Gentlemen,

I have followed this string with muted interest but I have several comments at the distance that I am at for your consideration.

Please watch the over generalizations of the frequency of what was supplied to Western vice Eastern Theater units. I have done quite a bit of analysis on the Army of Tennessee (AoT) and I can tell you that they were not as in want of quartermaster and ordnance supplies as is often depicted by the big hand wave of some. They were short of subsistence (more of an tactical delivery issue in the Chattanooga Campaign) and wagons pretty consistently and they were spurts and sputters with a consistant flow but this was true with everyone depending on the time, location, and whether they were moving at the time and had to change their base of supply. Weapons were always changing hands from regiment to regiment to 1. Have a mix of weapons to do a particular mission (i.e. rifles for the companies that always did the skirmishing, smoothbore for everyone else), or 2. Mid to Late war get the same caliber of rifle in the same regiment for the afore mentioned supply issue.

Your weapon research should begin with the Compiled Military Service Records of the company officers, the regimental staff, and then the Brigade Staff. Many times they will show an issue or turn-in of weapons receipt that will give you an idea of types of weapons and ammunition. This will be a snap shot in time and CANNOT be generalized for the entire period of the war.

The next thing you can look at are inspection reports and in particular (for the AoT) the reports for the summer and early fall of 1864. The inspection reports by regiment and by brigade the number and types of weapons, cleanliness, ordnance stores, condition, etc. For Federal units you can look at the quarterly ordnance reports. I have looked at these at the National Archive a number of times for a regiment I was curious to see what they were armed with. You can find these type of reports for Confederate units too BUT it will take a lot of digging. The National Archives is not the end all and be all of where records are. Everything did not make it there and it is possible that you will and can find these type of records in other locations. Look for where the personal letters, papers, etc. of the unit leadership has went if they (the material) has survived.

I do not have access to my research material right now (I am currently in Iraq) to quote chapter and verse or give you a positive reference but I can tell you that weapons would not be evacuated with a soldier unless it was a personnally owned weapon such as in the case of officers. Average Billy Yank or Johnny Reb would not retain their weapon. The company leadership would be the first level or snagging the weapon once he dropped out of the ranks, then if he made it back to the regimental aid station then they could snag it there and the regimental Ordnance Sergeant would gain control of it. Today, weapons generally do not go past the company casualty collection point (if the First Sergeant has any say) or the Battalion Aid Station).

I hope this helps.

Respectfully,

Gerald D. Hodge, Jr.
War Between the States Historian
Historian: 39th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment
http://39thgavolinfrgt.homestead.com/39thHomepage.html