Back Again, Transcribe These Documents For Me?

[Jackson Hornets]

I'm on the look through the records of the regimental Adjutant and Company E's Captain for (Russell's) 4th Alabama Cavalry to see what kind of uniforms and equipment they were issued. My hopes are high and expectations are low.

Below are documents I saved that looked like they were of interest in terms of supplies and equipment. These may be requisitions for only the individuals but I don't know.

Can anyone transcribe these for me so I know what they are? The ink and handwriting make it hard. It could be nothing or something who knows?

 

[lelliott19]

2nd document

The Confederate States
To Adjt H F Christian Dr
Date April 3d 1863
To (1) One Horse (Killed) $300.00

I certify on honor that the above amount is correct and just that the said horse of Adjt H F Christians of the 4th Ala Cavalry Regiment was regularly __--tered into the Service of the Confederate States by Capt O B Gaston Near Shelbyville Tenn on the 27th day of October 1862, and was valued at Three Hundred Dollars, And Said horse was killed in action with the enemy at Parkers Cross Roads West Tenn, on the 31st day of December 1862.
Approved Mic J Martin
By Genl C___d or S ____
A A Russell
Col Cou__dy? Regt

Received at Alexandria Ala on the 13th day of August 1863 of ____office ___ Qr Master C S Army the Sum of Thee Hundred dollars in full of the above account.
H F Christian
Adjt 4th Ala Cav Regt
initials?

 

[Scotsman]

Here is a quick read of the middle document:

I certify on honor[?] that the above account is correct and just; that the said horse of Adjt H. F. Christian of the 4th Ala Cavalry Regiment was regularly mustered into the Service of the Confederate States by Capt. O. B. Gaston, near Shelbyville Tenn on the 27th day of October 1862, and was valued at Three Hundred Dollars and said horse was killed in action with the enemy at Parkers Cross Roads West Tenn, on the 1st day of December 1862.

Approved
[Several signatures]

Received at Al[not sure] Ala on the 13 day of August 1863 of [person's name?] Qr Master C. S. Army the sum of Three Hundred dollars, in full of the above account.

H. F. Christian
Adjt 4th Ala Cav Regt

 

[Scotsman]

Quick read of third page:

Requisition for tools &c for Capt Graham Co G 7th Ala Regt, stationed at Barrancas near Pensacola Florida
For
Hand saws, hatchets, axes, nails
2 1 1 1 keg

I certify that the above requisition is correct and that the articles specified are absolutely necessary for the public service rendered so by the following circumstances, the company are without winter quarters and it is essential for to have the articles in building the same.
F. A. Graham
Capt Co G
7th Ala Regt

Lieut W. I. Carlish [or Carlisle] Act A G M 7th Ala Regt
Will issue on the above requisition
[signature]

Rec'd at Barrancas near Pensacola Florida of Lieut W. I Carlish Act'g A G M 7th Ala Regt, two hand saws, one hatchet, one axe, one keg nail, in full of the above requisition, Nov 2 1861
[signature]

 

[Frederick14Va]

1st.... Payment voucher. March 31st to June 30th 1863, 3 months, pay rate of 2nd Lieut of Cavalry ($90 per month) plus 3 months extra pay of $10 per month having served extra duty as Adjutant....

2nd... Reimbursement claim/certificate for loss of a horse. If you brought your own horse into the service and it was lost/killed during that time, the Govt would reimburse you for the proven value of that horse. This usually ran through the 2nd Auditors Office of the CS Treasury Dept....

3rd... Quartermaster Requisition request for needed items... hand saw, hatchet, axe, nails.... for use of building winter quarters.... with follow up endorsements and disposition of the request.

 

[Scotsman]

The first page is pretty straight forward:


$90.00
For myself as 2d Lt March 31, 1863 to June 30, 1863, 3 months, - Days, 90.00, 270.00

Extra pay as adjutant, March 31 1863 to June 30, 1863, 3 months, - Days, 10.00, 30.00
300.00


And a bunch of signatures.

 

[Jackson Hornets]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Frederick14Va]

Side notes...

When attempting to determine what a given unit was issued in terms of weapons, uniforms and gear, the trek can be quite elusive in many units. Much of the primary quartermaster and ordnance records did not survive the war. In most cases what we do have are assorted voucher, requisition, invoice, receipt copies of various transactions that have turned up in other piles of documents...

These documents are commonly found scattered or filed amongst various individual CMSR files... If a persons given name shows up being the requestor or the person signing for the goods... habitually the document will be tossed in with their file... Also of note the Captain of a given company might not have been the only person requesting or signing for goods... These are commonly found scattered amongst all the respective officers or designated persons within a given unit to find them... Some issues may have originated on the Regimental or even Brigade level... and many times those items are missing from the Company level papers... Even then significant gaps are frequently encountered.

