The sources of supply for the arms and accoutrements of the Confederate States Marine Corps have unfortunately not been well researched, despite books on the Marine Corps being published in the past.
This blog post is intended to shed some light on which sources were used to supply arms and accoutrements to the Corps. This study will include CSMC units outside the James River Squadron, as some of them were eventually transferred to the James River Squadron, bringing their arms and accoutrements with them. Please note, this is not to address supply from within the Corps with transfers, but which sources outside the Corps were producing the items or supplying them to the Corps.
The earliest record we have is from May 24, 1861. At this time Captain George Holmes, commanding Company A, purchased 36 canteens at New Orleans, Louisiana. In June 1861 and the receipt of 34 percussion muskets, 34 bayonets, 34 bayonet scabbards, 34 cartridge boxes, 34 waist belts, 34 waist belt plates, and 34 cap pouches from Captain Hypolite Oladowski, Chief of Ordnance and Artillery for the Confederate Army in Pensacola, Florida, by Captain George Holmes, commanding Company A, then at Pensacola. (This is in addition to 51 percussion muskets, 51 bayonets, 51 infantry cartridge
boxes, 51 bayonet scabbards, 51 waist belts, 51 waist belt plates, and 51 cap pouches which he had received from First Lieutenant H.S. Ingraham than same month. Also note, that by the end of June 1862, Holmes' company only had 3 percussion muskets on hand, the rest being replaced by Enfield rifles from an unknown source before that date.)
In mid December 1861, the Marine Guard under Lieutenant R.H. Henderson aboard the CSS Northampton received 1,500 cartridges for English rifles with caps from Naval Store Keeper James A. Mahone.
Our records then jump to mid October 1862 with Holmes' receipt of 22 knapsacks and 20 canteens from Captain J.P. Jones of the Confederate Army.
Records of sources of the supply of arms and accoutrements are murky at best until the first quarter of 1864 at which time we have surviving records from Major Algernon S. Taylor, Quartermaster of the CSMC.
In early January 1864 Taylor received 50 canteens without straps from Captain O.W. Edwards, Military Store Keeper at the Confederate Army Ordnance Store House in Richmond.
In early March 1864 Taylor received 4 drums and 4 pairs of drum sticks from Major William G. Bentley, Quartermaster in charge of the
depot for the receiving and issuing of clothing, tents, garrison and
camp equipage to the armies in the State of Virginia and the manufacture
of tents and camp and garrison equipage for the same of the C.S. Army
in Richmond.
Later that same month Taylor received 50 waist belts, 50 canteens, 50 knapsacks and 50 cartridge boxes from Edwards.
S. Sutherland was paid $25 for a non-commissioned officers sword by Taylor for Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Edward Wallace. S. Sutherland was a "Southern Importing Establishment" operating as early as 1861 selling "guns, pistols, gun materials, fishing tackle, walking canes, &c., &c., and finer descriptions of cutlery" from their store at 132 Main Street in Richmond, Virginia.
Also at the end of March 1864, Taylor received the only recorded evidence of arms and accoutrements from the Confederate Navy. From Lieutenant R.L. Minor at the Naval Ordnance Works in Richmond, Taylor received 40 cap boxes, 40 waist belts, 40 cartridge boxes, 69 bayonets, 40 scabbards and 69 muskets. However there is no record of the 69 muskets being issued that quarter and none are listed as being on hand at the end of the quarter, nor do they appear on the 2nd quarter ordnance return.
In mid April 1864, Taylor received 3,200 .58 cal rifle cartridges in 4 boxes and 3,840 percussion caps from Captain W.N. Smith, Military Store Keeper in the Laboratory Department of the Richmond Arsenal.
In mid June 1864, Taylor received 100 percussion .58 cal rifle muskets, 100 waist belts, 50 canteens, 100 knapsacks, 100 cartridge boxes, 100 bayonets and 100 scabbards from Edwards.
On July 8, 1864 Holmes received 16,000 rifle ball cartridge, 2,500 musket ball cartridges and 18,000 percussion caps from Major Benjamin Sloan, Chief of Light Artillery and Chief Ordnance Officer to General Whiting. (On July 18, 1864, these rounds were turned over to S.P. Schisane, Gunner C.S.N., without having been opened, less 125 percussion caps which were expended.)
In mid July 1864, Taylor received 4,000 rifle cartridges and 4,800 percussion caps from Smith.
In late September, 1864 Taylor received 100 canteens with straps and 150 haversacks from Edwards.
While this is not as complete a look at the sources of supply for the arms and accoutrements as historians may have hoped to find, it does shed an interesting light on the fact that from the beginning of January 1864 through the end of September 1864, a period for which we have the complete records for the Quartermaster of the CSMC, the main source of supply of arms and accoutrements for the Confederate Marine Corps was the Confederate Army Ordnance Department and their Ordnance Store House in Richmond as well as the Richmond Arsenal.
A future entry
will cover the clothing and camp equipage in similar detail.
All Rights Reserved.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Navy Yard Opposite Rocketts - Marine Corps Uniforms, Arms and Accoutrments
This is the second in a series studying the
uniforms and accoutrements of the CSMC at specified yards and stations. This study deals with the James River Squadron and specifically with the Marine Guard at the Navy Yard Opposite Rocketts in Richmond.
The first CSMC supply records for the Navy Yard Opposite Rocketts come from Second Lieutenant Nathaniel E. Venable who had been serving there since October 24, 1862.
In mid February 1863 Lieutenant Venable received 4 Enfield rifles, 4 sword bayonets, 4 infantry cartridge boxes, 4 waist belts, 4 cap pouches, 4 sword bayonet scabbards, 4 bayonet frogs, 4 gun slings, 4 knapsacks, 4 haversacks and 4 canteens from Company A at Drewry's Bluff.
The next supply record comes from Second Lieutenant John S. Van de Graff who was serving at the yard since March 17, 1863 aboard the storeship Gallego.
In mid June 1863 Lieutenant Van der Graff received a total of 4 Enfield Rifles, 4 cartridge boxes, 4 cap pouches, 4 waist belts, 2 cartridge box belts, 2 sword bayonets, 2 sword bayonet scabbards, 2 sword bayonet frogs, 2 Enfield rifle bayonets, 2 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbards, 4 knapsacks, 4 haversacks, 4 canteens with straps, 2 gun slings, 160 Enfield rifle cartridges from Company C at Drewry's Bluff. A few days later Van der Graff received 1 Enfield rifle, 1 cartridge box, 1 cap pouch, 1 waist belt, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges from the same company.
