Office of the Provost Marshal

[Jefferson Guards]

I am scheduled to staff the Provost Marshal's office in Harper's Ferry's upcoming "Protect and Defend" weekend. I have done research into the duties of the Provost Marshal and specifics relating to the Provost at Harper's Ferry, but in all my research I can not find any information as to the actual organization of the office itself and the ranks & responsibilities of the various subordinate positions (clerks &c.) Does anyone have any leads on this information. I would also like to have the proper paperwork. I know where I can get properly reproduced passes, but what other paperwork would be utilized in an office of this sort?

All help is greatly appreciated!

[justthemiller]

Brian,

The short answer to this is have you spoken with the folks at the park about your portrayal of provost marshal? The unit I belong to has done this duty before there and we were given a rather fair amount of material by the park about the role they played at Harper's Ferry. Speak with John King or Melinda Day about this and see what they can come up with for you. Hope this bit of information helps you out.

[dusty27]

Brian,

Kautz for Officers has some info on Provost Marshall in section 362.

[Jefferson Guards]

I have done this and Melinda has been very helpful. She has sent me a ton of information, however, they only said that clerks and sergeants staffed the office 24/7. I would like to know a little bit more. Was there an officer of the day for the provost office to deal with mundane issues? Who would have acually been the first point of contact upon entering the office? A desk sergeant? I would like to develop this impression to the point that if the park visitors enter the office, they would see a similar scene confronting them that would have been seen if they entered in 1864.

Thanks Dusty! I was searching in that work for info in the online version, but obviously was looking in the wrong section.

Thanks!

[Masich]

Of course you'll find some useful info on Provost Marshals in Scott's Military Dictionary, but one thing you'll NOT find is how to pronounce PROVOST--the military pronunciation was, and still is, Pro' vo. Best of luck to you.

Andy Masich

I am scheduled to staff the Provost Marshal's office in Harper's Ferry's upcoming "Protect and Defend" weekend. I have done research into the duties of the Provost Marshal and specifics relating to the Provost at Harper's Ferry, but in all my research I can not find any information as to the actual organization of the office itself and the ranks & responsibilities of the various subordinate positions (clerks &c.) Does anyone have any leads on this information. I would also like to have the proper paperwork. I know where I can get properly reproduced passes, but what other paperwork would be utilized in an office of this sort?

All help is greatly appreciated!

[KarinTimour]

Dear Mr. Koenig:

In addition to the sources already mentioned, I'd like to recommend "Rebel Watchdog" The Confederate States Army Provost General" by Kenneth Radley, ISBN: 0-0871-2173-8. Though it deals with the CSA provosts, because so much of the routine, etc. was lifted straight from the US army regs it probably gives a good perspective on Union provosts as well.

I looked to see if it went into as much detail as laying out the office, figuring out the duties of the clerks, etc. but a fast glance through didn't turn that type of detail up.

I do have to pause here and relate a story of one of my reenacting adventures in Harper's Ferry involving the Provost's office. There was a rather "history light" military presence staffing the Provost's office the day I was there. My information is that the civilians who were allowed to live in Harper's Ferry had to all have sworn loyalty to the Union. The guys staffing the Provost's office that day were having a very hard time wrapping their brains around the idea that there could be a loyal civilian.

Armed with my trusty handful of chicken feathers, I stormed into the Provost's office, announced myself a Union war widow keeping a boarding house in Harper's Ferry whose chicken coop had been robbed, and that I'd found the evidence at a nearby encampment that my chickens were no more. Exhibit A (feathers) produced. Demanded restitution.

Provost clerk: You'll have to take the Oath.
Me: I'm a loyal widow, my husband died at Bull Run.
Clerk: You'll have to take the Oath.
Me: An oath to the Union? I've always been loyal, I just told you I"m a war widow are you implying that I'm disloyal? Get out your oath, I'll readily swear my allediance. I've been robbed and I want justice.
Clerk: You'll have to take the Oath.