Most of the uniform and gear items requested and issued ran up the command chain, through the quartermaster or ordnance departments... then likewise back down the same chain.. The surviving documents are usually copies of the initial requisitions... and/or the receipts.. These typically only reflect the number of a given item issued.... ie: 47 Jackets, 62 Pr Pants, 54 Pr Shoes", etc... without regard to material, type, design, or pattern that they might have been, which is what we today usually seek to discover. Occasionally ordinance vouchers may indicate "Muskets", "Percussion Muskets", "Altered Muskets", "Rifled Muskets".... which then is a guess at best which model of arm it might have been.. or a combination of several possibilities.... Ammunition disbursements may indicate caliber of the ammunition.. "69 Cal", "58 Cal", "57 Cal, or 54 Cal... that may provide additional clues to narrow the chase... All small pieces of the big puzzle... Also to keep in mind that all this was commonly an evolving process... What a given unit might have been issued in late 1861... may be totally different from what they had in their hands in late 1862... which also may be something entirely else by 1864... taking note of the dates of any record fragments in their respective time line...

 

[huskerblitz]

When attempting to determine what a given unit was issued in terms of weapons, uniforms and gear, the trek can be quite elusive in many units. Much of the primary quartermaster and ordnance records did not survive the war. In most cases what we do have are assorted voucher, requisition, invoice, receipt copies of various transactions that have turned up in other piles of documents...

Era newspapers can sometimes reveal that information. Soldiers writing to the editors or general information about the unit can sometimes give details such as arms and uniforms. Granted, not exactly from the horses mouth but can still be extremely useful.

 

[Tom Elmore]

AQM as a title can be confusing. All regimental quartermasters were technically Assistant Quartermasters (AQM). Someone filling in for the AQM would be called the Acting AQM, abbreviated as AAQM. Chief Quartermaster was a title commonly used by an army, corps or division quartermaster, or sometimes even a brigade quartermaster, but they were all actually AQMs as well, there being only one Quartermaster (QM) at the very top of the pyramid. Informally they were all simply referred to as a quartermaster. But when a soldier in the ranks mentions his quartermaster, he nearly always is referring to his regimental quartermaster (AQM or AAQM). Perfectly clear?

The same thing holds true for regimental Commissary (of Subsistence) officers, whose title was abbreviated ACS, with those acting in the role being AACS.

Likewise, for Assistant Adjutant General (AAG), or Acting Assistant Adjutant General (AAAG), typically at the brigade level and higher staffs. An AIG would be an Assistant Inspector General.

Frequently the duties of Inspector General would be an added responsibility for an Assistant Adjutant General, and that's where the trouble begins, because an AAIG could be either an Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General (most common), or an Acting Assistant Inspector General (least common). But an AAAIG had to be an Acting Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General.

 

[samuel orris]

If you click on it to enlarge it, the writing is easier to make out.

 

[DaveBrt]

AQM as a title can be confusing. All regimental quartermasters were technically Assistant Quartermasters (AQM). Someone filling in for the AQM would be called the Acting AQM, abbreviated as AAQM. Chief Quartermaster was a title commonly used by an army, corps or division quartermaster, or sometimes even a brigade quartermaster, but they were all actually AQMs as well, there being only one Quartermaster (QM) at the very top of the pyramid. Informally they were all simply referred to as a quartermaster. But when a soldier in the ranks mentions his quartermaster, he nearly always is referring to his regimental quartermaster (AQM or AAQM). Perfectly clear?

The same thing holds true for regimental Commissary (of Subsistence) officers, whose title was abbreviated ACS, with those acting in the role being AACS.

Likewise, for Assistant Adjutant General (AAG), or Acting Assistant Adjutant General (AAAG), typically at the brigade level and higher staffs. An AIG would be an Assistant Inspector General.

Frequently the duties of Inspector General would be an added responsibility for an Assistant Adjutant General, and that's where the trouble begins, because an AAIG could be either an Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General (most common), or an Acting Assistant Inspector General (least common). But an AAAIG had to be an Acting Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General.

Tom,

I agree with you with one observation -- the Assistant QM was for Captains and below. I have never seen a Major or above signing as AQM, always as QM. While roughly connected to the assignment, ie Captain and AQM at the regimental level, the QMs not in the armies followed the same habit of QM for Major and above.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Dave, point well taken. I have seen mentions of a brigade Assistant Quartermaster and a brigade Assistant Commissary, but both were indeed in reference to captains. The first is in the Service Record of Capt. Robert Burns of the 5th Texas, which states that he was appointed as "Asst. Brigade Commissary" in August 1863. The second instance appears in a 26 July 1863 from Col. Singletary, then commanding what had been Brig. Gen. Pettigrew's brigade, to James Seddon, in which it is noted that Pettigrew was killed "before making provision for appointment of Asst. Commissary for his Brigade," in accord with an act that abolished supernumerary officers in commissary and quartermaster departments, and he nominated Capt. B. W. Justice for that position.

However, the same convention appears to break down with regard to the title of Assistant Adjutant General, which is used in official reports when referring to majors like Henry Kyd Douglas, John Warwick Daniel, and Randolph Harrison Finney, and is even the title held by Colonel Robert Hall Chilton, who served Robert E. Lee.