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Gentlemen,
Prior to the "Great Crash", I submitted the following excerpts from the Washington Ives Diary and Letters Collection:
The following quotes are excerpts relating to materials and methods of soldiers of the Army of Tennessee from the letters and diaries of Washington Ives of the Fourth Florida Infantry edited and published by Jim Cabaniss. I highly recommend owning a copy of Mr Cabaniss’ work as it gives one of the finest and most poignant tales of life in the AOT. I have here, simply lifted out what I think are some of the most useful excerpts for those portraying soldiers of the AOT.
13 June, 1862. Montgomery, AL. “…I saw nearly 1000 men yesterday who had neither a musket or a bayonet in their lives.”
6 July, 1862. Mobile, AL. “…I am under such discipline that I can’t leave the lines 2 hours in a day and am kept drilling or standing guard that I just get along and manage to get sleep enough for to be caught asleep on post one would be subjected to the greatest degree of punishment known in military law. A boy in our company was caught asleep on post last week and was kept on bread and water 3 days and to mark time 2 hours a day…”
10 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “ The Brass Band of the 3rd Reg’t plays very well and our band has been practicing under W.H. Crane from Tampa and does improve very fast having the instruments only once a week… Our rations are quite scanty now we only get ¼# flour 1# beef or 1# bacon eaten up by skippers and a little salt to the man every day and nothing else except 5 oz of sugar to the man every week and no soap. I do my own washing…”
16 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “…we are camped on the slope of a hill ( bank of small stream) near Lookout Mountain and you also remember this is a much cooler climate than Florida and instead of sand we have clay dust the least motion will raise it and our having to leave out tents exposes the privates to all kinds of weather…”
17 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “… all along the railroads as we came girls about your age threw us Confederate flags. Peaches and apples generally given to us also. … The 3rd Reg’t Brass Band plays tolerable well now for the time it has been learning… .
I don’t think that the 4th Reg’t will move from where it is in under a month because our arms (muskets) heat so by firing that Gen. Ridgely is going to issue Enfields to our company and Mississippi rifles to the balance of our reg’t.”
24 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “The cavalry reg’ts here are looking finely and the New Orleans Battery (Washington Artillery) of Shiloh reputation presents a beautiful appearance. The 1st Fla. Had been camped near us for two weeks before they left. The men look like the rest of the Tupelo, perfectly seasoned, they have endured so much weather that they look wild… . Q.M. McKay has got enough tents to keep us comfortable until we move again and we may be paid in two weeks, he has drawn a uniform for us which will be issued out this week I guess. I guess it will cost us about $20 dollars a suit.”
9 September, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “… Our boys are drawing shoes and drawers the feeblest are drawing blue woolen undershirts at $2.11 a piece…”
12 Sept., 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “… I have just drawn a pair of kersey pants for $2.62, 1 shirt $1.62, 1 coat of the same material as Mr. Burtcheatts’ suit for$5.25… . I tell you it is not fun to march over this country with a knapsack tied to your back and your gun cartridge box canteen and haversack in fact a soldier on the march resembles a pack mule and while you are expecting an attack you have to carry your cooking utensils but this is not much for a mess of 15 is allowed three pans (tin) the camp kettles are about the size of a blue bucket and it is impossible to cook anything in them nicely… my two homespun shirts last well, they are almost as good as new…”
29 November, 1862. Murfreesboro, TN. “… I wish you would bring me the following articles, a pair of pants and a pocket knife, if there is one about the house, and I want a blanket or a piece of carpet. … The boys are all needing socks and pocket knives you can’t get a pocket knife (Barlow) for less than $2.00 and jeans pants sell readily for $15 - $30… If the ladies of Florida make up clothing for any troops I think the 4th ought to be remembered, for we nearly freeze, and do as much as any regiment now out. I would like a comforter for the neck and a pair of gloves…”
22 January, 1863. Tullahoma, TN. “… On the 2nd I fired exactly 20 rounds and could have fired 30 if my gun had not got so dirty that I had to tear cartridges and wet every load of buck and ball and then I always stopped to take good aim as my officers will bear witness… A man named Brown Jones in my mess made me a good ear protector for my cap yesterday…”
26 January, 1863. Tullahoma, TN. “ I have got my knapsack full of good clothes once more. I drew me a coarse pair of shoes and sold them for $4.00 and me a good pair for $8.00…”
12 August, 1863. Camp Hurricane, MS. “… Capt. Langford Co. F hired two Negroes to wash for his company and made the men either wear their jackets or those who had no jackets go bare backed until their shirts were washed… common bar soap sells readily for $1.00 per inch…”
