Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

I am looking for information on wether the blanket roll or the knapsack was more common on the following battles/campaigns in the Trans-Mississippi Theater (for the Confederate soldier):


Pea Ridge
Prairie Grove
Price's Missouri Raid 1864
Or any other Missouri Campaign

Thanks

[Secesh]

Re: Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

I would think that would depend upon the unit you are portraying....

[lojafan]

Re: Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

Andrew,

9 times out of 10, most Confederate soldiers for those battles would have had a blanket roll or no blanket at all. Since very few knapsacks were issued to Confederate soldiers in the west, they would have more then likely had a federal issue one, and they didnt issue many in the beginning of the war in the west either. A blanket roll would have been much more previlant and your always safe doing a blanket roll, but I would really only do a knapsack if no one or only one other person is using one out of probably 10-15 people in your unit.

Hope that helps!

Andrew Gale
N.W. 15th AR

[Michael Comer]

Re: Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

Andrew,

Do you have documentation for that or is it supposition on your part? I'm curious as to if you have found something that definitely states that knapsacks weren't issued.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

Hi,

Andrew, do you mean west as in the Army of Tennessee? Or do you mean west as in the Trans-Mississippi Theater? Because what I could find on the Army of Tennessee, was that 7-10 men wore knapsacks. Also, when I am talking about the the fighting in MO, ARK, and etc. I am not referring to the other campaigns in the Trans-Mississippi Theater such as the Red River Campaign, where most of the CS troops where wearing knapsacks. Thanks

Andrew

[lojafan]

Re: Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

Michael,

my source is Lazy Jacks and Uniforms of the Civil War. I've read something where it said there were not many knapsacks issued to federal soldiers in the far west (federal troops that would have fought in western Missouri and such) for the first couple years of the war, but I cannot remember/find where I read it, but I will continue to try. I may have mis-read it, but I believe that was correct. Also its some of what i've heard from other reenactors.

Andrew Gale
N.W. 15th AR

[lojafan]

Re: Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

Hi,

Andrew, do you mean west as in the Army of Tennessee? Or do you mean west as in the Trans-Mississippi Theater? Because what I could find on the Army of Tennessee, was that 7-10 men wore knapsacks. Also, when I am talking about the the fighting in MO, ARK, and etc. I am not referring to the other campaigns in the Trans-Mississippi Theater such as the Red River Campaign, where most of the CS troops where wearing knapsacks. Thanks

Andrew

Andrew,

I mean Trans-Mississippi.

Andrew Gale
N.W. 15th AR

[Charles Heath]

Re: Knapsacks/Blanket Rolls in the Trans-Mississippi Theater

Good, Lord. I hereby nominate this as the worst thread in the history of the AC Forum. Somebody please lock it down, spay or neuter it so it cannot reproduce, etc.

The following R-Naught-Gud:

"I thought I saw it on the bathroom wall....."

"Read it somewhere."

"Heard it in the locker room."

"Some book somewhere."

"Said around the campfire."

"Some secondary source vaguely like something, like, you know, like, like, man, like...."

"How popular was?"

Maybe I'm just cranky today, but Jesus wept. Time to smack the report button a few times.