Things you find on Footnote......

[Mississippian]

It seems that on Feb 12th 1864, my GGG Grandfather, Benjamin Holder, sold the Confederate government 3 mules for $1500. Also, on October 8th 1863, he sold the government 2800 lbs of Hay for $63. He lived in Pickens District SC, and had been at Lieutenant in the 1st S.C. Cavalry until he resigned in October of 1862 to go back to being a Baptist minister.

Now either my family raised some damn fine mules, or Confederate inflation was alot worse than I though....

Will MacDonald

[Tom Dodson]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Selling mules and hay? Are you sure your GGG Grandfather didn't have a farm, MacDonald?
Tom Dodson

[Ken Knopp]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Will,

Is that $1500 "per mule" or for the three? I have never looked into the price of mules but they probably paralleled the price of horses. As we all know in the South horses grew increasingly expensive during the war due to inflation and simple economics of supply and demand.
The valuations placed upon the private cavalry horse mustering in at the beginning of the war were set at pre war prices. Sadly these were were rather quickly rendered obsolete. By 1863, the cost to replace a horse was such that only the wealthiest trooper’s could afford to purchase another. A summary of multiple sources, diaries and reminiscences finds the average horse in 1861 valued at from $150 to $200 and a good one at about $400. By the end of the war to purchase a poor, below average horse required $1,200 to $1,800 and a first rate horse could be as much as $7000 or more. Of course, this varied greatly in different regions and for different reasons. Obviously, mounts were replaced by captures and impressment too.
I can make no educated comment about mules except that they were perhaps even more valuable than horses in some areas. Their need for the plow and for military transportation certainly would have made mules highly desired and an expensive commodity. For example, by mid war the shortage of good cavalry and artillery horses percipitated an order in May 1863, (General Orders #60) which required that all public horses found in the transportation service but suitable for the artillery service were to be turned over to the Chief Quartermaster and replaced with mules.
Anyway, forgive me if I am a bit too presumptuous with this. I just thought I would throw out a relative comment of interest or two.

Ken R Knopp

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

[Mississippian]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Tom,

He had a farm too. He owned about 1000 acres in 1860 with a handful of slaves as well. He was the illegitimate son of a prominent local planter, Col. Benjamin Hagood.

Ken,

It was 1500 for all three. When he joined the 1st SC Cav in 1861 as a Lieutenant, his horse was valued at $180 and his equipments at $35. His father, the aforementioned Col. Hagood, was known throughout the area as a man who raised good horses and mules, and even had a race track on his land.

Will MacDonald

[Mike Ventura]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Don't for get to allow for the rampant inflation and the falling value of the Confederate dollar -$1500 in 1864 was not $1500 in pre-war dollars.

[Mississippian]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Bringing up an old thread. Here is a pic of my GGG Grandfather in his uniform, along with a brief bio:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=34489269

I've been looking up the Agriculture schedules from the 1860 Census for Anderson and Pickens counties of South Carolina, interesting stuff. Seems like every farm, no matter how poor, had at least one horse, milk cow, "other" cow, (beef maybe?) and a few pigs. Oxen seem to be fairly rare, and mules/asses are too (very surprising to me!) Those who have sheep, tend to have at least 5-10.

Will MacDonald

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Will,
It seems our ancestors fought in the same out fit. Manson Sherrel Jolly, SGT and 1SG 1st SC Cav. Very cool stuff you found here!

[Mississippian]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Brandon,

Same company too! So I'm sure our ancestors knew each other well. I also had 3 Great Uncles from a different branch of the family in Co. F as well. I've been trying to find out arms and equipment issues to the men, but with little luck.

Will MacDonald

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Things you find on Footnote......

Very cool Will! Manson has quite a post war history too if you ever care to check him out. Just Google his name and you'll see a lot.