19 August, 1863. Camp Hurricane, MS. “… I bathe regularly twice a week and I find it adds to my already good spirits.”
6 September, 1863. Camp near Chattanooga, TN. “… I wish the people of Florida would make up a collection of little things such as black pepper, salt, sugar, soap etc. To send the boys out here, our reg’t is nearly destitute of clothing, shoes, hats and pants, but we will probably draw more soon… Our Brass Band is the best in this army it has been playing a piece which Katie plays ” Kissing through the bars or the soldiers farewell”…”
9 September, 1863. Lafayette, GA. “…we are a dirty tired and naked set for ¾ of the men have not single pair of shoes and no drawers, only on shirt, hat and pair of pants a piece… if this army is not clothed soon it will be naked… I am in excellent health and have just eaten a mess of beans and baked apples…”
21 October, 1863. Chickamauga, TN. “ Our reg’t is drawing some excellent clothing, jackets of Gray, blue cuffs, pants, shoes, caps, shirts, etc… .”
31 October, 1863. Chickamauga, TN. “The army has drawn comfortable winter clothing and blankets, the coats are dark and light gray (mostly with blue collars and blue cuffs) the pants light and dark gray, similar goods to the jackets, it is worsted crop between cassimere and jeans, very warm and desirable,…”
11 Novwmber, 1863. Chickamauga, TN. “the pants and jackets we received are of superior army goods. The caps and underclothing are miserable… quantities of new English blankets have been issued. A single one is large enough to cover a double bed and the texture is far superior to the blankets usually brought south with goods…”
6 December, 1863. Dalton, GA. “our rations are better than usual we get a medium sized potato every two days our rations consist of ¾ lbs poor beef 1 lb flour 11/4 lbs of meal per day with enough salt for seasoning and 2oz of sugar every seven days.”
12 April, 1864. Dalton GA. “The men play ball here a great deal.”
14 April, 1864. Dalton, GA. “… The boys are killing time in camp by playing ball, which is such good exercise that it will fit them for fatiguing marches to be taken this summer… Maj. Lash ans Col. Badger often play at ball with the men…”
7 May, 1864. Dalton, GA. “…the 6th Fla. Challenged the 1st and 4th for a game of Town ball the 4th accepted it and beat the 6th two games on the 3rd and one on the 4th. The 7th Fla. Then challenged 1st and 4th and on the 5th they played and made a tie game of 66 rounds 25 men on each side…”
9 July, 1864. Chattahoochee River, GA. “Our whole brigade has been armed with beautiful new Enfield Rifles the night before and the boys were disappointed in not getting to shoot.”
17 July, 1864. Atlanta, GA. “We are quit tired of bacon and cornbread without vegetables… Today I bought some cabbage and am waiting for them to get done…”
16 September, 1864. Jonesboro, GA. “Gen. Bowen has had a general inspection of the division to see what is required in clothing etc… The troops are really shabbie dressed than they have been before in a year, because all they have is what they have kept with them on the long wearisome campaign.”
17 September, 1864. Jonesboro, GA. “ We are very scarce of blankets and pieces of carpets are highly prized, the way most lost their blankets were being broken down on the march to save themselves from capture, they would throw away blankets in preference to clothes and many blankets were literally torn to pieces by shells and mine balls.”
