Discussion Pre-War Occupations of Volunteer Soldiers

Tom Elmore

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A few examples from my files:

(CSA) Company A, 4th Alabama: As of April 1861, the roll included 15 farmers, 15 soldiers, 12 merchants, 11 clerks, 6 lawyers, 6 students, 2 artists, 2 printers, 2 engineers, 1 editor, 1 physician, 1 “P.M.”, 1 teacher, 1 telegraph operator, 1 machinist, 1 mechanic and 1 dentist. (Reuben Vaughan Kidd, Soldier of the Confederacy, by Alice V. D. Pierrepont)

(CSA) Company G, 11th Mississippi: In the company were 51 farmers, 47 students, 20 clerks, 5 merchants, 3 mechanics, 3 lawyers, 3 professors or teachers, 2 medical students, 1 minister, 1 physician, 1 deputy sheriff, 1 telegraph operator and 1 tombstone agent. (Lamar Rifles, A History of Company G, Eleventh Mississippi Regiment, C.S.A., May, 1861 to April, 1865)

(USA) 149th Pennsylvania: 530 farmers, 340 laborers, 63 carpenters, 47 shoemakers, 39 lumbermen, 35 blacksmiths, 29 teachers, 21 clerks, 18 millers, 14 students, 13 bricklayers/masons, 13 tailors, 11 engineers, 11 saddlers, 10 boatmen, 10 plasterers, 10 teamsters, 9 moulders, 9 salesmen, 9 sawers, 8 miners, 7 cabinetmakers, 7 wagonmakers, 5 coopers, 5 machinists, 5 merchants, 5 tanners, 4 butchers, 4 nailers, 4 tobacconists, 3 bakers, 3 nailcutters, 3 railroad agents, 3 railroaders, 4 mechanics, 4 printers, 3 brickmakers, 3 millwrights, 3 painters, 3 stonecutters, 2 artists, 2 clockmakers, 2 coachmakers, 2 jewelers, 1 barber, 1 boatbuilder, 1 bookbinder, 1 builder, 1 carter, 1 cigarmaker, 1 distiller, 1 doctor, 1 druggist, 1 farrier, 1 fencemaker, 1 fireman, 1 gardener, 1 hosemaker, 1 hostler, 1 innkeeper, 1 lawyer, 1 minister, 1 potter, 1 quarryman, 1 roller, 1 sailor, 1 soapmaker, 1 tinker and 1 wheelright. (The 149th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Unit in the Civil War, by Richard E. Matthews, Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1994)

(USA) Company F, 12th New Jersey: At enlistment, the company had 77 farmers, 4 shoemakers, 4 clerks, 3 millers, 3 carpenters, 2 wheelwrights, 1 harnessmaker, 1 tinsmith, 1 boatman, 1 painter, 1 basketmaker, 1 bartender and 1 undertaker.

(USA) 46th Pennsylvania: 16 farmers, 11 carpenters, 11 laborers, 5 blacksmiths, 5 shoemakers, 5 tailors, 3 boatmen, 3 millers, 3 students, 3 teamsters, 2 bricklayers, 2 clerks, 2 painters, 2 wagonmakers, 1 cabinetmaker, 1 clerk/machinist, 1 collier, 1 druggist, 1 gentleman, 1 lime burner, 1 moulder, 1 printer, 1 railroader, 1 saddler and 1 schoolmaster. (An Uncommon Look at the Common Soldier, by Benjamin E. Myers, Civil War Times, August 2016, p. 29)
 
Tom,

How did you find this information?
I've been collecting primary source materials for 30 years on units that participated at Gettysburg, so can focus on any particular topic, although I have not paid specific attention to this kind of data.

I'm not certain about the Company F, 12th New Jersey source - thought it likely to have come from History of the Men of Co. F ... 12th New Jersey Vols. by William P. Haines, but could not find it there after a cursory search.

I know research exists that has determined percentages for the various occupations based on an average of many regiments, but not broken out by specific unit, and as I recall farmers do comprise the largest percentage on both sides. There's no doubt a wide variation depending on whether the unit was raised in an urban or rural area.
 
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Would these be recorded in original muster rolls? .. and available in some records someplace. I hadn't come across anything like that in my 19th Ohio research. That is interesting information. Thanks.
 
Would these be recorded in original muster rolls? .. and available in some records someplace. I hadn't come across anything like that in my 19th Ohio research. That is interesting information. Thanks.
I believe so. For example, Massachusetts records published by the Adjutant General (below) provides occupational data. The preface gives some idea of the amount of effort required to assemble the information:

 
I find it interesting that the North was made up of a very diverse mix. I'm finding a lot of occupations that would have been also occupations in the South are not represented. Maybe just the examples that you posted.
Many of those trades positions were done in the South by slaves, & the opportunities were just not there for whites. And, of course, the South was deficient in manufacturing enterprize, large-scale and small.

In overall numbers, "Farmer" and "Farm Laborer" were far the most numerous occupations, both North and South.
 
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Occupations from the 2nd Mississippi CMSR's. Mostly farmers and planters. Not as diverse as Northern regiments...

2nd Miss occupations.jpg
 
Would these be recorded in original muster rolls? .. and available in some records someplace. I hadn't come across anything like that in my 19th Ohio research. That is interesting information. Thanks.
The Maine enlistment papers give a man's occupation at the time of enlistment. The 1860 census gives occupations as of 1860--which mightn't be far off from those a few years later.
 