In mid July 1863 Van der Graff received an additional 1 Enfield rifle, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard, 1 cartridge box, 1 cap pouch, 1 waist belt, 1 frog, 1 knapsack and 40 rounds ball cartridge from Company B at Drewry's Bluff.
In early October 1863 Second Lieutenant Samuel M. Roberts received 1 Enfield rifle, 1 sword bayonet, 1 infantry cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 waist belt plate, 1 cap pouch, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 bayonet frog, 1 gun sling, 1 knapsack and 40 rounds rifle ball cartridges from Company A at Drewry's Bluff. the next day Roberts received 2 cartridge boxes, 2 cap pouches, 2 waist belts, 2 Enfield muskets, 2 Enfield musket bayonets, 2 Enfield musket scabbards, 2 frogs, 2 canteens with straps, 2 haversacks, 2 knapsacks and 80 rounds ball cartridges from Company B at Drewry's Bluff and 1 Enfield rifles, 1 cartridge boxes, 1 cap pouches, 1 waist belts, 1 sword bayonet, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 sword frog, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges from Company C at Drewry's Bluff.
An additional 1 Enfield rifles, 1 cartridge boxes, 1 cap pouches, 1 waist belts, 1 sword frog, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges were received by Roberts in mid December 1863 from Company C at Drewry's Bluff.
In mid January 1864, Roberts recieved 7 haversacks from Major Algernon Taylor, Quartermaster for the Marine Corps with office and stores located in Richmond followed at the end of the month with 12 canteens with straps and 1 knapsack from Taylor. Clearly in an effort to fill needs in the Marine Guard, in early February 1864, Roberts received 1 cartridge box from Taylor.
In mid February 1864, Roberts received Enfield rifle, 1 sword bayonet, 1 infantry cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 waist belt plate, 1 cap pouch, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 bayonet frog, 1 gun sling, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 rifle ball cartridges from Company A at Drewry's Bluff. The following day Roberts received 1 Enfield rifle, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 cartridge boxes, 1 cap box, 1 waist belt, 2 Enfield rifle scabbards, 1 frog, 1 canteen with strap, 1 haversacks, 1 knapsack and 40 rounds ball cartridges from Company B at Drewry's Bluff and 1 Enfield rifle, 1 cartridge box, 1 cap pouch, 1 waist belt, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges from Company C at Drewry's Bluff.
The only surviving information of ammunition transfers to the Marine Guard, other than the 40 rounds associated with transfer of each individual Marine and his firearm, occurred in late April 1864 when Roberts received 1 box of ammunition containing 960 caps and 800 cartridges from Taylor.
Second Lieutenant Henry Harrison McCune took over command of the Marine Guard in late May 1864 and in early August transferred 1 Enfield rifle, 1 sword bayonet, 1 infantry cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 cap pouch and 1 sword bayonet scabbard to Company A at Drewry's Bluff while at the same time receiving 1 knapsack and 1 haversack from the same company.
Perhaps in a effort to provide the detachment with weapons in a better state of order, in early August, McCune sent 20 rifles, 20 rifle bayonets and 20 rifle bayonet scabbards to Taylor and 3 days later received 21 rifles, 21 rifle bayonets, 21 rifle bayonet scabbards, 1 cap box, 1 waist belt, 6 canteens with straps and 1 cartridge box from Taylor. Four days later Roberts received and additional 2 rifles, 2 rifle bayonets, 2 rifle bayonet scabbards, 3 cap boxes, 3 waist belts, 2 canteens, 3 knapsacks, 4 haversacks and 3 cartridge boxes from Taylor and 1 canteen with strap, 1 haversack and 1 knapsack from Company B at Drewry's Bluff. These items from Company B were returned to that company at the end of September 1864.
As part of the expedition to Wilmington in the 3rd quarter of 1864, 5 canteens with straps and 4 haversacks were lost through negligence.
Uniforms for the Marine Guard at the Navy Yard Opposite Rocketts first appear in late July 1863 when Lieutenant Van de Graff issued 8 pairs of shoes, 1 cap and 1 pair of cotton drawers to the men of the Marine Guard.
Clothing records for the Marine Guard continue in early September 1863 when Lieutenant Roberts issued 15 pants, 7 coats, 3 pairs of shoes, 38 pairs socks, 3 caps, 21 blankets, 12 pairs of flan[nel] drawers, 7 pairs of cot[to]n do[drawers], 8 overcoats, 1 knapsack, and 1 pair of leather shoes to the Marine Guard. In early October 1863, Roberts issued 19 pants, 8 coats, 0 canvas shoes (listed here only to show this interesting note in shoe type in the original invoice), 12 pairs of socks, 25 caps, 5 blankets, 29 flan[nel] drawers, 2 cott[o]n drawers, 3 overcoats and 17 pairs of leather shoes to the Marine Guard.
In Mid January Roberts received 40 cotton shirts and 4 woolen drawers from Taylor and at the end of that month received 4 uniform pants, 5 pairs of shoes and 20 fatigue frocks from Taylor. That same month Roberts issued 8 pants, 5 coats, 10 pairs of shoes, 1 cap, 8 flannel drawers, 40 shirts and 19 tunics (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report) to the Marine Guard.
In mid February 1864 Taylor received 5 uniform coats and 4 uniform pants from Taylor.
In April 1864 Roberts received 6 uniform coats and 13 uniform pants from Taylor and issued 14 pants, 6 uniform coats, 1 tunic (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report)and 1 flannel drawers to the Marine Guard.
When McCune took over the Marine Guard in late May 1864 he received 8 pairs of shoes from Taylor, followed in early June with an additional 3 uniform caps, 3 uniform coats, 13 uniform pants, 33 cotton shirts and 33 pair cotton drawers from Taylor.
In late June 1864 McCune received, 1 uniform cap, 1 uniform coat, 2 uniform pants, 3 cotton shirts and 4 pairs of woolen drawers from Taylor followed in late July 1864 with an additional 8 uniform caps, 1 uniform coat, 9 uniform pants, 6 cotton shirts, 15 pairs of shoes, 2 blankets and 2 cotton drawers from Taylor.
The final record for the Marine Guard come from the 3rd quarter of 1864. In mid September McCune received 4 uniform caps, 4 uniform coats, 16 uniform pants, 10 cotton shirts, 15 pairs of shoes, 7 blankets and 15 woolen drawers from Taylor. During that same quarter McCune issued 13 uniform caps, 3 uniform coats, 16 pairs of cotton and woolen drawers, 23 uniform pants, 14 cotton shirts, 36 pairs of shoes and 7 blankets.
