What a lieutenant had for uniforms

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
This article, A Minnesota Artillery Officer's Inventory, 1863 by Stephen E. Osman shows an inventory of the final effects of a lieutenant and might show what a lieutenant could have carried for uniform items.

inv.jpg



Note the civilian items, a pair of gray trousers , linen coat, and vest. The officer had uniform coat and a sack coat. Another interesting thing is the infantry overcoat.

Some questions:
1. What made the uniform vest a light artillery vest? How would this vest be any different than an infantry vest?
2. Twenty-seven shirt collars sounds like a lot?
3. Why three pairs of gloves, one pair of India rubber gloves, and a pair of gauntlets?
4. What made the civilian vest a Marseilles Vest?
 
That is very surprising. Much more clothing than what I would expect. Do you have anything that shows whether this lieutenant was on garrison duty or in the field?
 
The officer was Albert Woodbury of the Second Battery of Minnesota Light Artillery who was shot at Chickamauga and died at a private hospital in Chattanooga on Oct 29 1863. A judge in Anoka Minnesota ordered an inventory of his effects.
 
I think the Lt. would have needed a wagon or trunk to haul it all. He wasn't walking, that much is for sure. I suspect a horse would not be crazy about the load either. I like the inventory though, and it shows what an officer did have, at least what he had.
 
That's quite a lot of stuff.
I think it is because the officer was an artilleryman. With lots of horses and wagons around he could arrange all his property carried. I doubt same luxury were available for his infantry counterparts.
 
From what I have read, when they had baggage trains they could carry a lot of personal equipage. In a fast moving campaign the wagons were often lost with all of the soldiers belongings except for what they were carrying. Once things slowed down they had reissue or could buy more stuff. There are several accounts of what was left behind when winter camp was broken for the spring campaigns or even what the first few miles of a march looked like with discarded materials.
 
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