I wonder why...

[Horace]

It seems to me to be a question of time and place. When were you last able to draw clothing and what have you been doing since then?

There are accounts of Federals who were pursuing the ANV after Gettysburg who were barefoot and marching in their drawers or pants cut off below the knee, because they hadn't been able to resupply and had just been through very hard campaigning and weather.

[Moose]

Gents,
Let us just take some data. We’ll use the 4th Texas, companies B and H as our models for 1861-1862.
I won’t go into a mini history of the unit but let us set a “small” stage:
The 4th Texas was in the following campaigns in 1862: Seven Days, 2nd Manassas, and Sharpsburg. They marched from Northern Virginia, to the Virginia Peninsular, back to Northern Virginia and then into Maryland.

Company B returns, 1861-1862

No Records for 1861

Received by Capt. B. F. Carter, Co. B, 4th Texas, 31 March 1862 [Roll 284]:
Pr. Pants--25
Jackets--5
Prs. Shoes--52
Sibley Tent--2
B-- [Bell?] Tent--3
Wall Tents--2
Shelters--2
Mess pans--2
Picks--2
Axes--5

Issued to Capt. B.F. Carter, Co. B, 4th Texas, 1/4 ending December 31, 1862 [Roll 284]:
Blankets--70
Shoes--77
Socks--98
Canteens--7
Sibley Tent--1
Wool Shirts--[blank]
Overcoats--87
Pants--24
Drawers--26

What does Co. B tell us? From the data we may be able to assume that their initial uniforms brought from home were well constructed, as they received only five jackets from the QMD in March of 1862 and nothing in 1861. Pants we can see though, we starting the give way. This also tells us that the Confederate QMD in Richmond had clothing to issue. Now look at the December issue. The surviving documents show only two returns for 1862. One return in March and one return in December, which is a nine month gap. Issued clothing was supposed to have a life of about 6 months, so we’re not too far off target. December shows us needing almost the same number of pants, but also an issuance of blankets and overcoats.

Co. H returns, 1861-1862

Received by Capt. Proctor P. Porter, Co. H, December 31, 1861 [Roll 290]:
Blankets--99
Pr. Shoes--40
Socks--99
Sibley Tent--1
Wool Shirts--99
Overcoats--95
Pants--99
No caps
Pr. Drawers--98
Coats--90

Received 30 June 1862 by Capt. Charles E. Jones, cmd Co. H
Pr. Pants @ 3.50--33
Pr. Pants @ 5.50--22
Pr. Pants @ 4.87--2
Pr. Shoes @ 2.50--6
Shoes @ 3.50--103
Pr. Drawers @ 50 cents--20
Pr. Socks @ 50 cents--24
Coats @ 5.75--2
Coat @ 5.00--1
Axe--1
Helve-1

So what does this tell us about Company H? Well it seems that their uniforms may have been inferior as they were issued 90 coats and 99 pair of pants in December of 1861. It also tells us that the Confederate QMD had clothing to give out in 1861. Now the next return isn’t until June 30th of 1862. That is a seven month gap, and only three coats this time. So it seems that the first set of coats is still holding out, but as we can see, pants are needed. But note the different price in pants. That means there is a difference in a manufacturing detail. What that detail is, i.e. material, professional or amateur tailor we cannot tell.

Now a neat note on the Co. H uniforms; anyone notice the date received? It is June 30th, which was the battle of White Oak Swamp and Glendale in the Seven Days Campaign. Now the 4th Texas was at the battle of White Oak Swamp, but held in reserve. Also, Mr. Charles E. Jones, was not the Captain of the company, or even at White Oak Swamp as he is listed as Sick/Absent on their roster. Maybe he was in Richmond picking up their clothing at the Texas supply depot in Richmond. A few “far away” Southern states had set up independent storage facilities in Richmond to house and receive their goods, Texas was one of these state, and according to the QMD (Co. C) (Comment) [Roll 283]--``Private P.J. Barziza, Co. C, 4th Texas Regt. is hereby ordered to Richmond as the agent of his Regt. in that city to take charge of its spare clothing and other property, and to transact all needful business for it. By Cmd. of J.B. Hood, Brig. Gen. Cmd., H.Q., 4th Texas Regt., April 2nd, 1862. ''
There’s also a few other neat things in their returns, like a company receiving 21 over shirts, and how it differentiates between “coat” and “jacket” and “wool shit” and “over shirt.”

So what do we get from the returns?
1. Companies seemed to be issued when they needed it, about 8 months in time.
2. The Confederate QMD was issuing clothing as early as 1861.
3. The date on the return does not necessarily indicate the date the item made it to the troops.