Officer uniforms for the Marine Guard are a bit more difficult to deduce, but luckily we do have records of the private purchased of quartermaster supplies for part of 1864.
Second Lieutenant Samuel M. Roberts, who initially served on the storeship Gallego and then as commander of the Marine Guard until May 31, 1864 purchased 1 1/2 yards cambric, 2/20 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards serge alpaca from Taylor in early February 1864. Towards the end of that month he purchased an additional 1 1/2 yards of blue cloth from Taylor. And finally in the end of April 1864 before his transfer, Roberts purchased 2 yards cambric, 10/12 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards serge alpaca from Taylor.
For Second Lieutenant Henry Harrison McCune we can go back before his assignment to the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864 knowing that his uniform would have remained unchanged. In early March 1864 McCune bought 2 blankets and 1 1/2 yards blue cloth from Taylor. Then in mid March 1864 McCune bought 1 tunic (listed as a fatigue frock in Taylor's quarterly report) from Taylor. In mid May McCune bought 1 pair of shoes from Taylor and then in early June 1864 he bought 40 yards cotton cloth which had been received from Adderly & Co. (Nassau), and 2 yards blue cloth from Taylor.
Also in the case of Second Lieutenant Richard Henry Henderson we can go back before his assignment to the Marine Guard in October 1864 knowing that his uniform would have also remained unchanged. In late March 1864 First Lieutenant Fergus McRae bought 1 tunic (listed as a fatigue frock in Taylor's quarterly report), 1 1/2 yards blue cloth, 8/20 oz sewing silk and twist for Henderson, then in Wilmington, from Taylor. In early July 1864 Henderson bought 40 yards cotton cloth which had been received from Adderly & Co. (Nassau) from Taylor. In early August 1864 Henderson bought 1 cap from Taylor and then a couple of weeks later Henderson bought 1 1/2 yards blue cloth, 2 yards cambric, 2 yards gray cloth, 1 hank linen thread, 1 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards alpaca serge from Taylor. The last purchase he have for Henderson was in mid September when he bought 2 yards cambric, 2 yards gray cloth, 10/20 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards alpaca serge from Taylor.
From notes, to soon be published in another blog entry, the blue cloth is associated with Marine uniform pants, and blue gray army cloth is associated with Marine uniform coats. Thus the blue and gray cloth bought by Roberts, McCune and Henderson can be associated to the private tailoring of different uniform items for each of these officers.
And while perhaps not as complete as the records for the Marine Guard at the Rocketts Navy Yard, hopefully this look at the Marine Guard Opposite Rocketts has proved a useful insight into the uniform, arms and accoutrements of the Confederate States Marine Corps. Future entries will cover other detachments in the Richmond area in similar detail.
All Rights Reserved.
The first CSMC supply records for the Navy Yard Opposite Rocketts come from Second Lieutenant Nathaniel E. Venable who had been serving there since October 24, 1862.
In mid February 1863 Lieutenant Venable received 4 Enfield rifles, 4 sword bayonets, 4 infantry cartridge boxes, 4 waist belts, 4 cap pouches, 4 sword bayonet scabbards, 4 bayonet frogs, 4 gun slings, 4 knapsacks, 4 haversacks and 4 canteens from Company A at Drewry's Bluff.
The next supply record comes from Second Lieutenant John S. Van de Graff who was serving at the yard since March 17, 1863 aboard the storeship Gallego.
In mid June 1863 Lieutenant Van der Graff received a total of 4 Enfield Rifles, 4 cartridge boxes, 4 cap pouches, 4 waist belts, 2 cartridge box belts, 2 sword bayonets, 2 sword bayonet scabbards, 2 sword bayonet frogs, 2 Enfield rifle bayonets, 2 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbards, 4 knapsacks, 4 haversacks, 4 canteens with straps, 2 gun slings, 160 Enfield rifle cartridges from Company C at Drewry's Bluff. A few days later Van der Graff received 1 Enfield rifle, 1 cartridge box, 1 cap pouch, 1 waist belt, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges from the same company.
In mid July 1863 Van der Graff received an additional 1 Enfield rifle, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard, 1 cartridge box, 1 cap pouch, 1 waist belt, 1 frog, 1 knapsack and 40 rounds ball cartridge from Company B at Drewry's Bluff.
In early October 1863 Second Lieutenant Samuel M. Roberts received 1 Enfield rifle, 1 sword bayonet, 1 infantry cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 waist belt plate, 1 cap pouch, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 bayonet frog, 1 gun sling, 1 knapsack and 40 rounds rifle ball cartridges from Company A at Drewry's Bluff. the next day Roberts received 2 cartridge boxes, 2 cap pouches, 2 waist belts, 2 Enfield muskets, 2 Enfield musket bayonets, 2 Enfield musket scabbards, 2 frogs, 2 canteens with straps, 2 haversacks, 2 knapsacks and 80 rounds ball cartridges from Company B at Drewry's Bluff and 1 Enfield rifles, 1 cartridge boxes, 1 cap pouches, 1 waist belts, 1 sword bayonet, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 sword frog, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges from Company C at Drewry's Bluff.
An additional 1 Enfield rifles, 1 cartridge boxes, 1 cap pouches, 1 waist belts, 1 sword frog, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges were received by Roberts in mid December 1863 from Company C at Drewry's Bluff.
In mid January 1864, Roberts recieved 7 haversacks from Major Algernon Taylor, Quartermaster for the Marine Corps with office and stores located in Richmond followed at the end of the month with 12 canteens with straps and 1 knapsack from Taylor. Clearly in an effort to fill needs in the Marine Guard, in early February 1864, Roberts received 1 cartridge box from Taylor.
In mid February 1864, Roberts received Enfield rifle, 1 sword bayonet, 1 infantry cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 waist belt plate, 1 cap pouch, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 bayonet frog, 1 gun sling, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 rifle ball cartridges from Company A at Drewry's Bluff. The following day Roberts received 1 Enfield rifle, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 cartridge boxes, 1 cap box, 1 waist belt, 2 Enfield rifle scabbards, 1 frog, 1 canteen with strap, 1 haversacks, 1 knapsack and 40 rounds ball cartridges from Company B at Drewry's Bluff and 1 Enfield rifle, 1 cartridge box, 1 cap pouch, 1 waist belt, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet, 1 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard, 1 knapsack, 1 haversack, 1 canteen with strap and 40 Enfield rifle cartridges from Company C at Drewry's Bluff.
