Question? Did the federal ordnance department store accoutrements with muskets?

[csuniforms]

You guys are so very smart-- so I have a question? Did the Federal Government store leather accoutrements along with the firearms in the different Depots all over the US? Every year a consignment of firearms was allowed for the Militia to each State, but did they also issue leathers along with the firearm...? I have looked and I can find lists of firearms in storage-- but they do not list leathers!? Where would you find this information?? Or, were the States or the Militia Companies themselves responsible for purchasing cartridge boxes, cap pouches, belts, etc.-- The State of Illinois in 1861 received 10,000 stand of arms from St. Louis, but no leathers! How about the other States, like Ohio, Indiana? Did they receive leathers with their Federal Issue firearms in 1861?

I find it difficult to believe that the US Government would not manufacture enough sets of leathers to accompany each musket or rifle in storage? CSuniforms

Tom Arliskas

[Alexander Vasquez]

Re: Question? Did the federal ordnance department store accoutrements with muskets?

I was under the impression that a "stand of arms" was a musket, bayonet, and leathers necessary for them all together.

Alexander Vasquez
Formerly of Co. C, 15 IA

[csuniforms]

Re: Question? Did the federal ordnance department store accoutrements with muskets?

I was under the impression that a "stand of arms" was a musket, bayonet, and leathers necessary for them all together.

Alexander Vasquez
Formerly of Co. C, 15 IA

OK-- but-- the St. Louis Arsenal was dispencing arms with no accoutrements-- the State of Illinois got 5,000 sets from Ohio and had to order the rest from New York-- I was wondering if there are lists or inventories of the number of accoutrements in storage for 1859 to 1860--

CSuniforms

Tom Arliskas

[Mutt]

Re: Question? Did the federal ordnance department store accoutrements with muskets?

HI there,

I've referenced this before as it is a gem, at least to me, "Reports of the Heads of Departments to the Governor of Pennsylvania, 1861": http://books.google.com/books?id=_Rz...rifles&f=false

Search "rifles" or "arms" within it and you'll find some neat info on the topic of how PA supplied its men with arms early in the war. Several points to note:

Page 11 in the Governor's message: "In some cases regiments have gone without arms under assurances from the War Department that they would be armed at Washington or other near Designated points, and that their immediate departure was required."

This statement is made after an earlier mention of the gathering of arms from arsenals throughout the State, fixing and altering those arms that needed to be. Additionally, there is the inclusion of how the State was told to stop purchasing arms to avoid competing with the National Government. Smart move!

Accoutrements are noted as also being present with small arms in some of th arsenals, but not all. The best evidence I can find in the document is the many mentions of the companies who made the sets of accoutrements and how much the State paid these makers for them. Showing how the State of PA was gathering up and fixing arms, but didn't have the accoutrements at their finger tips early on. There was a mad rush the equip the thousands of volunteers, so I can see a "give em what we got and the rest will have to wait". Here's a blouse, trousers, shirt, cap, sorry no blanket, knapsack, socks, musket, sorry no accoutrements.


I realize it doesn't address how exactly the FEDERAL Ordnance Dept handled it, but it does give an idea of what was going on in 1861, within a state.

Best,