contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

[FloridaConscript]

Fellows,
Steve Acker has posted several excellent accouts lately. Thought I'd add to it. The following excerpt is from a letter written by John woods to his father on Sept. 23 1862. He describes the contents of his lost knapsack:

While at Winchester I lost my knap-sack and everything I had with the exception of what I have got on. I lost one blanket, one over shirt and one under shirt, 2 pr drawers, 2 pr gloves, one pr of socks, one pr of pants, one beautiful comfort to go around my neck, that I had captured in the seven days fight, near Richmond, also my Bible that Cousin Laurah Middlebrooks give to me, my letter box with my pen staff, pens 1/2 quire of paper etc

That is quite the load to be toting, especially when you take into account the state of Lee's army during the maryland campaign (check out Keith Bohannon's essay in The Antietam Campaign for further reading). I found it odd he would be carrying to pairs of gloves and a comforter (scarf), but then we all seem to have that messmate who brings 2 blankets to every event.

there are a number of other letters from Woods at the link below. Woods served in the 53rd Georgia, Semmes brigade.

http://colquitt.k12.ga.us/gspurloc/C...wood092362.htm

[Kanawha Riflemen]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

Thank you for posting this Bryant.

John Miller
South Mountain State Battlefield
Monterey Pass Battlefield, Washington Township

[Steve Acker]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

Good stuff Bryant. Personally I would have a tough time feeling those knapsack straps digging into my back then saying to myself, "Its okay, I have gloves and a muffler." Your guy and the 2nd Wi. guy I posted earlier truly shows the nonuniformity of life in the Civil War army.

Steve Acker
Proud Bud of Bryant

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

That is quite a load. The only thing that makes it seem possible for it to have been a manageable load (that I can think of now, anyway) is if his blanket were small and/or thin. Heavy wool blankets and pieces of carpet can take up a lot of room in a knapsack. If you've ever carried the Wis Vets Museum's "Pea Ridge" blanket, you find a lot of surplus room in your knapsack.

[Steve Acker]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

John is right, it would clear space and tonnage. Back in the early 2000's our mess picked up some of those blankets, and Ted Q. made shirts from them. Great shirt.

Steve Acker
Still have the shirt

[FloridaConscript]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

That is quite a load. The only thing that makes it seem possible for it to have been a manageable load (that I can think of now, anyway) is if his blanket were small and/or thin. Heavy wool blankets and pieces of carpet can take up a lot of room in a knapsack. If you've ever carried the Wis Vets Museum's "Pea Ridge" blanket, you find a lot of surplus room in your knapsack.

Wick,
He definately wasn't carrying an English knapsack if my experience with the I&C pack is not misleading me. I can get a good blanket, shirt, and groundcloth in mine...maybe a shelter half.

Steve,
What is odd is that ANOTHER fellow was carrying the muffler before our fellow Woods picked it up during the Seven Days before Woods thought it was worth toting all over Virginia and Maryland. He also differentiates between under shirt and over shirt. Many a Confederate soldier was in bad shape in September of '62, but this fellow was not one of them. He goes on in the letter to tell his father not to send anything to him yet as the army wasn't settled. Perhaps the list of lost contents was his way of planting a seed in the mind of his family as to what he would like come Winter??

I agree 100% that we consistently under represent the individuality of soldiers in our effort to not be the guy with jaguar skin chaps.

[FloridaConscript]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

Thank you for posting this Bryant.

John Miller
South Mountain State Battlefield
Monterey Pass Battlefield, Washington Township

John,
no problem. Thanks again for your time at Fox's Gap. That website has a link to the 50th and 51st Ga as well. If I find some Drayton's stuff I'll post it.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

Perhaps the list of lost contents was his way of planting a seed in the mind of his family as to what he would like come Winter??

Boy, I hadn't considered that. Good observation. Far be it from me to psychoanalyze one of The Old Fellows, but there certainly could be some benefit in bemoaning the loss of a list of items to your loving family far, far away. The seed, once planted would hopefully bear fruit! ;)

[Silas]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

there are a number of other letters from Woods at the link below. Woods served in the 53rd Georgia, Semmes brigade.

http://colquitt.k12.ga.us/gspurloc/C...wood092362.htm

I was looking for the previous letters of Mr. Wood in an effort to track his participation in the Manassas campaign and immediately thereafter. Can you provide a link to a page which lists the letters? I tried doing that by deleting sections of the url, but I didn't get anywhere. I even changed the date on the provided url and went back to the beginning of August looking for a prior letter. No such luck. I even looked on the Cobb's Legion page, which hosts the above letter, hoping for a link. No such luck.

[Steve Acker]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

Silas, here it is.

http://colquitt.k12.ga.us/gspurloc/Cobbslegion/gasca/units/53rd_reg2.htm

Steve Acker

[cprljohnivey]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

I like the following passage from his August 13, 1863 letter: "You can’t imagine how I want to see you all. I would give anything in the world to get to see you all, and be with you all once more. Pa I want you to see if you can get a man to come and take my place for a month or so, until I can come home. I will pay any money, $50 or 75 dollars, and rather than miss it, 100 dollars, if he will come and take my place, for one or two months, at the above rate a month. I want you to be sure, and see if you can get one please. I wish I was at home to help you all, eat apples, peaches, pears, watermelons, musk melons, roasting ears, etc"

Now... how common do you think it was for soldiers to get a replacement for a month or two? And at $50-$100?!?!?! WOW!!!

[Kanawha Riflemen]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

John,
no problem. Thanks again for your time at Fox's Gap. That website has a link to the 50th and 51st Ga as well. If I find some Drayton's stuff I'll post it.
Bryant Roberts
Palmetto Guard/WIG/LR

Not a problem Bryant and thank you. Always looking for information on the 50th and 51st Georgia at our forgotten bloody lane.

John A. Miller
South Mountain State Battlefield
Monterey Pass Battlefield, Washington Township

[Silas]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

John, no problem. Thanks again for your time at Fox's Gap. That website has a link to the 50th and 51st Ga as well. If I find some Drayton's stuff I'll post it.

It's old, but there is still some info here : http://draytons.tripod.com/ Only one of the history links I viewed about the 51st GA and Phillip's Legion was bad. Four out of five for something posted nine years ago is pretty darned good. Some nice letters in there.

Sorry for the hijack.

[14th VA Cav]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

Man I thought I carried alot of stuff to events in my truck. Can't imagine packing that on my back, by foot, for how many miles. I'm starting to think like some of you would this be a what I need list? Could he be getting stuff for friends in the company? Does anyone know if we can search his family and see if they were the wealth ones of the county at the time? Just wondering.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: contents of lost CS knapsack Sept. '62

Here is a interesting article on English clothing, but note that in the last paragraph is mentions a soldier carrying a second set of clothing (jacket and trousers) in his knapsack. http://www.libertyrifles.org/research/englishcloth.html