Packages from home

[Robert Taylor]

I know what was placed into packages from home that were sent to soldiers, but I do not know what material they were made of, what dimensions that they had, or how they were addressed.

Can anyone tell me how a package from home was made and how it would be addressed?

thank you kindly,

Robert Taylor

[markj]

Re: Packages from home

Greetings,

Attached below is an expanded version of an article I recently published in "The Watchdog."

Enjoy,

Mark Jaeger

[Noble Pelican]

Re: Packages from home

Great article!!
Thank you for sharing the information. I didnt realize there was such jewels of information still hiding out there.
As to the addressing, letters I have that were sent home to loved ones stated that the mail/packages be sent as such:

"Please address all packages care of Capt. Butler's Co., 19th LA. Vols., Adams' Brigade"

This was usually sufficient to get the mail to them so the postmasters must have been well informed as to troop dispositions and changes in commanders. I should also note, that often civilians (relatives of those enlisted) and men on furlough brought many packages and letters to the unit. I have seen many instances of this. Example: After being wounded at Chickamauga, Private Frank M. Braden of Co. A, 19th LA. Inf., was detailed by order of Genl. Joe Johnston from March 18, 1864 to August 31, 1864 to "carry letters to the Trans. Miss. Dept."
I hope this helps.

Richard H. Holloway
Capt., Vance Guards
19th LA. Vols.

[Dale Beasley]

Re: Packages from home

Guys,
This may not be the place that I should add my 2cents.....but I am in Kuwait.....Yesterday I received a package from my Pards of the 16th LA INF......It was a sleep-hat (like the one in EoG....)......boy did I get a kick out of receiving it......maybe...just maybe... a Period Moment.

[KarinTimour]

Re: Packages from home

Gentlemen:

While Mark's research is impregnable, I question whether Southern "packages from home" would have been wrapped in paper and twine as the war progressed. Most accounts I've seen show that paper of all kinds was at an absolute premium, what with diaries being written in book margins, newspapers being printed on wallpaper, etc. If you're sending a "Package from home" for a late war Southern impression, I'd more likely recommend wrapping it in burlap or putting it in a croaker sack, tying tightly with string and attaching a label with the direction. As noted above, as the mail and railroad system broke down (and as mailed goods were becoming more likely to have to travel through occupied areas, or be subject to military raids), civilians first began to entrust shipments to the personal handling of someone from the area who was returning to the unit -- a relative going for a visit, a local soldier returning from furlough. As things broke down even more, packages would be sent to the nearest group of soliders, even if completely unknown, with hopes and prayers that pther Confederate civilians closer to your loved ones were doing something similar. This was especially common in the Trans Mississippi, once the river was in Union hands, Alabama, Louisiana and western Tennessee would be cut off from units operating on the western shore of the Mississippi and vice versa for Texas, Arkansas and Missouri troops operating east of the Mississippi.

Sincerely
Karin Timour
"The Stories Behind the Socks" Conference on Women and the Civil War, Richmond, Virginia, June 2003
Period Knitting -- Socks, Camp Hats and Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[theknapsack]

Re: Packages from home

In Chapter XI in Hardtack and Coffee (Pgs. 217-224 refer to boxes from home), Billings has a specimen Address on pg. 217:

"Sergeant John J. Smith,
Company A., 19th Mass. Regiment
Second Brigade, Second Division, Second Corps,
Army of the Potomac,
Stevensburg, Va.
Care Capt. James Brown"

Billings also mentions:

"As a matter of fact much of tis address was unnecessary, and the box would have arrived just as soon and safely if the address had only included the name, company, and regiment, with Washington D.C., added, for everything was forwarded from that city to army headquarters, and thence distributed through the army." (pg. 217b-218a)

I am not quite sure what city you would add depending on what army you were in. Does anyone know?
As to the size he only mentions little:

"The boxes sent were usually of good size, often either a shoe-case or a common soap-box, and were rarely if ever less than a peck in capacity."

I highly recommend you read pgs. 217-225 in Hardtack and Coffee. In Charles Reed's drawings it looks as though they addressed them on the side. Any other good discriptions?

[markj]

Re: Packages from home

Hi,

This may be of some interest.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

SOURCE: Jackson, Mississippi "Weekly Mississippian," 25 September 1861

Aid to Volunteers in Virginia.

Depots for the collection of clothing and Hospital stores to be forwarded to our troops in Virginia have been established at Jackson, Iuka and Meridian. Goods sent to these places must be marked with name of the Captain of the Company and number of the Regiment for whom intended and further directed as mentioned in the Card of C. K. Marshall below--and sent to the Quartermaster General at Jackson, A. B. Dilworth Iuka and Station Agent Meridian, from which places our special Agents will take them in charge and convey to the Mississippi Depot in Richmond. Agents will be dispatched as often as the quantity of goods may require.

MADISON McAFEE,
Q. M. Gen. Army of Miss.

Sept. 14, 1861,
Will the papers of the State please copy.



[same date]

A Card--To Mississippians.

