Artillerymen’s Blanket Roll?

[Mbond057]

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

I was recently was reading a letter from written by 2nd Lt. John F. Daneker who served with the 1st MD Light Artillery, Battery A, U.S.

In his letter to his brother dated March 3, 1863 he mentioned that “the boys carry blankets rolled with all their needs”.

My question is what types of items were normally carried in a soldiers blanket roll and did the artillerymen carry different items in their rolls then the infantry or cavalry?

Can anyone offer suggested readings or any research articles that might have information as to what items were carried in the artillerymen’s blanket roll?

[sedlakchristopher]

Re: Artillerymen’s Blanket Roll?

Mark,

The post below highlights an order issued in 1864 by Gen. Hunt (Order #5) that dealt with the issue of knapsacks, what to put in them, and where they were to go on the limbers so as not to exhaust the horses.
Apparently, carrying too much stuff was enough of a problem in Gen. Hunt's artillery that the good General himself posted an order to solve it.
Check out Section #1 of the order. This may give you a very good idea, albeit for a knapsack, what the artilleryman may have carried in a blanket roll, which after all, was a replacement for the knapsack.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5881&highlight=artillery+knapsack

Search the AC for "artillery knapsack" and you'll get some other good posts.

Happy campaigning!

Your obedient servant,
Chris Sedlak
1st PA Light, Bty G

[Mbond057]

Re: Artillerymen’s Blanket Roll?

Christopher,

Hello!

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. This is the type of information I was looking for after reading Daneker’s letter. I just got the impression that many artillerymen in his battery packed heavy with personal items.

I appreciate your assistance and thanks for the help with the search engine. I was going in a different direction with some key words I entered and probably wouldn’t have even thought to check General Hunt’s orders.

Have a warm holiday season with your family.

[James Brenner]

Re: Artillerymen’s Blanket Roll?

I seem to recall reading in (I think) Longacre's book, The Man Behind the Guns, that Hunt was very concerned about the items artillerymen packed and that's why he issued those orders. His concern was with the horses. They already had enough stuff to carry/pull and he didn't want the added weight to break them down.