Accoutrement Question

[Timothy Hallman]

Where would the Confederate Army of the Mississippi have gotten their accoutrements? I was thinking of getting Columbus or Baton Rouge accoutrements, but does anyone know for sure? I spoke with Grady Howell the author of Going to Meet the Yankees: History of the Bloody Sixth Mississippi and he wasn't quite sure. He said that in all his research he only saw the number of each things the 6th was given and not given the specific locations. I am going for a 6th Mississippi impression. Thanks in advance!

[Mississippian]

Re: Accoutrement Question

The State of Mississippi purchased a lot of their early equipment from a firm in New Orleans best known as Magee, Horter, & George, (aka Magee & Kneass and Magee & George). This included accouterments as well as knapsacks and canteens. In addition some early war companies were known to contract out their own gear to local suppliers.

Will MacDonald

[Timothy Hallman]

Re: Accoutrement Question

Thanks for the information! Always trying to make everything look better! When I look at Missouri Boot & Shoe they have the Accoutrement set but its a .69 Cal box. Would that make a difference if I have an Enfield?

[Mississippian]

Re: Accoutrement Question

No. It wouldn't be uncommon for CS troops to be equipped with .69 boxes no matter what arms they were issued. As long as the ammo fit.

Will MacDonald

[David Jarnagin]

Re: Accoutrement Question

Sorry for the delay but I lost the book with the Ordnance information. I found it over the weekend.

One of the pieces of information that ended up being cut from the Hemlock Tanning article Ken and I wrote was a letter from the Allegheny Arsenal in 1861 complaining about the fact that they were having trouble procuring leather to make accouterments since the southern states were in buying leather and finished goods. I know Mississippi bought MS rifles and bayonets, plus bayonets to fit rifles they had already had in the state so it is not a stretch to think other things were purchased. There is very little information on these early purchases but some has been gathered from other state records we have been able to find. The big problem is finding records from southern states.

One of the more interesting information I have found over the last few years has been trying to figure out how a CS cartridge box went from the 23rd TN to the 6th MS. In the last few years I have been running down some TN made cartridge boxes but a curve ball way thrown my way when a box I found for a friend of mine was identified to a soldier in the 23rd TN but he went home in February 1862 and after looking we found a second id on the box to the 6th MS. Okay how did it go from one regiment to another but they were from different states? Well I did find the answer on how it was done and it explains how items can have two or more ids on the same item. Found in the Confederate General Order is the duties of an ordnance sergeant.
“3rd. To take charge of the ordnance wagon or wagons attached to each regiment, and to see that it always contains at least fifteen rounds per man of the regiment – surplus arms or accoutrements to be turned over to the brigade ordnance officer.

5th. To take charge of the arms and accoutrements of the sick of the regiment in hospitals, which will be kept until the sick are sent to the general hospital, when their arms will be turned over to the brigade or division depots.” (I omitted some for space reasons.)
The soldier from the 23rd TN was sent to the general hospital so his equipment was sent to the brigade depot. So later it was reissued to a soldier in the 6th MS. Since both of these units were in Cleburne’s Brigade before and during the battle of Shiloh this is how it moved. So with this information it would not be possible to say the original issued accoutrements would stay in the regiment but it would be a mix as soldier go in and out of the regiment. In February a typhoid fever and measles outbreak in the 6th MS while it was still in KY, reduced the number in the regiment down to 150 men were fit for duty. Many of the men were sent to the hospital in Nashville which would be a general hospital.

I have found hospital records where they are returning items back to the regiments.

David Jarnagin
djarnagin@bellsouth.net