The only surviving information of ammunition transfers to the Marine Guard, other than the 40 rounds associated with transfer of each individual Marine and his firearm, occurred in late April 1864 when Roberts received 1 box of ammunition containing 960 caps and 800 cartridges from Taylor.
Second Lieutenant Henry Harrison McCune took over command of the Marine Guard in late May 1864 and in early August transferred 1 Enfield rifle, 1 sword bayonet, 1 infantry cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 cap pouch and 1 sword bayonet scabbard to Company A at Drewry's Bluff while at the same time receiving 1 knapsack and 1 haversack from the same company.
Perhaps in a effort to provide the detachment with weapons in a better state of order, in early August, McCune sent 20 rifles, 20 rifle bayonets and 20 rifle bayonet scabbards to Taylor and 3 days later received 21 rifles, 21 rifle bayonets, 21 rifle bayonet scabbards, 1 cap box, 1 waist belt, 6 canteens with straps and 1 cartridge box from Taylor. Four days later Roberts received and additional 2 rifles, 2 rifle bayonets, 2 rifle bayonet scabbards, 3 cap boxes, 3 waist belts, 2 canteens, 3 knapsacks, 4 haversacks and 3 cartridge boxes from Taylor and 1 canteen with strap, 1 haversack and 1 knapsack from Company B at Drewry's Bluff. These items from Company B were returned to that company at the end of September 1864.
As part of the expedition to Wilmington in the 3rd quarter of 1864, 5 canteens with straps and 4 haversacks were lost through negligence.
Uniforms for the Marine Guard at the Navy Yard Opposite Rocketts first appear in late July 1863 when Lieutenant Van de Graff issued 8 pairs of shoes, 1 cap and 1 pair of cotton drawers to the men of the Marine Guard.
Clothing records for the Marine Guard continue in early September 1863 when Lieutenant Roberts issued 15 pants, 7 coats, 3 pairs of shoes, 38 pairs socks, 3 caps, 21 blankets, 12 pairs of flan[nel] drawers, 7 pairs of cot[to]n do[drawers], 8 overcoats, 1 knapsack, and 1 pair of leather shoes to the Marine Guard. In early October 1863, Roberts issued 19 pants, 8 coats, 0 canvas shoes (listed here only to show this interesting note in shoe type in the original invoice), 12 pairs of socks, 25 caps, 5 blankets, 29 flan[nel] drawers, 2 cott[o]n drawers, 3 overcoats and 17 pairs of leather shoes to the Marine Guard.
In Mid January Roberts received 40 cotton shirts and 4 woolen drawers from Taylor and at the end of that month received 4 uniform pants, 5 pairs of shoes and 20 fatigue frocks from Taylor. That same month Roberts issued 8 pants, 5 coats, 10 pairs of shoes, 1 cap, 8 flannel drawers, 40 shirts and 19 tunics (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report) to the Marine Guard.
In mid February 1864 Taylor received 5 uniform coats and 4 uniform pants from Taylor.
In April 1864 Roberts received 6 uniform coats and 13 uniform pants from Taylor and issued 14 pants, 6 uniform coats, 1 tunic (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report)and 1 flannel drawers to the Marine Guard.
When McCune took over the Marine Guard in late May 1864 he received 8 pairs of shoes from Taylor, followed in early June with an additional 3 uniform caps, 3 uniform coats, 13 uniform pants, 33 cotton shirts and 33 pair cotton drawers from Taylor.
In late June 1864 McCune received, 1 uniform cap, 1 uniform coat, 2 uniform pants, 3 cotton shirts and 4 pairs of woolen drawers from Taylor followed in late July 1864 with an additional 8 uniform caps, 1 uniform coat, 9 uniform pants, 6 cotton shirts, 15 pairs of shoes, 2 blankets and 2 cotton drawers from Taylor.
The final record for the Marine Guard come from the 3rd quarter of 1864. In mid September McCune received 4 uniform caps, 4 uniform coats, 16 uniform pants, 10 cotton shirts, 15 pairs of shoes, 7 blankets and 15 woolen drawers from Taylor. During that same quarter McCune issued 13 uniform caps, 3 uniform coats, 16 pairs of cotton and woolen drawers, 23 uniform pants, 14 cotton shirts, 36 pairs of shoes and 7 blankets.
Officer uniforms for the Marine Guard are a bit more difficult to deduce, but luckily we do have records of the private purchased of quartermaster supplies for part of 1864.
Second Lieutenant Samuel M. Roberts, who initially served on the storeship Gallego and then as commander of the Marine Guard until May 31, 1864 purchased 1 1/2 yards cambric, 2/20 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards serge alpaca from Taylor in early February 1864. Towards the end of that month he purchased an additional 1 1/2 yards of blue cloth from Taylor. And finally in the end of April 1864 before his transfer, Roberts purchased 2 yards cambric, 10/12 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards serge alpaca from Taylor.
For Second Lieutenant Henry Harrison McCune we can go back before his assignment to the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864 knowing that his uniform would have remained unchanged. In early March 1864 McCune bought 2 blankets and 1 1/2 yards blue cloth from Taylor. Then in mid March 1864 McCune bought 1 tunic (listed as a fatigue frock in Taylor's quarterly report) from Taylor. In mid May McCune bought 1 pair of shoes from Taylor and then in early June 1864 he bought 40 yards cotton cloth which had been received from Adderly & Co. (Nassau), and 2 yards blue cloth from Taylor.
Also in the case of Second Lieutenant Richard Henry Henderson we can go back before his assignment to the Marine Guard in October 1864 knowing that his uniform would have also remained unchanged. In late March 1864 First Lieutenant Fergus McRae bought 1 tunic (listed as a fatigue frock in Taylor's quarterly report), 1 1/2 yards blue cloth, 8/20 oz sewing silk and twist for Henderson, then in Wilmington, from Taylor. In early July 1864 Henderson bought 40 yards cotton cloth which had been received from Adderly & Co. (Nassau) from Taylor. In early August 1864 Henderson bought 1 cap from Taylor and then a couple of weeks later Henderson bought 1 1/2 yards blue cloth, 2 yards cambric, 2 yards gray cloth, 1 hank linen thread, 1 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards alpaca serge from Taylor. The last purchase he have for Henderson was in mid September when he bought 2 yards cambric, 2 yards gray cloth, 10/20 oz sewing silk and twist, and 2 yards alpaca serge from Taylor.
