what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

[pvtben]

Hello Pards,

I am doing a series of drawings and they are called "the prized possessions" i need to know in yalls opinion what are the 4 most prized item a soldier would carry or have. I have the first one done it is a brogan. Just let me know what yall think. What i mean by this ? is that what were things that were greatly cherished such as shoes guns and small stuff like bibles and pictures so in you opinion what would u consider the 4 most preshis things that a soldier would have worn carried or used.

Thanks

Pvt. Benjamin N. Jenkins
19th LA Vol. Infantry
Vance Guards

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

Interesting question. I would say; a picture of a loved one, his pipe, his watch (if he had one) and maybe a testament.

[markj]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

An interesting, if rather unscientific, document that might help you is the inventory prepared by Samuel Weaver, the contractor who reburied several thousand bodies of troops KIA at Gettysburg. He drew up a fairly detailed list of items recovered from Federal corpses that he used while attempting to identify them. You will quickly note what particular items show up in large quantities.

John Tobey did an article about this in the "Columbia Rifles Research Compendium" and I took things a step further by taking a "statistical approach" to the list. There were actually two versions of the same list. The first was initially submitted by Weaver in early 1864 and the other was a slightly revised inventory, also submitted by Weaver, two or three years later.

Attached to this post is my statistical breakdown, as well as interesting information I gleaned from it, that I may eventually use for an article. The units mentioned show that Weaver's list provides a remarkably broad sample for the Army of the Potomac.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[James Brenner]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

This may not be exactly what you're looking for, but - collectively - pets/mascots were very important to some soldiers. Old Abe comes to mind as does the wolfhound monument at Gettysburg. In one Ohio regiment, the 104th, one of their nicknames was the Barking Dog regiment because of their three dogs. One of the dogs, Harvey, was the subject of a Military Images article a few years ago. In this instance, the dogs were prized possessions.

[markj]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

Here's a summary of the items most commonly encountered on the bodies mentioned in Samuel Weaver's list.

Letters
Religous publications
Cap brass
Coins/currency
Combs
Rings
"Glasses" (i.e., mirrors or magnifying glasses)
Diaries
Photographs
Knives
Medals (i.e., religious medals)
Jewelry/adornments/corps badges
Pencils
Spoons
Pipes
Needle cases
Gun wrenches
"Purses"
Pocket books
"Inkstands"
Handkerchiefs
Keys
Books

There were plenty of other items found in lesser quantities.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

Interesting question. I would say; a picture of a loved one, his pipe, his watch (if he had one) and maybe a testament.

I agree.

A tin-cup or boiler for coffee or something hot too.

Hardtack and Coffee references the mess's spontaneous fire building to boil coffee and embers for the pipe.

[Alamo Guard]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

After reviewing the list at Gettysburg I guess those stories of men throwing away the bottles, card and dirty pictures before going into battle are true?
I suppose alot depends on area where the man came from and his ideas, beliefs and morals.

[orngblsm]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

I say without a doubt that a canteen would have to be in the top 4 prized items...also socks (though don't know what kind of picture they would make)...

I am also reminded of what Charles Rodman of the 124th NY said in one of his letters home..."Stamps...send me stamps, for they are most prized down here"
I think that any letter writing material would have been prized among soldiers.

Respectfully,

[Masked Battery]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

Are y'all talking about things considered precious due to their indispensable nature (e.g., comfy shoes, comfy hat, jacket/coat, blanket), or things considered precious due to sentimental reasons or pleasure received (e.g., letters, locks of hair, pipe, Bible)?

[Blum]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

I think a picture of the wife or children may be one of the most important object for a soldier who’s far from home. That is true for the CW but also today.
You loss your tin cup or pipe ? If you are lucky, you can find another one. You loss a wife’s cdv, you go without. And you don’t know if you can come back home safe and meet your family another time.

This picture is the little tiny thread who’s bound you to your «*real*» life, before the war.

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

"An interesting, if rather unscientific, document that might help you is the inventory prepared by Samuel Weaver..."

Fascinating list, Mark!

I couldn't help doing a quick count (I hope this is accurate); taking the identified and unidentified lists together, I came up with the following most popular items:

40 combs [23 ID'd + 17 Un]
35 letters [24 + 11]
28 diaries [21 + 7]
27 knives [0 + 27]
27 religious publications [17 + 10]
23 pipes [6 + 17]
21 photos [10 + 11]
21 rings [11 + 10]

After that it falls off a bit. I found it interesting that there were 13 pencils and 6 inkstands (but no pens -- probably deteriorated very quickly), and only 3 watches.