Prior to the "Great Crash", I submitted the following excerpts from the Washington Ives Diary and Letters Collection:
The following quotes are excerpts relating to materials and methods of soldiers of the Army of Tennessee from the letters and diaries of Washington Ives of the Fourth Florida Infantry edited and published by Jim Cabaniss. I highly recommend owning a copy of Mr Cabaniss’ work as it gives one of the finest and most poignant tales of life in the AOT. I have here, simply lifted out what I think are some of the most useful excerpts for those portraying soldiers of the AOT.
13 June, 1862. Montgomery, AL. “…I saw nearly 1000 men yesterday who had neither a musket or a bayonet in their lives.”
6 July, 1862. Mobile, AL. “…I am under such discipline that I can’t leave the lines 2 hours in a day and am kept drilling or standing guard that I just get along and manage to get sleep enough for to be caught asleep on post one would be subjected to the greatest degree of punishment known in military law. A boy in our company was caught asleep on post last week and was kept on bread and water 3 days and to mark time 2 hours a day…”
10 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “ The Brass Band of the 3rd Reg’t plays very well and our band has been practicing under W.H. Crane from Tampa and does improve very fast having the instruments only once a week… Our rations are quite scanty now we only get ¼# flour 1# beef or 1# bacon eaten up by skippers and a little salt to the man every day and nothing else except 5 oz of sugar to the man every week and no soap. I do my own washing…”
16 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “…we are camped on the slope of a hill ( bank of small stream) near Lookout Mountain and you also remember this is a much cooler climate than Florida and instead of sand we have clay dust the least motion will raise it and our having to leave out tents exposes the privates to all kinds of weather…”
17 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “… all along the railroads as we came girls about your age threw us Confederate flags. Peaches and apples generally given to us also. … The 3rd Reg’t Brass Band plays tolerable well now for the time it has been learning… .
I don’t think that the 4th Reg’t will move from where it is in under a month because our arms (muskets) heat so by firing that Gen. Ridgely is going to issue Enfields to our company and Mississippi rifles to the balance of our reg’t.”
24 August, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “The cavalry reg’ts here are looking finely and the New Orleans Battery (Washington Artillery) of Shiloh reputation presents a beautiful appearance. The 1st Fla. Had been camped near us for two weeks before they left. The men look like the rest of the Tupelo, perfectly seasoned, they have endured so much weather that they look wild… . Q.M. McKay has got enough tents to keep us comfortable until we move again and we may be paid in two weeks, he has drawn a uniform for us which will be issued out this week I guess. I guess it will cost us about $20 dollars a suit.”
9 September, 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “… Our boys are drawing shoes and drawers the feeblest are drawing blue woolen undershirts at $2.11 a piece…”
12 Sept., 1862. Chattanooga, TN. “… I have just drawn a pair of kersey pants for $2.62, 1 shirt $1.62, 1 coat of the same material as Mr. Burtcheatts’ suit for$5.25… . I tell you it is not fun to march over this country with a knapsack tied to your back and your gun cartridge box canteen and haversack in fact a soldier on the march resembles a pack mule and while you are expecting an attack you have to carry your cooking utensils but this is not much for a mess of 15 is allowed three pans (tin) the camp kettles are about the size of a blue bucket and it is impossible to cook anything in them nicely… my two homespun shirts last well, they are almost as good as new…”
29 November, 1862. Murfreesboro, TN. “… I wish you would bring me the following articles, a pair of pants and a pocket knife, if there is one about the house, and I want a blanket or a piece of carpet. … The boys are all needing socks and pocket knives you can’t get a pocket knife (Barlow) for less than $2.00 and jeans pants sell readily for $15 - $30… If the ladies of Florida make up clothing for any troops I think the 4th ought to be remembered, for we nearly freeze, and do as much as any regiment now out. I would like a comforter for the neck and a pair of gloves…”
22 January, 1863. Tullahoma, TN. “… On the 2nd I fired exactly 20 rounds and could have fired 30 if my gun had not got so dirty that I had to tear cartridges and wet every load of buck and ball and then I always stopped to take good aim as my officers will bear witness… A man named Brown Jones in my mess made me a good ear protector for my cap yesterday…”
26 January, 1863. Tullahoma, TN. “ I have got my knapsack full of good clothes once more. I drew me a coarse pair of shoes and sold them for $4.00 and me a good pair for $8.00…”
12 August, 1863. Camp Hurricane, MS. “… Capt. Langford Co. F hired two Negroes to wash for his company and made the men either wear their jackets or those who had no jackets go bare backed until their shirts were washed… common bar soap sells readily for $1.00 per inch…”