From notes, to soon be published in another blog entry, the blue cloth is associated with Marine uniform pants, and blue gray army cloth is associated with Marine uniform coats. Thus the blue and gray cloth bought by Roberts, McCune and Henderson can be associated to the private tailoring of different uniform items for each of these officers.
And while perhaps not as complete as the records for the Marine Guard at the Rocketts Navy Yard, hopefully this look at the Marine Guard Opposite Rocketts has proved a useful insight into the uniform, arms and accoutrements of the Confederate States Marine Corps. Future entries will cover other detachments in the Richmond area in similar detail.
All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Navy Yard at Rocketts - Marine Corps Uniforms, Arms and Accoutrments
While some has been written about the Confederate States Marine Corps, little has been published to deal with the specifics of the uniforms and accoutrements of the CSMC at specified yards and stations. This is the first in a series to answer some of these questions in detail for the historian and reenactor.
This study will be dealing with the James River Squadron and perhaps I should have begun with the CSMC at the Gosport Navy Yard, but as that is not a location which is naturally friendly to reenactments, I have chosen to begin with the Marine Guard at the Navy Yard at Rocketts in Richmond.
The first CSMC supply records for the Navy Yard at Rocketts in early October 1863, when First Lieutenant David Bradford was assigned to command the Marine Corps detachment at that yard.
Initial firearms issue to the Marine Guard at Rocketts came in early October 1863. Lieutenant Bradford received a total of 14 Enfield Rifles with sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 14 cartridge boxes, 14 cap pouches, 14 waist belts (4 with plates), 4 haversacks, 10 knapsacks, 4 canteens with straps, 400 Enfield rifle cartridges, and 10 gun slings from Companies A, B and C at Drewry's Bluff.
Two weeks later the detachment received an additional total of 6 Enfield Rifles with sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 6 cartridge boxes, 6 cap pouches, 6 waist belts (1 with plate), 5 haversacks, 6 knapsacks, 5 canteens with straps, 120 Enfield rifle cartridges, and 3 gun slings from Companies A, B and C at Drewry's Bluff.
The final supply of firearms for the Marine Guard at Rocketts came in late January 1864 with a total of 5 Enfield rifles with sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 6 cartridge boxes, 6 cap pouches, 6 waist belts (2 with plates), 6 haversacks, 6 knapsacks, 6 canteens with straps, 240 Enfield rifle cartridges, and 4 gun slings from Companies A, B and C at Drewry's Bluff.
These transfers of arms from the companies represented ordnance material kept on the books of the company commanders and transferred to Bradford's books as men were assigned to him from these companies. New or replacement ordnance material in the future would come from the Quartermaster of the Corps directly.
In late March 1864, Major Algernon Taylor, Quartermaster for the Marine Corps with office and stores located in Richmond, issued 2 knapsacks to Bradford.
To add to the supplies on hand, Taylor issued 10 canteens with straps, 1 knapsack, 10 haversacks, 800 rifle cartridges and 960 percussion caps to Bradford in early May.
When Second Lieutenant Lloyd Beall Stephenson took over the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864, an account was taken of all arms then in possession of the detachment. They consisted of 26 Enfield rifles, 24 sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 2 bayonets and scabbards, 26 cartridge boxes, 26 waist belts, 26 cap pouches, 27 knapsacks, 28 haversacks, 28 canteens with straps and 1360 Enfield rifle cartridges.
On July 2, 1864, Stephenson received 2 percussion muskets, 2 cap boxes, 2 waist belts, 2 knapsacks, 2 cartridge boxes, 2 bayonets and scabbards from Taylor. On July 20th, Stephenson transferred these to Captain Holmes' Company at Drewry's Bluff.
An unserviceable Enfield Rifle, along with its sword bayonet, scabbard and frog, as exchanged with Taylor on August 16, 1864.
In early September 1864 Stephenson received 3 knapsacks from Taylor and then at the end of the month, reported the loss of 1 sword bayonet, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 sword bayonet frog, 1 cap pouch, 17 haversacks, 16 canteens with straps the expedition to Wilmington.
At the end of September 1864 the Marine Guard had on hand 26 Enfield rifles, 23 sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 2 bayonets and scabbards, 25 cartridge boxes, 25 waist belts, 25 cap pouches, 32 knapsacks, 11 haversacks, 12 canteens with straps and 1060 Enfield rifle cartridges.
A final issue for 1864 from Taylor to Stephenson came in mid October with the receipt of 1 sword bayonet and frog, 18 haversacks and 18 canteens with straps, presumably to replace losses from the expedition to Wilmington.
At the end of December 1864 the Marine Guard had on hand 26 Enfield rifles, 23 sword bayonets, scabbards, 24 sword bayonet frogs, 2 bayonets and scabbards, 25 cartridge boxes, 25 waist belts, 25 cap pouches, 32 knapsacks, 29 haversacks, 30 canteens with straps and 1060 Enfield rifle cartridges.
One interesting note in the records. In both the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 1864, the Marine Guard at Rocketts expended 150 rifle cartridges each quarter because "the sentries discharged their pieces at certain times in order to clean them and keep them in order." The 3rd quarter report indicated that this was required of the sentries.
Uniforms for the Marine Guard at the Rocketts Navy Yard first appear in early January 1864 when Major Algernon Taylor, Quartermaster for the Marine Corps with office and stores located in Richmond, made an issue to Lieutenant Bradford. The initial issue was for 1 overcoat, 3 uniform coats, 7 uniform pants, 11 pairs of shoes, 12 cotton drawers and 2 blankets. About a week later, Taylor issued 40 cotton shirts, 24 "tunics" (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report) and 5 uniform pants to Bradford. In late February Taylor issued 5 uniform coats, 3 overcoats, 8 uniform pants, 8 pairs of shoes, 3 "tunics" (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report), 12 shirts, 3 blankets and 7 uniform caps to Bradford.
When Stephenson took over the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864, an account was taken of all quartermaster stores then in possession of the detachment. They consisted 1 cooking stove with fixtures, 1 clock, 2 water buckets, 1 cair [sp?], 1 uniform pants, 2 uniform caps, 1 overcoat, 1 "fatigue jacket", 1 drawers, 1 blanket.
In the beginning of June 1864, Stephenson received 7 uniform coats [$20.00], 22 uniform pants [$8.00], 6 uniform caps [$2.60], 50 drawers [$3.00] from Taylor. A week later he received 2 uniform coats [$20.00] and 1 pr shoes [$10.00]. And a week after that he received 1 sieve and a few days later 1 uniform pants [$8.00], all from Taylor.
For the entire 3rd quarter of 1864 Stephenson only received 29 pairs of shoes from Taylor.
