3,000, and Hinesly & Kelly and J.C. Hereth for
1,600. The contract price is a few cents less than half a dollar, we
believe, for each knapsack.


I have those, but they are too vague and too early for my impression...

Please, send me anything you have on the unit... :)


Thank you so much, I will also be happy to share everything I have dug up...
I have strong reason to believe that there were actually 3 uniforms issued and that what is typically considered the 3yr uniform was actually not issued until vetranization...

Damon

By 3 uniforms do you mean 3 distinct uniform styles or 3 uniform issues? If it is 3 issues, I would think the unit would be pretty ragged by its next isuance.

[dpalyka]

Re: Help with impression

Damon

By 3 uniforms do you mean 3 distinct uniform styles or 3 uniform issues? If it is 3 issues, I would think the unit would be pretty ragged by its next isuance.

Styles, sorry...
ALthough I have read in letters guys complaining because they were looking pretty ratty... Plus the zouave drilll (which they actually used) involves a lot of crawling around on the ground...

[Minieball577]

Re: Help with impression

Styles, sorry...
ALthough I have read in letters guys complaining because they were looking pretty ratty... Plus the zouave drilll (which they actually used) involves a lot of crawling around on the ground...

Have you found a reprint of the Zouave Drill Yet? I found a copy of the COVER, with all the title info etc.

[dpalyka]

Re: Help with impression

Have you found a reprint of the Zouave Drill Yet? I found a copy of the COVER, with all the title info etc.

I found it on microfilm, but never had the time to read it in that format... :(