What do you think?

[richard]

In your mind and in your study, outside of fire arms and horses, what instrument was almost indispensable to the war effort on both sides?

[M E Wolf]

Dear Richard,

I would vote the artillery as being the most necessary instrument of warfare and would have the horse as number 1, firearm 2nd. Then artillery.

Without the horse, the men and or weapons and or artillery would never get there in an efficient manner in any direction sent.

[timewalker]

I would vote for the railroad and the steamship. Without the railroads and steamships, it would have been a much, much different war. The movement of men and material was integral to the way the war was fought. For the South, it was definitely a "railroad war." For the North, it was both a railroad war and a steamship war.

[Scribe]

Originally Posted by richard

In your mind and in your study, outside of fire arms and horses, what instrument was almost indispensable to the war effort on both sides?

I'd offer this from Union cavalryman Albert Robinson Greene:

"Some one, more enthusiastic than eloquent, has said that hard-tack and mules put down the rebellion. But that is an unjust discrimination against the humble bean."

Add salt pork/bacon to that shopping list and you have the basic staples that fed the men who would carry out the fight.

[Jules362]

Aside from the obvious war machines, railroads, etc., to the average soldier I would say shoes.

Many of the soldiers on both sides were sometimes without shoes. The plight of the rebel soldiers in the matter of keeping shod is well known. Jacob Cox, in his book "Military Reminiscences of the Civil War" wrote of the condition of his troops in East Tennessee during the winter of 1863-64 when many of them had no shoes, and their clothes were in rags. He spoke of being able to track them by the bleeding of their feet.

Sometime back, I read of a situation where the North provided a shipment of clothing and shoes to one of the infantry regiments or divisions and within days, the shoes fell apart. It was found that the soles had been fashioned out of cardboard. When confronted with this, the contractor who sold them to the army explained that he had thought they were for the cavalry.

I guess horse soldiers never used their feet?

[M E Wolf]

Dear List Members,

As far as shoes go for humans; there are instructions in 1861 Revised Regulations for the Army of the United States; as well as the other regulation books I have; that should the soldier be without proper fitting shoes; they would be required to wrap their feet in linen and then take leather and form it to their feet and secure it with leather straps.

In addition to this--beef was frequently slaughtered for feeding the troops and skinning a need for the Army; as well as to send back excess hide for the making of leather goods for the Army, e.g. belts, boots, holsters, etc;
It is very possible this could have worked.

Cavalry did walk quite a bit so, perhaps this shoemaker was fudging quality. Excuse. Not a good enough excuse for me though.

Just some thoughts.

Respectfully submitted for consideration,
M. E. Wolf

[Jules362]

Originally Posted by M E Wolf

Cavalry did walk quite a bit so, perhaps this shoemaker was fudging quality. Excuse. Not a good enough excuse for me though.

Just some thoughts.
Respectfully submitted for consideration,
M. E. Wolf

Proving, I might suggest, that the practice of war contractors ripping off the government was not invented in the 20th century.

[Epaphroditus]

Of all kinds! The regimental band, for morale's sake. And the bugle for giving order to the day, and for communicating commands in the chaos of battle. And the solo harmonica, or violin, or the human voice for that matter (preferably in key).

[Oscoda]

I'm giving my vote to foodstuff as well. Didn't Lee end up at Appomattox, or nearby, because he was searching for a train full of rations only to find it full of munitions?

[Baggage Handler #2]

I was thinking shoes too.
December 19, 1863:

The troops crossed at daylight and occupied the old camp on Stringer's Ridge from which they moved on the 24th of last month. The men are ragged and jaded, many of them being without shoes

Isaac Green, commenting on the last day of the march to relieve Burnside at Knoxville. Roughly 200 miles, I think.
Have read other accounts of soldiers either in bare feet, sometimes pushing cannon or wagons over rocky or muddy roads.

And wasn't JEB's proud message to Lee that he had found shoes near Gettysburg? Shoes, arguably, kept Lee blind in Adams county.