In late October 1864 Stephenson received 5 uniform coats [$20.00], 16 uniform caps [$2.60], 3 tunics [$8.00], 28 flannel drawers [$1.50], 21 cotton shirts [$3.00] and 1 blank book from Taylor. Then in late November 1864 Stephenson received from Taylor 1 uniform cap [$2.60], 2 tunics [$8.00] and 4 blankets [$10.00], followed by 2 tunics and 5 pr shoes in early December and 12 tunics [$8.00], 20 cotton shirts [$5.00], 15 pr shoes [$55.00] at the end of the month.
Issues to the Marine Guard for the 2nd quarter of 1864 comprised 9 uniform coats, 24 uniform pants, 8 uniform caps, 1 fatigue jacket, 26 drawers and 1 pair of shoes.
Issues to the Marine Guard for the 3rd quarter of 1864 occurred in late July comprising 1 overcoat, 15 cotton drawers and 29 pairs of shoe.
Issues to the Marine Guard for the 4th quarter of 1864 occurred at the end of December comprising 1 overcoat, 4 uniform coats, 1 uniform pants, 17 uniform caps, 6 tunics, 21 flannel drawers, 21 cotton shirts, 6 pr shoes and 5 blankets.
Officer uniforms for the Marine Guard are a bit more difficult to deduce, but luckily we do have records of the private purchased of quartermaster supplies for part of 1864.
Second Lieutenant David Bradford, who served as commander of the Marine Guard until May 24, 1864 purchased 1 1/4 yards fine gray cloth, 1 1/2 yards fine blue cloth, 1 hank linen thread, 8/20 oz sewing silk and twist and 5 doz buttons from Taylor in late January 1864.In early April 1864 he purchased and additional 1 1/2 yards blue cloth, 1 yard cambric, 2 yards serge alpaca and 2 doz buttons. And finally before his transfer, in late April 1864 Bradford purchased 2 yards cambric, 10/12 oz sewing silk and twist and 2 yards serge alpaca.
For Second Lieutenant Lloyd Stephenson we can go back before his assignment to the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864 knowing that his uniform would have remained unchanged.In early February 1864 Stephenson bought 2 yards fine blue cloth, 4 yards cambric, 8/20 oz sewing silk and twist and 1 doz buttons from Taylor. Then a week later he bought 1 tunic (listed as a fatigue frock in Taylor's quarterly report), 1 1/2 yd fine blue cloth, 2 yards cambric, 2 1/4 yards gray cloth, 1/2 oz sewing silk and twist and 2 yards serge alpaca.
On May 31, 1864, Stephenson bought 40 yards of cotton cloth, which had been received from Adderly & Co. (Nassau). And then at the end of August 1864, Stevenson bought 1 3/4 yards blue cloth, 1 yards cambric, 1 hank linen thread, 6/20 oz sewing silk and twist, 2 doz buttons, 2 drawers, 2 shirts and 1 pair shoes.
From notes, to soon be published in another blog entry, the blue cloth is associated with Marine uniform pants, and blue gray army cloth is associated with Marine uniform coats. Thus the blue and gray cloth bought by Bradford and Stephenson can be associated to the private tailoring of different uniform items for each of these officers.
One area which unfortunately gets very little attention are rations for the CSMC. With the Marine Guard at Rocketts, we get a tiny glimpse at this area. For the month of February 1864, the Marine Guard, with 26 men on the roster, received 942 1/2 pounds of fresh beef, 942 1/2 pound of corn meal, 7 1/5 pounds of candles, 251 pounds of cabbage, 252 pounds of potatoes and 251 pounds of turnips.
Hopefully this look at the Marine Guard at Rocketts has proved a useful insight into the uniform, arms and accoutrements of the Confederate States Marine Corps. Future entries will cover other detachments in the Richmond area in similar detail.
All Rights Reserved.
This study will be dealing with the James River Squadron and perhaps I should have begun with the CSMC at the Gosport Navy Yard, but as that is not a location which is naturally friendly to reenactments, I have chosen to begin with the Marine Guard at the Navy Yard at Rocketts in Richmond.
The first CSMC supply records for the Navy Yard at Rocketts in early October 1863, when First Lieutenant David Bradford was assigned to command the Marine Corps detachment at that yard.
Initial firearms issue to the Marine Guard at Rocketts came in early October 1863. Lieutenant Bradford received a total of 14 Enfield Rifles with sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 14 cartridge boxes, 14 cap pouches, 14 waist belts (4 with plates), 4 haversacks, 10 knapsacks, 4 canteens with straps, 400 Enfield rifle cartridges, and 10 gun slings from Companies A, B and C at Drewry's Bluff.
Two weeks later the detachment received an additional total of 6 Enfield Rifles with sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 6 cartridge boxes, 6 cap pouches, 6 waist belts (1 with plate), 5 haversacks, 6 knapsacks, 5 canteens with straps, 120 Enfield rifle cartridges, and 3 gun slings from Companies A, B and C at Drewry's Bluff.
The final supply of firearms for the Marine Guard at Rocketts came in late January 1864 with a total of 5 Enfield rifles with sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 6 cartridge boxes, 6 cap pouches, 6 waist belts (2 with plates), 6 haversacks, 6 knapsacks, 6 canteens with straps, 240 Enfield rifle cartridges, and 4 gun slings from Companies A, B and C at Drewry's Bluff.
These transfers of arms from the companies represented ordnance material kept on the books of the company commanders and transferred to Bradford's books as men were assigned to him from these companies. New or replacement ordnance material in the future would come from the Quartermaster of the Corps directly.
In late March 1864, Major Algernon Taylor, Quartermaster for the Marine Corps with office and stores located in Richmond, issued 2 knapsacks to Bradford.
To add to the supplies on hand, Taylor issued 10 canteens with straps, 1 knapsack, 10 haversacks, 800 rifle cartridges and 960 percussion caps to Bradford in early May.
When Second Lieutenant Lloyd Beall Stephenson took over the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864, an account was taken of all arms then in possession of the detachment. They consisted of 26 Enfield rifles, 24 sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 2 bayonets and scabbards, 26 cartridge boxes, 26 waist belts, 26 cap pouches, 27 knapsacks, 28 haversacks, 28 canteens with straps and 1360 Enfield rifle cartridges.
On July 2, 1864, Stephenson received 2 percussion muskets, 2 cap boxes, 2 waist belts, 2 knapsacks, 2 cartridge boxes, 2 bayonets and scabbards from Taylor. On July 20th, Stephenson transferred these to Captain Holmes' Company at Drewry's Bluff.