A few other questions to ponder:
1. Without witnessing what the author of an account saw or them writing specifically on a particular unit, we don’t know what Corps, Division or Brigade they were looking at when they took their notes.
2. Without accurate identification, we don’t know exactly what unit(s) the dead in photos belong too.
3. In the case of Virginia and Maryland Campaigns of 1862, we know they did a lot of marching. We also know that the Federals burned or destroyed as much of their excess clothing, equipment, and supplies during the Seven Days movements from Richmond to Harrison’s Landing, as they could. They did that so it would NOT be used by Confederate troops.
4. If you were lucky enough to be with Jackson in the Manassas and Maryland Campaign, you were able to rob the trains at Manassas and then have the plunder at Harper’s Ferry. For those with Longstreet, they seemed to not have such luck. (Time and Place argument)

So, Gents, once again no correct answer here. Just some data.

[Haversack]

Great posts! I would like to extend a personal "thank you" to all for the info provided. I will try to post some of my thoughts/observations/etc. when I have more time, but all I have to say for now is keep it coming!

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

Hello,
If there are first hand accounts of States Rights Soldiers being ragged and barefoot, then they probably were ragged and barefoot. You can also look at the high-def photos from the Library of Congress online. Also, cartoons and propaganda in Northern newspapers didn't help.

All the Best

[CS Ensign]

As an adjunct, I'm interested in what Confederate depot uniforms would have been issued, if any troops had received depot issues (and I suspect some had). It was my understanding from Les Jensen's published work that issue of the untrimmed RD II jacket began as early as the spring of 1862, probably being produced in tandem with trimmed RD I versions until the trimmed versions were phased out. For those units that had received government depot issues, would there have been a preponderance of RD I, or RD II? I'm thinking of a unit like the 3rd Arkansas of Walker's Division, which had been on the fringes of the Seven Days and didn't participate in the 2nd Manassas campaign at all; but were instead guarding Richmond and Petersburg.

Unfortunately I don't have concrete info on issues to the 3rd Arkansas or any other ANV unit, as my uniform studies have been in the AoT theater ... is there any info out there?

Greg Walden

[bAcK88]

Just throwing this out there, but would commutation clothing show up on the company returns? I believe that every soldier was given about a $25.00 credit for clothing from a source OTHER than the central government. While the Texans are a long way from home, the connection with the Lone Star State is still intact in 1861-1862. Plus some may have bought clothing in Richmond. Drew Gruber has been doing some research into a Richmond tailor's book during the war, and many soldiers from different states are purchasing a lot of clothing from him all the way up to 1865. And to be clear, it's not just officers purchasing clothing, but enlisted soldiers making sizable purchase orders as well.

Anyways some food for thought.

[KarinTimour]

Gents,

"Capt. T.Q. Stanford, 39th Ala. Infantry
Tullahoma Tenn. 19th Nov. 1862
… we are not So destetute as I onced feared we were for we can now get plenty of Clothing & Shoes all Complete for a Soldier except hats yesterday we drew good Shoes at 4.50 pr Pair I drew Shoes for all but one man who wore large nos we did not draw much clothing… you would laugh to See Some men changing cloths they wash off & burn their old cloths put on their new ones and feel much better…
… Some in new Suits from fine English Sock up to a fine …"

Does this mean the Confederacy was importing English socks? Or do you think he's using it as a figure of speach: i.e. "everybody got new from the socks up to the caps" as we would say "he got all new clothing from the skin out..."?

Always interested in sock quotes,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Michael Shea]

To further confirm Mr. Guthrie'e point - this is from McHenry Howard's (1st Maryland CSA) Memoirs:

My own pantaloons hung in tatters from the knee down and my shoes were so dilapidated that is was with difficulty that I could keep them on my feet as I shuffled along, and I noticed that many of the citizens looked down at my legs and feet with mingled compassion and amusement.

He is describing his state after the First Manassas. He started the battle with decent clothing but wrecked his trousers and shoes running through blackberry briars (while grabbing blackberries to eat of course). The same fellow also managed to buy a brand new pair of high riding boots in Richmond in late 1864 or early 1865 (with pay accumulated during his time as a POW).

Michael Shea

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo!

"Some in new Suits from fine English Sock up to a fine …"

A possibility to consider, of a as written, transcribed, or printing error "typo" "...from fine English Stock..."

Curt

[Honved]

Hallo!

"Some in new Suits from fine English Sock up to a fine …"

A possibility to consider, of a as written, transcribed, or printing error "typo" "...from fine English Stock..."

Curt

Curt, I agree with you, I think he intended to say "fine English Stock" and not "Sock" as transcribed from his letter. He was referring to the uniforms as a whole and their lack of uniformity...

Best regards,

Todd Guthrie