I've always liked this quote

[Mississippian1861]

From the memoir of Augustus Dean Co. G, 2nd South Carolina Rifles, writing about the aftermath of the battle of Gaines Mill.

"There was a pole of knapsacks there, enough to fill a two-horse wagon. They were full of paper, envelopes, pens, pencils and such things, as soldiers need. I could have taken anything I wanted but the weather was hot and I thought I would probably have to go into battle the next day and didn't want them.

I got a Yankee canteen, haversack, and blanket, as theirs were a great deal better than the ones we had. Where the Yankees formed their lines they laid down their overcoats, knapsacks, and blankets and left them there. This was very much appreciated by our men as we certainly made good us of them. There were many more there than we could possibly use. After that I would have been ashamed to have been seen with a Confederate canteen or haversack for it would have been thought I was a recruit or a hospital rat and had never seen a battle."

Noting that the use of Federal equipment wasn't just practical, it was a trophy and mark of a veteran.

 

[RetiredCanuck]

Gaines Mill was a hard battle. Left unsaid is the sad reason those items were still there for the taking when it was all over.

 

[wausaubob]

From the memoir of Augustus Dean Co. G, 2nd South Carolina Rifles, writing about the aftermath of the battle of Gaines Mill.

"There was a pole of knapsacks there, enough to fill a two-horse wagon. They were full of paper, envelopes, pens, pencils and such things, as soldiers need. I could have taken anything I wanted but the weather was hot and I thought I would probably have to go into battle the next day and didn't want them.

I got a Yankee canteen, haversack, and blanket, as theirs were a great deal better than the ones we had. Where the Yankees formed their lines they laid down their overcoats, knapsacks, and blankets and left them there. This was very much appreciated by our men as we certainly made good us of them. There were many more there than we could possibly use. After that I would have been ashamed to have been seen with a Confederate canteen or haversack for it would have been thought I was a recruit or a hospital rat and had never seen a battle."

Noting that the use of Federal equipment wasn't just practical, it was a trophy and mark of a veteran.

There was a good deal of that recovery of equipment before Gettysburg. Not very much of that after Gettysburg. But it still happened occasionally,