The great and continued losses of everything valuable sent from home, and the want of storage for army supplies furnished by Benevolent Military Associations in Mississippi, have induced me to open a Depot in Richmond and another at Manasseh [sic], where I have erected a warehouse at the Manesseh Depot.
In addition to the uses indicated, they are designed for offices of intelligence to the sick, their friends, recruits, or recovered invalids. All boxes, packages, medicines, etc.; [sic] sent from home will be take charge of and duly forwarded. Please take notice of the following distinction.
All articles packed and designed for distribution should be forwarded marked thus:
"Care of C. K. Marshall, Mississippi Depot Richmond." Then I can assort and appropriate as necessity requires. But when a package is designed for specific uses, as goods for a given company or individuals, then address to my care, Mississippi Depot, Manesseh.--
Always take and forward, by mail, receipts for all articles shipped. The officers in the army interested in carrying out these plans can at all times keep me posted as to their locations.
Acting as Assistant Quartermaster, Army of Mississippi, I will attend to all orders from the proper officers for shoes, clothing, blankets, medicines, etc., or to the procuring of clothing for the soldiers.

Respecefully [sic] C. K. MARSHALL,
A. Q. M. Army Mississippi, and General
Agent of Miss. Military Associations.
Richmond, Sept. 10, 1861.

[marlin teat]

Re: Packages from home

I know what was placed into packages from home that were sent to soldiers, but I do not know what material they were made of, what dimensions that they had, or how they were addressed.

Can anyone tell me how a package from home was made and how it would be addressed?

thank you kindly,

Robert Taylor

Here is some more insight on what was included in at least some of the packages:

"This Society (Rome Ladies' Aid) solicited contributions to be sent to the boys. Mrs. Jas. Ware made some blankets that were very fine. Among the things that were sent in were some very fine wool, socks, vegetables, red peppers, pepper sauce, tomato catsup, blackberry wine and cordial; in fact everything of a useful nature poured in and was dispatched as fast as limited transportation facilities would allow. Five carloads were sent to the front and training camps. They also sent many sheets, pillow cases, and bandages to the Savannah hospitals."

From:
History of Rome and Floyd County
"Activities of the Folks at Home"
George M. Batttey

[markj]

Re: Packages from home

Indeed. Here is a quick list of items reportedly sent to Mississippi troops from one group of Hinds County, Mississippi women in September 1861 alone:

Blankets, honey, blackberry cordial, catsup, crackers, "dough nuts," socks, comforts, quilt, pillows and cases, sheets, pillow cases, towels, pillow ticks, mattress cases, corn starch, claret, blackberry vinegar, slippery elm syrup, dried peaches, dried apples, onions, red pepper, dried sage, dried orange peel, dried okra, peach pickles (!), pillow slips, 1 bale "old linen, muslin, &c."

Looks like some Mississippi boys ate pretty well for a while.....

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[dusty27]

Re: Packages from home

To add to what Mr. Holloway has already stated, most of the first person accounts that I have read concerning the SWB have alluded to letters and goods being sent "by someone" who was either visiting camp (clergy in some cases) or by men going to or returning from furloughs.

Of course, this was "easier" for the valley men as they were in their own state a majority of the time. Getting things from farther South would have been more difficult.......

[Robert Taylor]

Re: Packages from home

Greetings,

Attached below is an expanded version of an article I recently published in "The Watchdog."

Enjoy,

Mark Jaeger

Mark, this article was as fine as, well, a package from home. Thank you very much!

Robert Taylor

[Robert Taylor]

Re: Packages from home

Great article!!
Thank you for sharing the information. I didnt realize there was such jewels of information still hiding out there.
As to the addressing, letters I have that were sent home to loved ones stated that the mail/packages be sent as such:

"Please address all packages care of Capt. Butler's Co., 19th LA. Vols., Adams' Brigade"

This was usually sufficient to get the mail to them so the postmasters must have been well informed as to troop dispositions and changes in commanders. I should also note, that often civilians (relatives of those enlisted) and men on furlough brought many packages and letters to the unit. I have seen many instances of this. Example: After being wounded at Chickamauga, Private Frank M. Braden of Co. A, 19th LA. Inf., was detailed by order of Genl. Joe Johnston from March 18, 1864 to August 31, 1864 to "carry letters to the Trans. Miss. Dept."
I hope this helps.

Richard H. Holloway
Capt., Vance Guards
19th LA. Vols.

Richard, this inforamtion is just what I wanted. Thank you for posting it!

with appreciation,

Robert Taylor

[Robert Taylor]

Re: Packages from home

In Chapter XI in Hardtack and Coffee (Pgs. 217-224 refer to boxes from home), Billings has a specimen Address on pg. 217:

"Sergeant John J. Smith,
Company A., 19th Mass. Regiment
Second Brigade, Second Division, Second Corps,
Army of the Potomac,
Stevensburg, Va.
Care Capt. James Brown"

Billings also mentions:

"As a matter of fact much of tis address was unnecessary, and the box would have arrived just as soon and safely if the address had only included the name, company, and regiment, with Washington D.C., added, for everything was forwarded from that city to army headquarters, and thence distributed through the army." (pg. 217b-218a)

I am not quite sure what city you would add depending on what army you were in. Does anyone know?
As to the size he only mentions little:

"The boxes sent were usually of good size, often either a shoe-case or a common soap-box, and were rarely if ever less than a peck in capacity."

I highly recommend you read pgs. 217-225 in Hardtack and Coffee. In Charles Reed's drawings it looks as though they addressed them on the side. Any other good discriptions?

Thank you, Riley. I will read those pages and look at the illustrations. I am beginning to get a notion of the packages from home.

Robert Taylor

[markj]

Re: Packages from home

This letter, ID'd to a man in the 50th Massachusetts, mentions box and it's interesting contents:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2246211384

Regards,

Mark Jaeger