19 August, 1863. Camp Hurricane, MS. “… I bathe regularly twice a week and I find it adds to my already good spirits.”
6 September, 1863. Camp near Chattanooga, TN. “… I wish the people of Florida would make up a collection of little things such as black pepper, salt, sugar, soap etc. To send the boys out here, our reg’t is nearly destitute of clothing, shoes, hats and pants, but we will probably draw more soon… Our Brass Band is the best in this army it has been playing a piece which Katie plays ” Kissing through the bars or the soldiers farewell”…”
9 September, 1863. Lafayette, GA. “…we are a dirty tired and naked set for ¾ of the men have not single pair of shoes and no drawers, only on shirt, hat and pair of pants a piece… if this army is not clothed soon it will be naked… I am in excellent health and have just eaten a mess of beans and baked apples…”
21 October, 1863. Chickamauga, TN. “ Our reg’t is drawing some excellent clothing, jackets of Gray, blue cuffs, pants, shoes, caps, shirts, etc… .”
31 October, 1863. Chickamauga, TN. “The army has drawn comfortable winter clothing and blankets, the coats are dark and light gray (mostly with blue collars and blue cuffs) the pants light and dark gray, similar goods to the jackets, it is worsted crop between cassimere and jeans, very warm and desirable,…”
11 Novwmber, 1863. Chickamauga, TN. “the pants and jackets we received are of superior army goods. The caps and underclothing are miserable… quantities of new English blankets have been issued. A single one is large enough to cover a double bed and the texture is far superior to the blankets usually brought south with goods…”
6 December, 1863. Dalton, GA. “our rations are better than usual we get a medium sized potato every two days our rations consist of ¾ lbs poor beef 1 lb flour 11/4 lbs of meal per day with enough salt for seasoning and 2oz of sugar every seven days.”
12 April, 1864. Dalton GA. “The men play ball here a great deal.”
14 April, 1864. Dalton, GA. “… The boys are killing time in camp by playing ball, which is such good exercise that it will fit them for fatiguing marches to be taken this summer… Maj. Lash ans Col. Badger often play at ball with the men…”
7 May, 1864. Dalton, GA. “…the 6th Fla. Challenged the 1st and 4th for a game of Town ball the 4th accepted it and beat the 6th two games on the 3rd and one on the 4th. The 7th Fla. Then challenged 1st and 4th and on the 5th they played and made a tie game of 66 rounds 25 men on each side…”
9 July, 1864. Chattahoochee River, GA. “Our whole brigade has been armed with beautiful new Enfield Rifles the night before and the boys were disappointed in not getting to shoot.”
17 July, 1864. Atlanta, GA. “We are quit tired of bacon and cornbread without vegetables… Today I bought some cabbage and am waiting for them to get done…”
16 September, 1864. Jonesboro, GA. “Gen. Bowen has had a general inspection of the division to see what is required in clothing etc… The troops are really shabbie dressed than they have been before in a year, because all they have is what they have kept with them on the long wearisome campaign.”
17 September, 1864. Jonesboro, GA. “ We are very scarce of blankets and pieces of carpets are highly prized, the way most lost their blankets were being broken down on the march to save themselves from capture, they would throw away blankets in preference to clothes and many blankets were literally torn to pieces by shells and mine balls.”
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