" Army Train "

[Longbranch 1]

Sirs and Madames

A Question or two if I may?

My interpretation, from my limited reading, is that both CS and US, employed "impressed" labor as drivers, drovers, etc,
Paid, surely.

Q. (1) Not being referenced in Soldiers and Sailors, where should I look for an overview?

Q.(2) Can anyone share a citation/reference from specific persons?

Humbly,
Kevin Ellis,
26th NC

[tmattimore]

Re: " Army Train "

U.S. QMD drivers were well paid hired hands, wagons and teams were Gov't property. I suggest "Five years a dragoon" for an individual account although he worked from Ft Leavenwoth he descibes the routine and people quite well.
Tom

[agintomboy]

Re: " Army Train "

Dear Kevin:

I agree with what Tom has written regarding federal teamsters. In the confederacy, both white and black teamsters were used. The black teamsters were a combination of both free and enslaved muleskinners. The free black men were made as civilian contract workers. The slaves earned money which was sent to their owners, maybe a fraction of the monthly saddle would be given to the slave. Hope this helps.

Anita L. Henderson

[jchristiansen]

Re: " Army Train "

Andersonville Nat'l Cemetery has a number of graves of civilain teamsters, sutlers, etc. that were captured, imprisoned, and died in the POW camp there. If you are looking for documentation of specific individuals drawn from a largish sample, you may check their graves register. I don't know exactly what details the register would provide.

[agintomboy]

Re: " Army Train "

Oops! Correction, I should have stated that the free black civilian teamsters were PAID not made as civilian contract labor.


Anita

[Jerry Ross]

Re: " Army Train "

Hello All,
My GGGgrand father was in the 14th Tenn Infantry. He served his entire time in ANV. About one year into the war he was detailed to being a Teamster and this was listed on several of his muster rolls until he was wounded at Hatcher's Run, VA near Petesburg. He grew up on a farm and was familar with Horses and Mules and maybe that was why he was sent to do that ??

[Andrew German]

Re: " Army Train "

Greetings:

Cavalrywise in the Union army, as the war progressed regiments were allowed a specific number of wagons (and maybe later mules). Regiments had a regimental teamster to manage the wagons (under the quartermaster), and the companies had one or more troopers detailed as teamsters to ride the saddle horse behind the leader. It is possible that "contrabands" following the regiments may have been employed as teamsters too, but that was one of the extra duty roles of enlisted men.

Muster rolls or individual military service records provide the details.

Andrew German