Co B 7th New Jersey recruited from the city of Newark 5 farmers, 6 day laborers, 5 harness makers, 2 carriage painters, 3 carriage makers, 2 silver platers, 2 tinsmiths, 4 clerk's, 2 trimmers, 2 jewelers, 2 tailors, 1 well sinker, 1 butcher, 1 brass tuner, 1 boilermaker, 1 broom maker, 1 comb maker, 1 umbrella maker, 1 cooper 1 moulder, 1 hatter 1 millwright, and 1 wool spinner. Definitely showing an urban background
 
Three more:

(CSA) Companies A and D, 16th Georgia: 134 farmers, 15 laborers, 7 carpenters, 3 millers, 3 overseers, 2 carriage makers, 2 croppers, 2 sawyers, 2 tenants, 1 cabinet maker, 1 clergyman, 1 clerk, 1 ditcher, 1 peddler. (“The Georgians Seem to Suffer More Than Any Troops in the Service”: A Profile of Two Companies of Madison County Confederates, The Georgia Historical Quarterly, vol. LXXIX, no. 1, spring 1995, p. 173) FYI: @lelliott19

(CSA) Company G, 17th Mississippi: 97 farmers, 20 students, 8 railroad men, 4 clerks, 3 carpenters, 3 schoolteachers, 2 merchants, 2 doctors, 2 mechanics, 1 harness maker, 1 wheelwright, 1 gin maker, 1 joiner, 1 military instructor, 1 painter, 1 printer, 1 lawyer. (A Life for the Confederacy, As Recorded in the Pocket Diaries of Pvt. Robert A. Moore, Co. G, 17th Mississippi Regiment, ed. by James W. Silver, Jackson, TN: McCowat-Mercer Press, Inc., 1959)

(CSA) Company K, 21st Mississippi: 85 farmers, 4 students, 4 laborers, 3 carpenters, 2 blacksmiths, 3 wheelwrights, 2 schoolteachers, 2 doctors, 1 lawyer, 1 merchant, 1 scholar, 1 tailor. (Record of Company K, 21st Mississippi, enlisted from the 16th of May, 1861, http://www.rootsweb.com/~msunion/civwar2/cokunion.htm, 12/16/2006)
 
A few examples from my files:

(CSA) Company A, 4th Alabama: As of April 1861, the roll included 15 farmers, 15 soldiers, 12 merchants, 11 clerks, 6 lawyers, 6 students, 2 artists, 2 printers, 2 engineers, 1 editor, 1 physician, 1 “P.M.”, 1 teacher, 1 telegraph operator, 1 machinist, 1 mechanic and 1 dentist. (Reuben Vaughan Kidd, Soldier of the Confederacy, by Alice V. D. Pierrepont)

(CSA) Company G, 11th Mississippi: In the company were 51 farmers, 47 students, 20 clerks, 5 merchants, 3 mechanics, 3 lawyers, 3 professors or teachers, 2 medical students, 1 minister, 1 physician, 1 deputy sheriff, 1 telegraph operator and 1 tombstone agent. (Lamar Rifles, A History of Company G, Eleventh Mississippi Regiment, C.S.A., May, 1861 to April, 1865)

(USA) 149th Pennsylvania: 530 farmers, 340 laborers, 63 carpenters, 47 shoemakers, 39 lumbermen, 35 blacksmiths, 29 teachers, 21 clerks, 18 millers, 14 students, 13 bricklayers/masons, 13 tailors, 11 engineers, 11 saddlers, 10 boatmen, 10 plasterers, 10 teamsters, 9 moulders, 9 salesmen, 9 sawers, 8 miners, 7 cabinetmakers, 7 wagonmakers, 5 coopers, 5 machinists, 5 merchants, 5 tanners, 4 butchers, 4 nailers, 4 tobacconists, 3 bakers, 3 nailcutters, 3 railroad agents, 3 railroaders, 4 mechanics, 4 printers, 3 brickmakers, 3 millwrights, 3 painters, 3 stonecutters, 2 artists, 2 clockmakers, 2 coachmakers, 2 jewelers, 1 barber, 1 boatbuilder, 1 bookbinder, 1 builder, 1 carter, 1 cigarmaker, 1 distiller, 1 doctor, 1 druggist, 1 farrier, 1 fencemaker, 1 fireman, 1 gardener, 1 hosemaker, 1 hostler, 1 innkeeper, 1 lawyer, 1 minister, 1 potter, 1 quarryman, 1 roller, 1 sailor, 1 soapmaker, 1 tinker and 1 wheelright. (The 149th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Unit in the Civil War, by Richard E. Matthews, Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1994)

(USA) Company F, 12th New Jersey: At enlistment, the company had 77 farmers, 4 shoemakers, 4 clerks, 3 millers, 3 carpenters, 2 wheelwrights, 1 harnessmaker, 1 tinsmith, 1 boatman, 1 painter, 1 basketmaker, 1 bartender and 1 undertaker.

(USA) 46th Pennsylvania: 16 farmers, 11 carpenters, 11 laborers, 5 blacksmiths, 5 shoemakers, 5 tailors, 3 boatmen, 3 millers, 3 students, 3 teamsters, 2 bricklayers, 2 clerks, 2 painters, 2 wagonmakers, 1 cabinetmaker, 1 clerk/machinist, 1 collier, 1 druggist, 1 gentleman, 1 lime burner, 1 moulder, 1 printer, 1 railroader, 1 saddler and 1 schoolmaster. (An Uncommon Look at the Common Soldier, by Benjamin E. Myers, Civil War Times, August 2016, p. 29)
In Hilliard's Legion, a Confederate outfit from Alabama, John W. Arnold served in the 1st Battalion in both company A and Company C. He was 24 when he enlisted. His occupation was listed as "jockey."
 
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