An unserviceable Enfield Rifle, along with its sword bayonet, scabbard and frog, as exchanged with Taylor on August 16, 1864.
In early September 1864 Stephenson received 3 knapsacks from Taylor and then at the end of the month, reported the loss of 1 sword bayonet, 1 sword bayonet scabbard, 1 cartridge box, 1 waist belt, 1 sword bayonet frog, 1 cap pouch, 17 haversacks, 16 canteens with straps the expedition to Wilmington.
At the end of September 1864 the Marine Guard had on hand 26 Enfield rifles, 23 sword bayonets, scabbards and frogs, 2 bayonets and scabbards, 25 cartridge boxes, 25 waist belts, 25 cap pouches, 32 knapsacks, 11 haversacks, 12 canteens with straps and 1060 Enfield rifle cartridges.
A final issue for 1864 from Taylor to Stephenson came in mid October with the receipt of 1 sword bayonet and frog, 18 haversacks and 18 canteens with straps, presumably to replace losses from the expedition to Wilmington.
At the end of December 1864 the Marine Guard had on hand 26 Enfield rifles, 23 sword bayonets, scabbards, 24 sword bayonet frogs, 2 bayonets and scabbards, 25 cartridge boxes, 25 waist belts, 25 cap pouches, 32 knapsacks, 29 haversacks, 30 canteens with straps and 1060 Enfield rifle cartridges.
One interesting note in the records. In both the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 1864, the Marine Guard at Rocketts expended 150 rifle cartridges each quarter because "the sentries discharged their pieces at certain times in order to clean them and keep them in order." The 3rd quarter report indicated that this was required of the sentries.
Uniforms for the Marine Guard at the Rocketts Navy Yard first appear in early January 1864 when Major Algernon Taylor, Quartermaster for the Marine Corps with office and stores located in Richmond, made an issue to Lieutenant Bradford. The initial issue was for 1 overcoat, 3 uniform coats, 7 uniform pants, 11 pairs of shoes, 12 cotton drawers and 2 blankets. About a week later, Taylor issued 40 cotton shirts, 24 "tunics" (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report) and 5 uniform pants to Bradford. In late February Taylor issued 5 uniform coats, 3 overcoats, 8 uniform pants, 8 pairs of shoes, 3 "tunics" (listed as a "fatigue frock" in Taylor's quarterly report), 12 shirts, 3 blankets and 7 uniform caps to Bradford.
When Stephenson took over the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864, an account was taken of all quartermaster stores then in possession of the detachment. They consisted 1 cooking stove with fixtures, 1 clock, 2 water buckets, 1 cair [sp?], 1 uniform pants, 2 uniform caps, 1 overcoat, 1 "fatigue jacket", 1 drawers, 1 blanket.
In the beginning of June 1864, Stephenson received 7 uniform coats [$20.00], 22 uniform pants [$8.00], 6 uniform caps [$2.60], 50 drawers [$3.00] from Taylor. A week later he received 2 uniform coats [$20.00] and 1 pr shoes [$10.00]. And a week after that he received 1 sieve and a few days later 1 uniform pants [$8.00], all from Taylor.
For the entire 3rd quarter of 1864 Stephenson only received 29 pairs of shoes from Taylor.
In late October 1864 Stephenson received 5 uniform coats [$20.00], 16 uniform caps [$2.60], 3 tunics [$8.00], 28 flannel drawers [$1.50], 21 cotton shirts [$3.00] and 1 blank book from Taylor. Then in late November 1864 Stephenson received from Taylor 1 uniform cap [$2.60], 2 tunics [$8.00] and 4 blankets [$10.00], followed by 2 tunics and 5 pr shoes in early December and 12 tunics [$8.00], 20 cotton shirts [$5.00], 15 pr shoes [$55.00] at the end of the month.
Issues to the Marine Guard for the 2nd quarter of 1864 comprised 9 uniform coats, 24 uniform pants, 8 uniform caps, 1 fatigue jacket, 26 drawers and 1 pair of shoes.
Issues to the Marine Guard for the 3rd quarter of 1864 occurred in late July comprising 1 overcoat, 15 cotton drawers and 29 pairs of shoe.
Issues to the Marine Guard for the 4th quarter of 1864 occurred at the end of December comprising 1 overcoat, 4 uniform coats, 1 uniform pants, 17 uniform caps, 6 tunics, 21 flannel drawers, 21 cotton shirts, 6 pr shoes and 5 blankets.
Officer uniforms for the Marine Guard are a bit more difficult to deduce, but luckily we do have records of the private purchased of quartermaster supplies for part of 1864.
Second Lieutenant David Bradford, who served as commander of the Marine Guard until May 24, 1864 purchased 1 1/4 yards fine gray cloth, 1 1/2 yards fine blue cloth, 1 hank linen thread, 8/20 oz sewing silk and twist and 5 doz buttons from Taylor in late January 1864.In early April 1864 he purchased and additional 1 1/2 yards blue cloth, 1 yard cambric, 2 yards serge alpaca and 2 doz buttons. And finally before his transfer, in late April 1864 Bradford purchased 2 yards cambric, 10/12 oz sewing silk and twist and 2 yards serge alpaca.
For Second Lieutenant Lloyd Stephenson we can go back before his assignment to the Marine Guard on May 24, 1864 knowing that his uniform would have remained unchanged.In early February 1864 Stephenson bought 2 yards fine blue cloth, 4 yards cambric, 8/20 oz sewing silk and twist and 1 doz buttons from Taylor. Then a week later he bought 1 tunic (listed as a fatigue frock in Taylor's quarterly report), 1 1/2 yd fine blue cloth, 2 yards cambric, 2 1/4 yards gray cloth, 1/2 oz sewing silk and twist and 2 yards serge alpaca.
On May 31, 1864, Stephenson bought 40 yards of cotton cloth, which had been received from Adderly & Co. (Nassau). And then at the end of August 1864, Stevenson bought 1 3/4 yards blue cloth, 1 yards cambric, 1 hank linen thread, 6/20 oz sewing silk and twist, 2 doz buttons, 2 drawers, 2 shirts and 1 pair shoes.
From notes, to soon be published in another blog entry, the blue cloth is associated with Marine uniform pants, and blue gray army cloth is associated with Marine uniform coats. Thus the blue and gray cloth bought by Bradford and Stephenson can be associated to the private tailoring of different uniform items for each of these officers.
