QM Records of the 45th Mississippi Infantry

[Mississippian]

Hello all,

I'm back with some more records of one of my pet regiments. The 45th was first called the 3rd Mississippi Battalion and fought at Shiloh as such, later it was increased to a regiment by the addition of 3 companies, 2 of which were made of up men of the 27th Alabama not captured at Ft. Donelson. The Regiment was known as the 33rd Mississippi until Nov. 1862, when it was renumbered 45. In July 1864 it became the 3rd MS Batt. again. The Regiment served with Wood's/Lowrey's Brigade in Cleburnes Division throughout the war.

All this info comes from the Service Records of the regiment.

Papers of QM P.W. Shearer, 45th Mississippi Infantry

Sept. 28th 1862:

4 pair shoes @ $2.00 ea
2 pair boots $ 4.50
2 pair socks $.50
1 blanket $2.50
2 hats $.78

Jan. 23rd 1863: (Rec state that the regiment numbered 250 at this time)

8 pairs pants @ $5.00 ea
25 cotton shirts
9 pair shoes $9.53
8 pair shoes $5.00
45 yds osnaburg
1 spool thread

Jan. 30th 1863:

15 Hats @ $4.50 ea

March 31st 1864 (For Company E)

4 Hats @ $4.50 ea
15 Coats $14.00
24 pairs pants $12.00
12 cotton shirts $3.00
9 pairs socks $1.00
2 Blankets $10.00
8 pairs drawers $3.00

Papers of QM William Simpson 45th MS Inf.

July 18th 1862:

10 Iron Pots
10 Mess Pans

July 25th 1862

4 Wagon Whips @ $1.00 ea

Papers of Capt. Elias Marett, Co. F 45th MS

June 12th 1862

10 canteens
10 canteen straps
6 knapsacks
10 haversacks

June 25th 1862

5 pots
5 mess pans
5 ovens
15 canteens
15 canteen straps
8 haversacks

June 27th 1862

4 Overshirts
3 cotton shirts
3 pair pants
2 Hats

July 10th 1862

1 pair shoes

July 12th 1862

43 Coats
11 pair pants

July 21st 1862

8 Haversacks

November 1st 1862

1 Tent (New)
1 Tent (Old)
3 Flies

Papers of Lt. John Rutherford Co. F, 45th MS

May 24th 1862

1 Wall Tent
3 Tent Flies

July 24th 1862

11 pair shoes
5 pair drawers
4 pair pants

Aug. 18th 1862

6 Hats
4 pair drawers
6 Coats
1 Blanket

Aug. 22nd 1862

4 pair shoes

Papers of Capt. Francis Wolff, Co. F 45th MS

Dec 26th 1861

10 coffee pots
2 Water Buckets
1 Frying Pan
1 Oven with lid
2 coffee mill
80 Tin Plates
80 Table Knifes
80 Forks
80 Spoons

Papers of Lt. Charles Liddell, Co. G 45th MS Inf:

July 1st 1863:

6 Jackets @ $12.00
9 pair pants $9.00
8 pair drawers $3.00
13 pair shoes $6.00
2 mess pans
1 tent fly

Papers of Lt. James Reaves, Co. G 45th MS Inf.

November 1861:

70 Tin Plates
70 Tin Cups
9 Coffee Pots
16 Mess Pans
2 Camp Kettles
5 Hatchets
5 Water Buckets
9 Ovens with Lids
9 Frying Pans
2 Coffee Mills
70 Knifes and Forks
70 Spoons

June 25th 1862

3 knapsacks
12 canteens
12 canteen straps
8 haversacks

June 27th 1862

3 Calico Shirts
1 Overshirt
3 pairs pants
2 Hats
1 pair socks
1 coat

August 22nd 1862

12 pair shoes @ $9.00

Undated (probably fall of 1862)

78 coats
35 pair pants

Undated (probably fall of 1862)

30 knapsacks
34 haversacks
34 canteens
34 canteen straps

Papers of Lt. Daniel Cameron Co. A 45th MS Inf.:

May 8th 1862

2 pair drawers @ $1.50
2 Overshirts $3.50

May 12th 1862

3 canteens & straps

Papers of Capt. Thomas Conner, Co. A 45th MS Inf:

November 30th 1862:

3 Hats @ $3.00
1 cover $0.75
2 coats $8.25
5 overcoats $13.00
2 pair pants $6.00
6 cotton shirts $1.50
6 pair socks $0.50
1 blanket $2.50
1 pair shoes $3.50
4 pair shoes $4.00
13 pair drawers $1.50
1 Vest $1.50
8 Jackets $6.00
5 caps $1.30
3 pair shoes $4.50
4 pair shoes $2.50

July 30th 1863:

10 cotton shirts
10 pair drawers
1 hat
2 mess pans
2 camp kettes
1 bucket
1 tent fly

March 30th 1864

8 Hats @ $4.50
14 Coats $14.00
20 pairs pants $12
15 shirts $3.00
13 pairs socks $1.50
14 pairs shoes $10.00
16 pair drawers $3.00

Papers of Capt. John. Smylie Co. a 45th MS Inf

June 27th 1862:

3 Overshirts
2 pair pants
2 Hats
2 pair socks
1 undershirt

July 2nd 1863

4 pair shoes sz 7
3 pair shoes sz 8

July 25th 1862

6 pair pants @ $4.00
6 pair drawers $0.50

March 31st 1864

5 Hats @ $4.50
2 Coats $14.00
8 pair Pants $12.00
2 cotton shirts $3.00
7 pairs of shoes $10.00
6 pair drawers $3.00

March 31th 1864

2 camp kettles
1 ax
1 hatchet



Will post more later,

Will MacDonald

[csuniforms]

Did you see the matching CDV's or tintype's that came with the requistions that pictured what was received? Back and front views, colored etched of course. Did the Quartermasters write down the type of material in the coats, like, "a brownish-gray twilled jeans from the Jackson Penetentiary and some from Georgia?" And of course they must have taken a Company photo showing off their new items.

