Barefoot Union Troops

[major bill]

Just finishing up Our own Eric Wittenberg's One Continuous Fight and could not help but notice the references about Union soldiers trying to catch Lee Marching barefoot. How common was it for Union soldiers to march barefoot due to lack of shoes?

 

[Tom Elmore]

Quite common during the Gettysburg campaign for the Federals, since their supply bases were being shifted as they maneuvered to catch Lee. However, their problem was temporary, lasting at most a few weeks. In the meantime, the Confederates were "requisitioning" large quantities of shoes from Northern towns, and they also obtained a large supply from dead Federal soldiers after the first day's battle.

Some sources (dates are all 1863):

(Charles Mattocks, 17th Maine) June 30, we are suffering for shoes in the regiment. Some men are actually barefoot. A supply has been expected for the past week.

(Jamie McNeil, 40th New York, letter) July 30, there are some in my regiment with no decent clothes to wear, many with no shoes.

(Lt. Col. Sherwin, 22nd Massachusetts) Our baggage is 20 miles in the rear. Yesterday a third of the men have no shoes, and feet very sore besides. Today, July 10, we are supplying them.

(Col. Oliver Edwards, 37th Massachusetts, post-war report) The march was very severe and many of my men on the route from Fredericksburg had marched their shoes off their feet.

(28th Pennsylvania, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers) July 11, many of the men were barefooted and suffered considerably during this march of more than 75 miles. On July 18, near Sandy Hook, the regiment was provided with shoes and clothing.

(Quartermaster Dennis Tuttle, 20th Indiana, Westminster, Maryland) July 5, went out yesterday morning for forage and shoes.

(139th Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania at Gettysburg) After men of Co. I's shoes had worn out, they tied up their feet in cloth to protect them from the hot sand and tramped cheerfully on.

(154th New York, Newspaper Clippings, NY Military Museum) July 9, the men drew clothing, of which they stood in much need, especially of shoes and stockings.

(O. W. Norton, 83rd Pennsylvania, Army Letters) July 21, thousands of men were barefoot, officers, too.

(Lt. Oscar Ladley, 75th Ohio) July 9, the men are nearly all barefoot.

 

[major bill]

Foot wear does wear out . I had a soldier work for me during the Gulf War and his boots were held together with duck tape. If we did not have duck tape I am not sure what we would have done. I would hate to think a soldier who worked for me would have had to go barefoot.

 

[captaindrew]

A common challenge of any army of any era during a long hard campaign.

 

[Brendan]

J.W. Gaskill (104th Ohio) recorded drawing seven pairs of shoes in 1864 alone (https://archive.org/details/footprintsthroug00gask)! Brogans wore out easily on the march, presenting quite a logistical challenge to keep up with.

Robert Carter (22nd Mass) painted this image of the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign:

Men became ragged, footsore and chafed. Many were marching in their drawers, and, with handkerchiefs of many colors tied about their heads or necks, certainly presented anything but a martial appearance. Some were marching in their "stocking" feet, while others were barefooted, the rough pikes having long since torn their flimsy paper-soled contract brogans from their feet. (https://archive.org/details/cu31924032780623)​

 

[Brendan]

There aren't a ton of photographs that show Civil War soldiers during a grueling march, but this Timothy O'Sullivan image of three Yanks on the march during the 2nd Bull Run Campaign provides some fantastic detail. Note that the soldier at center is shoeless:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003000123/PP/

 

[Brendan]

Another great quote from Carter, upon joining up with the 22nd Massachusetts after 2nd Bull Run:

It [the 22nd MA] bore evidence of its disastrous campaign on the Peninsula, and its march from Acquia Creek, via Bull Run, to this place. To the uninitiated eyes of our recruits what a looking regiment it was! At the Battle of Gaines Mills they had 'piled their knapsacks,' had been nearly surrounded by Stonewall Jackson, had fought an unequal contest with great gallantry, had 'skipped out' and lost everything, and were now without even shelter tents, blankets, overcoats; many were barefooted, and their clothes were ragged and torn. Some wore straw hats of every shape and color, others a black or white slouch, while many sported a vizorless cap of that unique pattern so well remembered by all old soldiers, almost impossible to describe, which had increased the brown on their faces to a rich mahogany. How mean we recruits did feel in our good clothes, spick-and-span new.​

 

[grace]

Ouch. And shoes can't really be sent from home...

