How Many Miles Marched?

[Moonshiner]

I am watching The Civil War by Ken Burns again and they were talking about troop movement. That got me to thinking - What was an average length most soldiers marched when they were on the move? I've heard 25-30 miles a day was not uncommon, but didn't know if that was true or not.

 

[AUG]

This thread was posted not too long ago:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/how-far-could-an-army-march-in-a-day.111929/

As many said there, it really depends on a number of factors. If the conditions were good a division or corps could march maybe 15-25 miles, possibly 30. On a bad day, maybe 5-10 miles. Again, it depends on the size of the force in question, along with the roads, weather, condition of the troops, etc.

 

[brass napoleon]

25-30 miles may not have been "uncommon", but it certainly wasn't an average. Even so , CW soldiers did some pretty phenomenal marching, especially compared to us couch potatos!

 

[Moonshiner]

25-30 miles may not have been "uncommon", but it certainly wasn't an average. Even so , CW soldiers did some pretty phenomenal marching, especially compared to us couch potatos!

That's why I asked

 

[Youngblood]

Just think of all the foot problems and blisters. We always hear about battle wounds but not so much of the regular wear and tear.

 

[Moonshiner]

And towards the end of the war, many of the Confederate soldiers didn't even have shoes.

 

[johan_steele]

Both sides had men that frequently walked out of their shoes; some units made efforts to keep that from happening. One MN soldier remembered beginning the Vicksburg Campaign w/ an extra set of brogans hanging from his bayonet and he was wearing them by the time they reached Vicksburg.

113 miles in 3 days is the record I've heard for an Infantry unit, 3rd IA VI spring/summer of 1863. Others certainly put some serious miles on their shanks mare.

On the march to Gettysburg several units on both sides put some serious mileage on their brogans reaching the fight.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

25-30 miles may not have been "uncommon", but it certainly wasn't an average. Even so , CW soldiers did some pretty phenomenal marching, especially compared to us couch potatos!

Glad I wasn't in Stonewall's Brigade.

 

[southern blue]

Glad I wasn't in Stonewall's Brigade.

I just got through reading James Robertson Jr.'s book 'The Stonewall Brigade'. The treks they took were pretty brutal.

 

[Jamieva]

The trek the Stonewall brigade took to escape the trap as they were nearing Harpers Ferry to get back south of Strasburg in the valley campaign is brutal to think of. I believe it was 28 miles the first day and they did another day or 2 after that of lengthy marches.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

Yeah, they sure were, (I don't want to call you "s.b." )-----and yet his men still adored him. Or did they?

 

[southern blue]

Yeah, they sure were, (I don't want to call you "s.b." )-----and yet his men still adored him. Or did they?

There were times when some of them were downright angry at him...but that's a whole other thread.

 

[Pat Answer]

"All old Jackson gave us was a musket, a hundred rounds and a gum blanket, and he druv us so like Hell."

(I remember the quote but if anyone knows where it actually came from I would appreciate it...)