One area which unfortunately gets very little attention are rations for the CSMC. With the Marine Guard at Rocketts, we get a tiny glimpse at this area. For the month of February 1864, the Marine Guard, with 26 men on the roster, received 942 1/2 pounds of fresh beef, 942 1/2 pound of corn meal, 7 1/5 pounds of candles, 251 pounds of cabbage, 252 pounds of potatoes and 251 pounds of turnips.
Hopefully this look at the Marine Guard at Rocketts has proved a useful insight into the uniform, arms and accoutrements of the Confederate States Marine Corps. Future entries will cover other detachments in the Richmond area in similar detail.
All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Clothing the James River Squadron - 1861
It is the hope and desire of every historian and reenactor to find the perfect combination of information regarding military uniforms for any given time period. A primary source written description, invoice of issue, photograph and surviving article of clothing would be just that perfect combination. Unfortunately, that perfect combination rarely exists. Instead we must rely on the surviving primary source information we can find and make educated guess from these findings.
Unfortunately there has been very little written to date on the uniforms of the Confederate Navy.
But now, looking at primary source material in the National Archives we can begin to piece together what the Confederate Navy wore based on quality research to represent a more accurate vision of these sailors.
As mentioned before, we shall be focusing on the Navy and Marines serving in the James River Squadron, as well as those Naval facilities in the Richmond area. Information will be as location and year specific as possible.
We shall begin with a look at the uniforms of the C.S. Steamer Patrick Henry which served first in the Virginia State Navy and then in the Confederate Navy from June 8, 1861 until April 3, 1865 when it was burned to prevent capture upon the evacuation of Richmond.
Today, three requisitions survive from the C.S.S. Patrick Henry on R.M. Boykin, Naval Storekeeper at the Gosport Navy Yard, dated July 31st, September 12th and November 14th, 1861. From these we can develop a rather complete uniform of the Confederate Sailor of the James River Squadron at that time.
The uniform consisted of the following:
Blue Cloth Caps
Blue Satinette Trousers
B[lue] Cloth Trousers
Blue Flannel Over Shirts
Blue Flannel Under Shirts
B[lue] F[lannel] Shirts
Blue Flannel Drawers
Pea Jackets
Kip Skin Shoes
Woolen Socks
Black Silk Handkerchiefs
While not an invoice for supplies actually issues, we do have other invoices from Naval Storekeeper Boykin for the same period of time and all but two of those items appear identically on those invoices as on the requisitions for the C.S.S. Patrick Henry. The term "Blue Flannel Over Shirts" and "B[lue] F[lannel] Shirts" do not appear, but the term "Blue Flannel Jumpers" does appear, giving a more accurate description of these garments listed for the C.S.S. Patrick Henry. Clearly these items are shirts and not the jumper or frock commonly associated with sailors, even thought the Gosport Navy Yard was issuing jumpers at this time.
What does this mean to the reenactor portraying a Confederate sailor of the James River Squadron in 1861? It mean blue. Blue uniforms were the norm and no reference to any gray uniforms or cloth appear in any of the surviving primary source material for this squadron at this time. There is also a variety of blue fabric from cloth, to flannel, satinette being used, each being used for specific items of clothing.
Hopefully this research will be of assistance to reenactors wishing to accurately portray the James River Squadron in 1861.
All Rights Reserved.
Unfortunately there has been very little written to date on the uniforms of the Confederate Navy.
But now, looking at primary source material in the National Archives we can begin to piece together what the Confederate Navy wore based on quality research to represent a more accurate vision of these sailors.
As mentioned before, we shall be focusing on the Navy and Marines serving in the James River Squadron, as well as those Naval facilities in the Richmond area. Information will be as location and year specific as possible.
We shall begin with a look at the uniforms of the C.S. Steamer Patrick Henry which served first in the Virginia State Navy and then in the Confederate Navy from June 8, 1861 until April 3, 1865 when it was burned to prevent capture upon the evacuation of Richmond.
Today, three requisitions survive from the C.S.S. Patrick Henry on R.M. Boykin, Naval Storekeeper at the Gosport Navy Yard, dated July 31st, September 12th and November 14th, 1861. From these we can develop a rather complete uniform of the Confederate Sailor of the James River Squadron at that time.
The uniform consisted of the following:
Blue Cloth Caps
Blue Satinette Trousers
B[lue] Cloth Trousers
Blue Flannel Over Shirts
Blue Flannel Under Shirts
B[lue] F[lannel] Shirts
Blue Flannel Drawers
Pea Jackets
Kip Skin Shoes
Woolen Socks
Black Silk Handkerchiefs
While not an invoice for supplies actually issues, we do have other invoices from Naval Storekeeper Boykin for the same period of time and all but two of those items appear identically on those invoices as on the requisitions for the C.S.S. Patrick Henry. The term "Blue Flannel Over Shirts" and "B[lue] F[lannel] Shirts" do not appear, but the term "Blue Flannel Jumpers" does appear, giving a more accurate description of these garments listed for the C.S.S. Patrick Henry. Clearly these items are shirts and not the jumper or frock commonly associated with sailors, even thought the Gosport Navy Yard was issuing jumpers at this time.
What does this mean to the reenactor portraying a Confederate sailor of the James River Squadron in 1861? It mean blue. Blue uniforms were the norm and no reference to any gray uniforms or cloth appear in any of the surviving primary source material for this squadron at this time. There is also a variety of blue fabric from cloth, to flannel, satinette being used, each being used for specific items of clothing.
Hopefully this research will be of assistance to reenactors wishing to accurately portray the James River Squadron in 1861.
All Rights Reserved.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Welcome
I had never give much thought to writing about the Confederate Navy Department until quite recently. The subject has been one in which I have been interested for over 20 years, reading as much I could find on the subject. The results have been mixed. There are some incredibly well written book by some excellent scholars of the Confederate Navy. But there are also quite a number of books written by those more interested in publishing as much as possible with as little interest in original research as possible.
The purpose of this blog is to look into the Confederate Navy Department and add to that original research, focusing mainly on the James River Squadron, the Navy Yards at Gosport and Richmond, the fortifications at Drewry's Bluff, and the Naval support facilities which kept these ships and facilities functioning.
I hope you find the information presented here interesting and worthwhile.
All Rights Reserved.
The purpose of this blog is to look into the Confederate Navy Department and add to that original research, focusing mainly on the James River Squadron, the Navy Yards at Gosport and Richmond, the fortifications at Drewry's Bluff, and the Naval support facilities which kept these ships and facilities functioning.
I hope you find the information presented here interesting and worthwhile.
All Rights Reserved.
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