Stonewall I fear that whiskey more than I do Pope’s army

Stiles/Akin

Sergeant Major
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
In August 27, of 1862, Jackson’s wing of the Army of Northern Virginia captured Mannasas Junction and the mountain of military stores there. Bacon, jam, lobster, “sugars”, hardtack, French mustard, canned fruit, wine, linen, ammunition, uniforms, saddles, cakes, candy, oranges, potted ham, shoes, belts, rifles and pistols. But Jackson took no chances. He ordered his officers “to knock out the heads of hundreds of barrels of whiskey, wine and brandy!”
Jackson was heard to say, “ I fear that whiskey more than I do Pope’s army.”
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With good reason. Along Lee's line of march into Pennsylvania in June 1863, whiskey turned the normally disciplined 25th Virginia into an unruly mob, and it took several days before order was restored. A gill (about a quarter of a pint) was issued to Hood's division upon crossing the Potomac and some men did not rejoin the column for 15 hours. Hundreds straggled in Harry Hays' Louisiana brigade the day after being issued half a pint of whiskey on June 26. Captain William Parker refused to accept another ration of whiskey after his drunk artillerymen created "great damage to good order." The problems from liquor caused one wag to note that while the army had marched in three states, a large number had been in four: Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the state of intoxication.

-Letters of Abram Schultz Miller, surgeon, 25th Virginia.
-Joseph B. Polley, A Soldier's Letters to Charming Nellie.
-Prior Garner Veazey, Diary, Confederate Reminicences and Letters, Georgia Division, UDC.
-Thomas Benton Reed, A Private in Gray.
-Supplement to the Official Records, vol. 5, pt. 2, p. 366.
-Sketch by George Reese, Confederate Veteran, vol. 14, no. 3 (March 1906), p. 111
 
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