At These Prices You Better Hang On To Your Weapon

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Came across this CS General order today. I have never seen an annotation on a muster for charges for "Lost Weapon" and I guess at these prices you tied it around your neck.
cost of weapons.jpg
 
A few years back while doing some research on the 170th Ohio National Guard Infantry, I found a diary entry about the soldier being charged for a lost "rifle". Like most of the 100 Days regiments of 1864, the 170th was issued Enfields. Apparently the diarist was in a hurry to leave Harpers Ferry and go home and he lost his Enfield in the process. He was charged $6.00.
 
Heres a couple of stoppages for lost rifles. One for a member of the 18th Georgia Wofford's brigade May 2, 1864 for $20 for a lost rifle
And here's one for the 33rd Mississippi where the guy was charged $61.50 for a Harpers Ferry musket, accoutrements, 25 cartridges, and 10 caps.
I wonder what the average monthly salary was?
$11 a month for a private
 
Heres a couple of stoppages for lost rifles. One for a member of the 18th Georgia Wofford's brigade May 2, 1864 for $20 for a lost rifle
And here's one for the 33rd Mississippi where the guy was charged $61.50 for a Harpers Ferry musket, accoutrements, 25 cartridges, and 10 caps.

$11 a month for a private

I knew if there was a muster with a musket loss on it @lelliott19 would find one. The Enfields were the most expensive as they were not only expensive but hard to replace.
 
If a Confederate lost his weapon, all he had to do was pick up one from a dead Yank...:wink:
I like the way you think but I believe this was if you lost it in camp or garrison.
 
Private Eugene Ware of the 1st Iowa Infantry wrote of an interesting case of lost (or in this case exchanged) muskets. While advancing to attack the Confederate and State Guard forces at Wilson's Creek, the Federals halted near a spring house. Ware broke ranks to get water. Ahead of him a U.S. Regular leaned his rifled musket against the wall near the spring house door and entered to fill his canteen. The 1st Iowa had been issued outdated smoothbores, but Ware had been hoping to "upgrade" his armament. He leaned his smoothbore against the wall between the Regular's rifle and the spring house door. When "fall in!" was sounded, the Regular seized the weapon closest to the door and ran to join his unit. Ware had no choice except to appropriate the abandoned rifle. As he explained to his envious pards, "those damned Regulars will steal anything!"
 
Great Story. It reminds me of my biggest weapons mishap. When I was at Ft Dix NJ for basic training we were on a 20 mile road march. When we got to the cantonment I leaned my my M16 up against a tree by a water lister bag to fill my canteen. When I turned back to get it, it was gone. Long story short. My DI snagged it and then field stripped and hide it all over the the cantonment. Even though I went on to be a tank commander, I never left anything laying around again.
 
Private Eugene Ware of the 1st Iowa Infantry wrote of an interesting case of lost (or in this case exchanged) muskets. While advancing to attack the Confederate and State Guard forces at Wilson's Creek, the Federals halted near a spring house. Ware broke ranks to get water. Ahead of him a U.S. Regular leaned his rifled musket against the wall near the spring house door and entered to fill his canteen. The 1st Iowa had been issued outdated smoothbores, but Ware had been hoping to "upgrade" his armament. He leaned his smoothbore against the wall between the Regular's rifle and the spring house door. When "fall in!" was sounded, the Regular seized the weapon closest to the door and ran to join his unit. Ware had no choice except to appropriate the abandoned rifle. As he explained to his envious pards, "those ****ed Regulars will steal anything!"

In fairness, Pvt Ware moved the other soldier's US model 1861 and put his (also polished) musket that he called Silver Sue in its place. He says earlier in the diary that his musket originally had a browned barrel and he polished it "bright as a mirror." This was probably a US 1816/22 made in the 1830s and converted to percussion, the so-called National Armory brown. Ware says he hoped to take it home with him when his enlistment ended. Ware named the appropriated US 1861 Orphan because of how he came by it. He also talks about how he had to barter to get 80 rounds of ammunition for his new acquisition. Interesting account.
 
In 1864 [Edited to correct the year] the 8th Ohio Independent Battery ONG was deployed to Johnson's Island. along the way 6 saddle blankets were lost. In the yearly reports for the state arsenal, in the listing of items sold by the state arsenal, there is an entry that Capt. Pelton , 8th Ohio Independent battery, "Purchased 6 saddle blankets"
 
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It reminds me of a movie scene, or something like a TV show, where the sergeant was furious at a private for losing his M16. "HOW DO YOU LOSE AN M16, PRIVATE!!?"

I guess I'd better keep my musket close, I ain't losing my money, for losing my gun.
 
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