ONLY JOKING! This is great research work. I know the time, effort and expense of getting these Regimental Rolls and copying down those entries. I applaud you and your efforts. That said it is possible that the "coats" mentioned in the requisitions in 1862, could have been, "civilian sack coats". I have a Depot inventory from March, 1862 from Mississippi that lists "Civilian sack coats" as part of the stores. "Coats" for Mississippi could mean frocks also. Keep looking for those QM CDV's

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms

[Mississippian]

Tom,

I've also noted that most of the companies were getting "Overshirts" in July of 1862 instead of coats or jackets. I'm also willing to bet that at least the men in the compaines that fought at Shiloh were wearing a good bit of Federal gear during the siege of Corinth. Also, many of the men were fairly close to home during that campaign, including the men of the 27th Alabama, which was raised in the far Northwest corner of that state, so homemade clothing wouldn't be out of the question. I know that by May 1862 about half the regiment was equipped with .58 cal weapons, and the rest with smoothbores.

BTW, have you ever heard of the theory that at least some of the "Columbus Depot" jackets were actually made in Mississippi? Looking at the evidence, it sounds possible.

Will MacDonald

[csuniforms]

The way the Depots were run in the South and what transpired on a day to day basis is still being researched. The one point I never understood, is why the Confederate Quartermaster Department did not send out patterns. The pattern for the Official Confederate uniform. The cloth and colors might have been different, but why they were not all cut out like the RD 2 or the Columbus Depot is an unknown. It is amazing to me how each Depot produced their own style jacket or coat!!! As to Mississippi, and the birth of the CD jacket. I always thought it came out of Memphis-- Had to do with the QM there who later assigned to Columbus-- but I gotta' check my notes. Great Post!!

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms

[Mississippian]

I recall reading a report by the Chief QM of the Dept. of Mississippi and East Louisiana, a Major Mims, and he gave a nice little overview of what was going on in Mississippi during the early part of 1863: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Fwaro%2Fwaro0038%2F&tif=00618.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DANU4519-0038

It starts on the last half of the page.

William MacDonald

[hardeeflag]

I have a significant amount of Ordnance Records for Lowrey's brigade through A.J. Rice's records. The 45th MS Infantry shows being armed with .69 cal. Muskets through the middle of 1863. If this interests you I can see if I can get some specific info to you.

[Mississippian]

Going through the Col. Hardcastle's papers, the is a request for 4800 rounds of .69 ammo on May 3rd 1862, and on May 4th there is a request for 5,000 rounds of .58 ammo. I think I recall seeing another request for .58 ammo that fall in some other papers. I'll have to go through and see what else I can find.

Will MacDonald.

[J_V]

It's interesting that "hats" are listed, not caps. For what it's worth, I believe that's important, because I think we tend to forget that depots also issued hats in addition to caps.

I've recently read Fred Adolphus's CMH artcile, Confederate Clothing of the Houston Quartermaster Depot. I realize the HQD probably did not issue clothing to this unit, but in the article it's mentioned that hats were requisitioned and received from England and that they were likely porkpie style black hats. The author believed that other depots received and issued these hats to the troops at various stages of the War as well.

Impllications for reenactors? Perhaps a little hat uniformity might be in order from time to time, given the scenario.

[Mississippian]

When I posted the QM records of the 22nd South Carolina Infantry a few weeks back, it was interesting to note that the only times that they got "Hats" and not "Caps" was when they were stationed in Jackson Mississippi during the summer of 1863. You see lots of "Hats" issued to AOT and other "western" units, along with some caps. But in my search of records of units that served along the Atlantic Coast and in the ANV, it is overwhelmingly "Caps" that are issued.

Will MacDonald

[Mississippian]

Some More,

Papers of Maj. E. F. Nunn 45th Mississippi Infantry:

May 7th 1862 (For Co. C)

2 pair shoes

May 26th 1862: (For Co. C)

11 Canteens
10 Knapsacks
2 Haversacks
1 pair shoes

Unknown Date (probably 1862)

4 Wall Tents (to replace 4 abandoned on retreat)

June 25th 1862 (For Co. C)

6 Knapsacks
8 Haversacks
7 canteens
1 camp kettle
2 mess pans
1 oven with lid

June 27th 1862: (For. Co. C)

3 Hats
3 Shirts
1 Overshirt
3 pair pants
3 pair socks
1 pair shoes

July 2nd 1862 (For Co. C)

6 pair shoes

July 16th 1862: (For Co. C)

31 coats
9 pairs pants

July 25th 1862 (For Co. C)

1 Knapsack
6 haversacks
7 canteens

Aug. 19 1862 (For Co. C)

12 Hats
6 pair drawers

Aug. 22nd 1862 (For Co. C)

6 pairs shoes @ $9.00 ea

May & June 1864

6 Cartridge Boxes
6 Cartridge Box Belts
6 Waist Belts
6 Waist Belt Plates
22720 .57 Cartridges
10 Knapsacks
3 Haversacks
25 Canteens
22 Ammunition Boxes

Will MacDonald

[Charles Heath]

Will,

This will get most interesting when you take it to the next level.