15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

[Matt Woodburn]

OK, so they defintely were Model 1861 Springfields and they had slings and tompions. No cartridge box belts are mentioned. Wore them on the waist belt??? Big thanks to Joshua Mason for visiting the National Archives and finding this letter:

No. 16

St. Louis Arsenal, MO
March 25th, 1862

Col. Hugh T. Reid
Comdg. 15th Iowa Vols
Benton Barracks

Sir:
Herewith enclosed is an invoice of Ordinance and Ordinance Stores which I have this day turned over to the Quarter Master’s department, for transportation to your address. Please return duplicate receipt.
Your obedient servant,
F. G. Callender
Col. & _____________

Invoice of Ord. and Ord. Stores, turned over by Col Callender Commanding St. Louis Arsenal to Capt. Asst. Quarter Master U.S.A. for transportation to Col. Hugh F. Reid 15th Iowa Vol. in obedience to Order for Supplies.

Benton Barracks

960 Rifled Muskets Cal. 58 Model 1861
960 Extra Cones
960 Screw Drivers
960 Wipers
960 Tompions
192 Wire & Tumbler Punches
96 Ball Screws
96 Spring Vices
960 Cartridge Boxes & Plates
960 Cap Boxes and Picks
960 Bayonet Scabbards
960 Waist Belts and Plates
960 Gun Slings
50,000 Elong. Ball Cartridges Cal. 58
117 Packing Boxes

Col. Hugh F. Reid
15th Iowa Vol. Inft.
Benton Barracks

I certify that the above is a correct invoice of Ord. and Ord. Stores turned over by me this 25th day of March 1862 to the Quarter Masters Department for transportation to Benton Barracks.

F. G. Callender
Col. & _____________?

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

Well I have been saying 61's all along the way. Lol. I would guess that they used cartrdfe box slings too. I have never come across any account or photo of an early Iowa soldier wearing their cartridge box on their belt. Good information!

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

The list makes clear what every man was carrying for tools and extra equipment:
Extra Cone
Screw Driver
Wiper
Tompion
AND A SLING!

Also, were there 960 men in the company at this time? I am curious if extra items were ordered. If we assume 960 men in the company...
A wire and tumbler punch for every 5 men... per NCO?
A spring vice and ball screw for every 10 men... per squad? ...per sergeant?

[FlatLandFed]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

Just wondering: 50+ rounds per man average -- is this a normal "starting point" for arming the volunteers, to be restocked as their term of enlistment continued?
So we should plan on an issue of four packs of ammunition, including percussion caps, on or shortly after de-paddleboating?
Paul Hadley

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

Paul,

I have a plan for how rounds will be handled. It will be forth coming. For now, there will be NO rounds with us in Savannah and on the boat. Think along the lines, "What would happen to me if I tried to take explosive rounds onto a commercial flight?" Rounds will be issued upon, and not until, we arrive at our Pittsburg Landing. That's what the original 15th did, and so shall we.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

Btw I am fine wearing my box on my belt. Either way I just want to be there.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

Either is fine with me without evidence one way or the other. I suspect you're right with box belts/slings being used with breastplates.

[PieBoy96]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

I lean more towards no sling especially since the breastplate would have been listed. Who knows.

A plea to the organizers: just choose with sling or without sling for the impression guidelines... for the sake of the uniformity we are striving to achieve.

[dixieflyer]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

Is it possible that whoever wrote this entry in the order book assumed that the sling and plate was included? I mean, for the previous 100+ years carrying a cartridge box without a sling was the overwhelming exception to the point that they may not have thought to list it. Just a possibility, and just sayin'.

Just throwing it out there. As Paul said though: let's decide one way or the other.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

OK, decided...go with slings with breast plates. Next.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

I was say they had the sling with the box. I know the color guard will be wearing their boxes with a sling. And I would agree that we just need to be told what to have. These open discussions are getting old. I am one to always open my big mouth so I should know.

[Strawfoot]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

I for one would prefer to have my cartridge box sling in the field. Just makes it a lot easier to operate as a soldier.


Mike Phineas
Arlington, TX

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

Boxes with slings and all plates polished. Final answer.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

In the process of transcribing the letters of the commander of Company C, I came across the following quote in a letter dated March 28, 1862:

I have nothing new to write you we are all well we have just received our armes tents & wagons, but where or when we will go is not settled, but I think that there is no danger of our having to go to New Mexico as I at first suposed. We have Springfield muskets & they don’t send such armes out there

My question is this: why would Seevers say with confidence that the army would not send a regiment armed with Springfields out to New Mexico? Would this represent a situation emblematic of antiquated weapons going to peripheral theaters and modern weapons to the active theaters of conflict?

[Cumpston1862]

Re: 15th Iowa Order book info from National Archives - what did they have...

The Springfield 1861 was well known as the weapon to have even at the start of the war. Many of the early Iowa regiments were issued old conversions or foreign imports like the Austrian Lorenz musket at the start of the war so getting a Springfield was a sign to the them that they were going to see action not marching around.

Eugene Ware in his book "The Lyon Campaign" was in the 1st Iowa Infantry and fought at Wilson's Creek in August 1861. By a mishap during a waterbreak on the march he ends up with an 1861 Springfield when a regular soldier, who was the rightful owner, grabbed Ware's his old 1829 conversion musket by mistake. Pvt. Ware was very excited about this misfortune and went on and on about it and how jealous his messmates were later.