It's interesting to reflect on one's own impression in light of this. For example, I might hang onto my comb, diary, knife, and ring, ditch the watch, maybe start carrying a letter or two (perhaps I could talk my wife into writing me one before each event...), and get a cased photo.

I wonder if I could substitute a Marxist tract for the religious publication... :wink_smil

[Dale Beasley]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

From a deployed Reserve Soldier today...I would have to agree with the above post......a picture of the wife and kids, letters from home are the top two......and anything else that reminds you of home.......

[styler]

Re: Stamps

Another reason stamps were coveted was the lack of specie/coinage. They were used as money.

[markj]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

"An interesting, if rather unscientific, document that might help you is the inventory prepared by Samuel Weaver..."

Fascinating list, Mark!

I couldn't help doing a quick count (I hope this is accurate); taking the identified and unidentified lists together, I came up with the following most popular items:

40 combs [23 ID'd + 17 Un]
35 letters [24 + 11]
28 diaries [21 + 7]
27 knives [0 + 27]
27 religious publications [17 + 10]
23 pipes [6 + 17]
21 photos [10 + 11]
21 rings [11 + 10]

After that it falls off a bit. I found it interesting that there were 13 pencils and 6 inkstands (but no pens -- probably deteriorated very quickly), and only 3 watches.

It's interesting to reflect on one's own impression in light of this. For example, I might hang onto my comb, diary, knife, and ring, ditch the watch, maybe start carrying a letter or two (perhaps I could talk my wife into writing me one before each event...), and get a cased photo.

I wonder if I could substitute a Marxist tract for the religious publication... :wink_smil

Hi Michael,

Glad you found the inventories useful. Again, I would caution that there is much in them that we simply cannot know "beyond a reasonable doubt." The Army of the Potomac "sample" was quite broad and, I believe, very representative. However, there are so many variables regarding the items found on each body that we have to approach each case individually. Nevertheless, the items you mentioned above seem to have been very typical for most troops in similar circumstances and I, for one, would certainly use them as a guide for an impression. In short, the two most valuable types of items for troops were "the practical" and "the sentimental."

The biggest variable when dealing with the Weaver inventory is, of course, post-mortem looting. The odds of this happening to Federal corpses were pretty certain if they remained in an area held by Confederate forces for any significant length of time. For example, in the case of watches, there could be many explanations for their relative non-appearance: They could have been left in the rear in a (relatively) secure area; being valuable items, they were invariably the first possessions looted by enemy troops or passing citizens; or, as likely happened, many men simply didn't carry them since, of course, they could usually tell the approximate time based on camp calls and the position of the sun in the sky. Who knows?

Having said the above, it would be interesting to plot out the approximate location of each man's death (particularly the unknowns, if even the regiment can be pinned down) and compare it with the ebb and flow of the Gettysburg engagement. My unschooled guess is that these would coincide fairly closely with reported advances and retreats by Confederate units. Indeed, I was actually able to obtain the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a few men listed on the inventory so this might eventually make for a quite interesting statistical and archaeological exercise.

Your thoughts?

Mark Jaeger

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: what were the 4 most prized items for a soldier.

Mark, I agree with you on the caution, and on the possibility of looting. In fact, I first thought that the paucity of watches might be due to theft -- if not immediately after the battle, then by the contractor's employees. But the fact that they found money and other articles of some value (even if just as souvenirs) leads me to think the workmen must have had some reasonably good supervision.

I also agree that it would be interesting to compare the articles found on bodies on different locations of the field to see if there are any discrepancies that suggest looting (and what was taken). If you have that information, it would be great to have the opportunity to use it.

Also, I just realized I made at least one big mistake in my tabulation. The total of knives is 39 -- I left out the dozen on the ID'd list. So that puts them just behind combs for popularity in this sample, followed by letters and diaries, very much confirming the importance of both the practical and sentimental.

Mr. Beasley -- my best to you. All of our hearts are with you and your fellow soldiers. I hope these little discussions of the details of past conflicts also serve as a small reminder of home, though not nearly so dear as letters and pictures from your loved ones.