"IF ONLY WE WERE AS WELL CARED FOR AS THEM TARHEELS": THE NORTH CAROLINA QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT 1861-1865
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Daryle Hogsed (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Abstract: The accomplishments of North Carolina during the American Civil War span from the battlefield to the home front. The state distinguished itself militarily in a manner which it had never before nor has since. The Tarheel banner states the proud and proven accomplishments of the state's soldiers on the battlefield as "First at Bethel, Furthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, Last at Appomattox." In the process of accomplishing these tasks on the battlefield, the state lost twice as many of its native sons as any other Confederate state. These facts are widely known among even the most casual of Civil War enthusiasts, but what is not known are the accomplishments of the North Carolina Quartermaster's Department.During the early days of the Civil War, the Confederate government used the commutation system to clothe its troops while its Quartermaster's Department was being established and was in the process of organizing its efforts. The commutation system called for the volunteer soldiers to provide their own clothing for which the Confederate government would reimburse them at a rate of $21 every six months.[1] While the Confederate government was utilizing the commutation system, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a resolution which required the governor to establish an arrangement with the Confederate government whereby the state would supply its own troops with clothing and equipment. An agreement was arranged between the two parties that called for the state to supply clothing for its own troops for which it would be reimbursed by the Confederacy annually at a rate of $50 per soldier. Following this agreement, North Carolina began to establish a means of supply for the troops in service to the State.By the fall of 1862, the Confederacy was already attempting to put an end to the arrangement. However, North Carolina's governor, Zebulon B. Vance, was unwilling to turn over control of the state's quartermaster activities to the Confederacy. Vance held to his position throughout the war and never surrendered control to the Confederacy. The state continued to supply its troops until the wars end in 1865.The accomplishments achieved by the North Carolina Quartermaster's Department will be examined in this study. It will illustrate the organization, structure,and supply practices of the North Carolina Quartermaster's Department. It will also examine the means to the end of the department's success by analyzing its domestic and foreign operations. The findings of this study will show that the effort undertaken by North Carolina to supply its troops during the Civil War was a success. It will also demonstrate that the success of the North Carolina Quartermaster's Department was a collaborative effort between the state authorities and the citizenry of the state.[1] This rate of reimbursement was later increased to $25 dollars every six months.
"IF ONLY WE WERE AS WELL CARED FOR AS THEM TARHEELS": THE NORTH CAROLINA QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT 1861-1865
PDF (Portable Document Format)
4618 KB
Created on 12/12/2005
Views: 5125
Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2005
- Subjects
- Confederate States of America. Army -- Supplies and stores
- North Carolina -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865