The part about the camp chest is probably true. Remember he said "start of the war". There was also metal body armor being used at the start of the war but items such as that were soon discarded out of necessity. After the first march of any duration the wagons were used for necessary items only. Food and camp equipment took a back seat to food and ammunition. I think if you do a little research you will be surprised at how little the CW soldier had in the way of comforts, especially Confederates. Good luck on your quest for information about camp kitchens. Please post any information you come across.