Things went down hill from there......

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
"The Stories in the Socks" Conference on Women in the Civil War, Richmond, Virginia, June 2004
Period Knitting -- Socks, Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Soceity
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Clark Badgett]

Of course you'll find some useful info on Provost Marshals in Scott's Military Dictionary, but one thing you'll NOT find is how to pronounce PROVOST--the military pronunciation was, and still is, Pro' vo. Best of luck to you.

Andy Masich

In 12 years of Military service, I've not one time ever heard the ST left off provost. Your milage may vary. :)

[BerkeleyBorderGuard]

Brian-

I am currently researching some Provost Marshal forms and comparing them to some copies of originals I obtained from the Virginia Historical Society for the Harper Ferry area. I will gladly pass this information on to you (and the fine folks on this list) when complete. I came across these documents while researching J.Q.A. Nadenbousch, Captain of the Berkeley Border Guards and later Company D, 2nd Virginia Infantry. That is who my unit portrays. Nadenbousch was Provost at Harpers Ferry during parts of 1861.

In fact, our unit will be attending that very weekend courtesy of the fine folks at the Harpers Ferry NPS office. If I (or we) can be of service or help (as our schedule allows) please don’t hesitate to ask. I can be reached at Milepost465@charter.net

Matt Crouch
"Trying to come up with a good mess name" mess :D

[KeystoneGuard]

Karin,
Thanks for this post. I've ordered the book and hopefully it'll be just what I need to expand my role as provost marshal!

[sauguszouave]

In 12 years of Military service, I've not one time ever heard the ST left off provost. Your milage may vary. :)

Yea, and I've heard soldiers refer to Sah-Bots, instead of Sah-Bohs. Is the US Army forgetting its French? :)

That's a cheapshot, though, 'cause the etymology of provost is not French. It is from Middle English and the original rule was that it is pronounced pro-vost when used as a noun, and pro-voh when used as an attibutive noun. For folks not familiar with attributive nouns, gold is a noun, but when you say gold ring, it is a noun describing an attribute of the ring. Provost is an attributive noun when it describes an attribute of a marshal. A university has a Provost, the army has a Provost Marshal. Technically, they should be pronounced differently. It doesn't surprise me that current usage has dropped the distinction. However, the question is what 1860s usage was. I'm betting that 19th-century West Point grads knew what an attributive noun is, and pronounced the difference.

Regards,

Paul Kenworthy

[Masich]

Yea, and I've heard soldiers refer to Sah-Bots, instead of Sah-Bohs. Is the US Army forgetting its French? :)

That's a cheapshot, though, 'cause the etymology of provost is not French. It is from Middle English and the original rule was that it is pronounced pro-vost when used as a noun, and pro-voh when used as an attibutive noun. For folks not familiar with attributive nouns, gold is a noun, but when you say gold ring, it is a noun describing an attribute of the ring. Provost is an attributive noun when it describes an attribute of a marshal. A university has a Provost, the army has a Provost Marshal. Technically, they should be pronounced differently. It doesn't surprise me that current usage has dropped the distinction. However, the question is what 1860s usage was. I'm betting that 19th-century West Point grads knew what an attributive noun is, and pronounced the difference.

Regards,

Paul Kenworthy

Paul:
As a youth I was corrected by an old regular army Provost [PRO-vo] Marshal--I never forgot it. You obviously know historical linguistics and etymology. What are your thoughts on the Civil War pronunciation of "carbine"? During WWII the Ordnance Dept, frustrated by frequent mispronunciations, actually posted a circular on the correct pronunciation for the popular M1 Carbine: CAR-bine rather than CAR-been. Most Americans would say CAR-been today--though CAR-bine is still heard from military collectors and older vets. What would a West Pointer have said in 1861? An educated cavalryman? A Mudsill? A Southern rebel? Enquiring minds want to know.