 

[diane]

I've really never thought about Union soldiers not having shoes, but it clearly was so. Guess moccasins wouldn't be much better, even if you could get the leather. That boy in the photo - his feet look like they haven't seen a lot of shoes in the first place!

 

[Rebforever]

Mud pulled the shoes off and macadam did the shoes in. There were some Southern boys that took shoes off and carried them to save them for the fight.

 

[captaindrew]

A bunch of hard marching and fighting with no chance to resupply the summer and fall of 62, was hard on both sides.

 

[johan_steele]

Being sans shoes on campaign was not at all uncommon. D cos 4th MN VI started out the Vicksburg campaign with each man having an extra pair of shoes.

There is also numerous mention of Sherman's men walking out of the shoes on the way to Savannah.

 

[Brendan]

Col. Marshall S. Howe reporting on his inspection of the 1st Colorado Infantry in New Mexico in July 1862:

"The 1st Col. I inspected yesterday. Found a fine body of men, capable of any endurance, all well armed save some screw-drivers and wipers--but most of them miserably clad, many of them bare footed and those who apparently had shoes on their feet such as would only be thrown away if others could be purchased.

"Two appeared on parade garbed in shirts and drawers only, all they had. Some I was informed were not so well off; had to remain in tents. I need say no more to have clothing sent forward to clothe men this destitute. Some of the shoes had been purchased at Santa Fe (so says Maj. Winecup [Wynkoop]) and with only the march at review the sole of the shoes came off."

 

[Brendan]

This Alfred Waud sketch includes a jolly, barefoot Union forager:

 

[Brendan]

And William Waud even caught a rare barefooted cavalryman of Kautz's cav. in 1864:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004661224/

 

[major bill]

Shoes and boots do suffer. During the Gulf War One of my soldiers would have went barefoot if it was not for strong Duck Tape. Did not look the best but worked well. Had to tape the boot together every day.

 

[Brendan]

Shoes and boots do suffer. During the Gulf War One of my soldiers would have went barefoot if it was not for strong tape.

Forget AK-47s, someone should go back in time and give ACW soldiers duck tape!

 

[James N.]

Mud pulled the shoes off and macadam did the shoes in. There were some Southern boys that took shoes off and carried them to save them for the fight.

This is to digress a bit, but I've mentioned before the march I made with a hard-core Confederate reenacting unit that went from Martinsburg, W.Va. to Gettysburg back in the days... We took a week (five days, Mon.-Fri.) to do it and experienced many of these problems. The crushed rock alongside the highways was a real killer - I had third-degree blisters by the time we arrived. One of our men said he hadn't worn shoes in summer until he was in his teens, so went barefoot much of the time. In evenings after we halted for the day care of one's feet was a daily requirement, wrapping and rewrapping them with things like moleskin. Altogether it was an enlightening experience, but one which I hope never to repeat!

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

How many miles did you march/walk James N.?

Edited: What and how would a CW soldier actually have taken care of their feet if they blistered? Did such a thing as moleskin exist and if it did, would they have had access to it?

 

[Legion Para]

No matter the era or conflict soldiers find solutions. The Legion veterans who served in WW I and the RIF Wars taught me how to really care for my feet.

From "A Manual for Military Surgery, " by Julian J. Chisolm M.D., Surgeon CS Army, 3rd Edition, Columbia 1864

During the mid-day rest, if any opportunity exists, the shoes and stockings should be removed and the feet bathed, which, by removing dirt and acid secretions, will prevent excoriations. It may also be advantageous, at such times, to change the socks from one foot to the other, so the seams may come at different portions of the foot, which will prebvent continued and injurious pressure. Soaping the sock will also prevent excoriations, and add much to the comfort of a soldier while on the march.

I found no mention of the topic in the first edition of Chisolm which was published in 1861.