The MO troops were received issues of clothing at the CO level during Vicksburg. They had also received uniforms as mentioned above. To understand the appearance of the troops you must understand what they were doing. They were not as destitute as one might think, more dirty than anything. Units inside the works were being rotated from positions and spending extended periods of time in the ditches, and digging and repairing works. This is dirty work, now add 40 + days of this, you will look dirty and worn because you would be. However the imagination of rags is a little misleading. Vicksburg was a large hub for the CS in Mississippi and was home to several storage depots before the siege. So supplies were there, however rationing was needed as they were attempting to hold out as long as possible with a unknown end date. So food was there just rationed. Below I will put some excerpts from a few sources. Then I will make a post showing unit requisitions.
Leach, John Miller Duay
CO A 6th MO Infantry
"June 6 - we have been in the ditches since the 28th Shooting all day and digging all night has been our employment.
Our rations ever since we have been in here have been reduced to one half.
June 8 Our rations have been reduced to one fourth which is quite small, though I hear no one complain.
June 10 I bought a very small piece of rice bread to day for one dollar and eat it with some sugar which is sixty cents per pound.
June 11 Another rain fell last night, I stretched my blanket over a pole and gathered some leaves for a bed and lay down and slept sweetly all night.
June 20 In the evening just as we received our grub, we were called into line in a few minutes
June 26 We have been besieged now for forty days. To day bids fare to be warm as any previous one.
July 3 It is also said we have drawn our last bacon, some have been eating mule for several days. A major had a,horse killed the other day and his men cooked and ate him.
July 4 we have ate all our provisions and there is nothing left for us to do but to surrender.
Then we marched our side of the works to stack arms and colors. Our regiment marched out in front this done we went to camp.
From the fact we were worn down with marching and hungry. When it is tried for forty -seven nights it will bring the stoutest man down to be weak. O had fallen off twenty pounds myself and yet I was as stout as any. At least better than the common class. You may judge how we are at this time, weak, hungry and dirty, yet when they came into town I heard them say that we were cleaner than they expected to see us."
CO D 6th MO requisition June 30th 63 at Vicksburg