Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

[KarinTimour]

Gentlemen and Ladies:

I need your help. This is a question for the guys who research "issue" stuff. I'm right on deadline with an article about Civil War socks, and I need to know:

a) How often would the Federal Army issue stockings?

According to the "Life of Johnny Reb" the Confederate Army was supposed to issue them four times a year, and had lifted these regs straight out of the Federal Army issue regulations. Granted, the Confederate Army often didn't have the socks to issue, but according to their regs you were supposed to get socks four times a year.

I've been told by others that the Federal Army issued stockings 8 times a year. But if Bell Wiley is right, then that leads me to believe that the Federals were issuing socks four times a year as well.

I'm looking for a reference that I can write down and have for the future, because this comes up every so often. I'd very much like to have the title, author, page number and publication date of the book you're quoting in terms of when the stockings were issued.

I did a search of the ORs online and got nothing for "socks," "stockings," "issue clothing," or "coats." Perhaps I was just doing the search wrong? I tried searching on this forum for socks or issue stockings and got a lot of my own old posts. I tried searching for "issue" or "Federal issue" and was bombarded by posts about just about all other uniform items.

I'm running out of time and need your help.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

Revised Army Regulations of 1861 and G.O. 95 of that year state for a five year enlistment, 20 pairs of stockings. An average of 4 pairs per year. This is from United States Military Equipage by Frederick Todd. The regulations actually state "same as now issued." The 1857 regulations are where this information is taken from as best I can tell.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

http://howardlanham.tripod.com/link52.htm Here's a link to the actual Form 52

[KarinTimour]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

Dear Matt and Ross:

Thank you! You guys are the BEST!

However, reading over those regs, I've got another question. In the link that Ross put up, it says that if a soldier drew more than the 4 pair alloted, he'd be charged. So if he dress four pair or less, he wasn't charged for the clothing? What if he didn't draw any socks at all? Was there a financial benefit -- would he get more in his pay packet? Or would it be a wash, and the only time he'd see a difference is if he drew more than the four, in which case he'd get charged?

Thanks so much for the information you've already given me, I knew someone here would know where to find it.

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Jimmayo]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/9va/letters.html

The above referenced letters contain a reference to the lack of socks. I think it is the third of fourth letter. Basically he said he didn't have any and didn't need any. He gives me the impression that going barefooted was going without socks and not without shoes as so many people believe.

[AZReenactor]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

Karin,
From what I understand a soldier who didn't draw his uniform allowance was credited the difference in his pay at discharge. I've come across a couple letters over the years where the author bragged about not drawing any so they could save up the money. Keep in mind that this is the government supplied socks. Clothing from The different aid societies and Christian Commission were outside this allowance and helped make many a soldier a lot more comfortable without having to give up their pay.

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

I have read the same as Troy. Of course, I am at work and don't have my reference material...and shouldn't be checking this forum either :D

I am pretty sure it is in Customs of Service for enlisted. I will check when I get home and make a post that actually has some substance to it like you asked for :o

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

Hallo!

Correct...

But it is also kinda/sorta "messy" in that the issuance schedules were for the
five year "Federal" enlistment and were complicated by "volunteer" three year enlistments and as to what individual state's might see as proper.

The other consideration appears to be in the amount of latitude or slack a commanding officer might would, or would not allow, a man in his command to "get away with" when it came to not taking his clothing allowance items to bank the money. (Especially in matters of whether the option would impair or impede his function or duties.)

Curt

[KarinTimour]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

Dear Jim:

What wonderful letters you linked -- and I agree, he's clearly not wearing socks, but wearing shoes, at least in the first letter. In the third or fourth letter when he says he'll go through the winter barefooted it's a little unclear whether he means without shoes, but probably he just means without socks.

Dear Troy:
Yes not to worry, I'm clear on the difference between the "issue" stockings that one received from the Army vs. the socks you received from family members, the Christian Commission or Sanitary Commission. They are sort of two very different groups of socks in my mind. But thank you for writing to make sure that they were distinct.

Dear Curt:
Ok, so it seems that if one drew more than four pair of stockings, he's going to be charged for the fifth, sixth, etc. Whether someone was allowed to draw fewer than four, and whether drawing fewer than four would accrue money to his pay seems to vary by whether his officers and/or unit would allow this to happen.

Dear Jeremy:
Thank you for any and all sock documentation, it's all grist for the mill and very welcome.

Sincere thanks to you all, this has been very helpful,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

From Customs of Service:

23. The soldier has an annual allowance for clothing, the amount of which is obtained by computing the cost of the average amount of clothing allowed to soldiers for the year. (Reg. 1157.) This allowance is published periodically in orders by the War Department, in connection with the prices of clothing.

24. The first sergeant of the company keeps the clothing account of the soldier, under the direction of the company commander after each issue, the money value of all the clothing drawn should be entered on it, and the soldier’s signature obtained to its correctness. Should the soldier not draw the amount of clothing allowed in kind, it may be commuted, and the balance paid in money on the expiration of his term of enlistment.

25. At the end of each year, the difference saved is carried to his credit, and paid him in money at the expiration of his term of enlistment. (Reg. 1150.) Should he exceed the amount in any year, it is charged on the next subsequent muster roll and deducted from his pay by the paymaster. (Reg. 1155.)

The Regulations quoted:

1150. A soldier is allowed the uniform clothing stated in the following table, or articles thereof of equal value. When a balance is due him at the end of a year, it is added to his allowance for the next. (the table shown is similar to from 52 already posted. This table has some extra items but the sock info is the same).

1155. Such articles of clothing as the soldier may need will be issued to him. When the issues equal in value his allowance for the year, further issues are extra issues, to be charged to him on the next muster-roll.

1157. The money value of' the clothing, and of each article of it, will be ascertained annually, and announced in orders from the War Department.

[KarinTimour]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

Dear Jeremy:

Thank you so much for that reference, which settles the issue of what should be done when a soldier draws less than the allotment. As with all things in real life, and as Curt noted, probably sometimes a soldier was stuck with officers who didn't know the regs or required everyone to take the socks. But it seems clear that the balance of the stuff you didn't use would be moved into the next year's allotment until you got to the end of your enlistment, when the value of whatever was undrawn was supposed to be paid to you. We know from the letters that you and Troy have seen that this happened for some guys and from what Curt has seen that it didn't for others.

You have to hand it to the Army, if you search long enough, it's written down somewhere in a reg. or an order.

This has been incredibly helpful gentlemen, my thanks to you all.

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Hardtack Baker]

Re: Issue socks -- 8 times a year? 4 times a year?

Karin,

Thanks for a most interesting post. I began knitting socks three years ago, when I learned from a lady who was spinning. I have found it most pleasant to continue ever since. Gentlemen (soldiers, of course) surely do value homemade socks. This information brought forth on the frequency of issue of socks is of great interest and value. Thank you all.

Kind regards,
Marie McNamara