Subdeacon Joe Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 A great way to detail what it took to feed an army. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snidely Whiplash Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 That's a really "tacky" photo. Snidely Whiplash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Its didn't mention anything about the mules/horses on the front of the wagon. Where do you think they got their fresh meats? ..........Widder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Lizard Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Its didn't mention anything about the mules/horses on the front of the wagon. Where do you think they got their fresh meats? ..........Widder Off the battle field?? TL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 McDonalds and Burger King? Where do you think they got their fresh meats? McDonald's and Burger King? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang, SASS #53480 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Currently reading a good book about little known stuff on the Civil War ( War of Norther Agression to you southern folks ) . . . . the lagistics of supplying thousands of soulders with a wagon trail behind the army was a major factor in many engagements . . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nasty Newt # 7365 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Its didn't mention anything about the mules/horses on the front of the wagon. Where do you think they got their fresh meats? ..........Widder Sherman to the officer in charge of his supply train: "If you don't supply my army, and keep it supplied, we will eat up your mules, sir." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Currently reading a good book about little known stuff on the Civil War ( War of Norther Agression to you southern folks ) . . . . the lagistics of supplying thousands of soulders with a wagon trail behind the army was a major factor in many engagements . . . . . It has always been this way, Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Attila, Richard the Lionheart, Washington, Napoleon, Patton, Eisenhower, Schwartzkopf. all were concerned with logistics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 That's a lot of hardtack. I always liked it with strawberry jam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Its didn't mention anything about the mules/horses on the front of the wagon.Where do you think they got their fresh meats?..........WidderFresh?? Hahaha. Salt beef and salt pork were the meats.Troops kearned to test the freshness by thrwing a hunk at a tree. If it bounced off it was edible. If it stuck...pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Brasse, SASS #3562 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 It's all the behind the scenes people. "What did you do in the war?" "I made boxes. lots & lots of boxes" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted December 13, 2016 Author Share Posted December 13, 2016 Now, that is just the hard crackers. Add in the meat, the "desecrated" vegetables, flour, salt, sugar (if they were lucky), coffee, soap, candles, clothing, munitions, tools, arms. and lord knows what else, and you have quite a load out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Now you know why they called them the SUPPLY TRAINS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 and why it was important for the opponents to use a different rail gauge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Here's a question: does anybody know of a good, readable, even adventurous book about wartime logistics, or logistics units? All good military histories will devote some ink to logistics; mostly to acknowledge the importance, etc. They may have an example or two. Everybody knows that an "army travels on its stomach", etc. Everybody pays some passing homage to logistics. We all read about how the railroads were torn up, then repaired, in the Civil War, to use just one example. But it never has much detail. But is there a really good book (or more) about it? Stories of how the supplies were organized, how they got through tough opposition, on and on? There must have been a lot more guys in logistics than in combat, and there must be many stories to tell, from many eras. There must be some little-known gem out there about the subject..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Yep. Google "The Red Ball Express." All about the "supply train" of trucks supplying (trying to supply) the allied forces following the breakout after D-Day Coffinmaker PS" "There were trucks from horizon to horizon" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Yep. Google "The Red Ball Express." All about the "supply train" of trucks supplying (trying to supply) the allied forces following the breakout after D-Day Coffinmaker PS" "There were trucks from horizon to horizon" Yes, but the subject was Civil War logistics. The thing I remember from the movie, "The Red Ball Express" was that poor driver who jumped down from the cab of his truck...and hit a mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Now, that is just the hard crackers. Add in the meat, the "desecrated" vegetables, flour, salt, sugar (if they were lucky), coffee, soap, candles, clothing, munitions, tools, arms. and lord knows what else, and you have quite a load out. COFFEE!!!! What army were you with. Ours only had chicory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry T Harrison Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 (edited) COFFEE!!!! What army were you with. Ours only had chicory. COFFEE!!!! What army were you withThe Union had no shortage of coffee they in fact drank copious quantities when they had the time to boil it. On the march they just chewed the beans. When the armies were close coffee was traded for tobacco Edited December 13, 2016 by Henry T Harrison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 (edited) Gosh, Sorry Trailrider. I thought Red asked about any stories about the logistics. Current ratio of support troops to line troops is about 7 to 1. Edited December 13, 2016 by Colorado Coffinmaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang, SASS #53480 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 The Union had no shortage of coffee they in fact drank copious quantities when they had the time to boil it. On the march they just chewed the beans. When the armies were close coffee was traded for tobacco There is a nice scene in "Gods and Generals" where Union and Confederate pickets do a "truce" to trade coffee & tobacco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted December 13, 2016 Author Share Posted December 13, 2016 The Union had no shortage of coffee they in fact drank copious quantities when they had the time to boil it. On the march they just chewed the beans. When the armies were close coffee was traded for tobacco Federal quartermasters were quite generous in supplying the CSA for the first two years of the war. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Gosh, Sorry Trailrider. I thought Red asked about any stories about the logistics. Current ratio of support troops to line troops is about 7 to 1. Yes, I did. An interesting conversation leads in many directions. I am interested in any writings and stories about logistics; a subject that seems to get short shrift in the literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Yes, but the subject was Civil War logistics. The thing I remember from the movie, "The Red Ball Express" was that poor driver who jumped down from the cab of his truck...and hit a mine! But is there a really good book (or more) about it? Stories of how the supplies were organized, how they got through tough opposition, on and on? There must have been a lot more guys in logistics than in combat, and there must be many stories to tell, from many eras. He said from many eras so Red Ball Express would apply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 Confederate ranger leader John Singleton Moseby had little trouble obtaining supplies... He just took them and arms and ammo from...Federal baggage trains! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 (edited) I had some relatives in the Civil War, Illinois Regiments. One of them kept a journal. He sent home a few pages at a time. One of my cousins put together a book for all of us from the journal. When reading it, one thing kept popping up for me.....they were always sick with "stomach disorder" after they received their rations. They mostly foraged for food and seemed to do ok with that. They also said it was usually after they got salted meat. I imagine it would be quite a logistics problem back then to provide that much food for the troops. Edited December 14, 2016 by Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 Union troops in most areas were prohibited from taking livestock, but permitted to forage for wildlife. The shot farm pigs and butchered them before the officers found out. Called em "Slow Deer". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rancho Roy Posted December 15, 2016 Share Posted December 15, 2016 LOGISTICS.....Wasn't it a German officer upon entering a US camp and finding a piece of birthday cake said..." You can't beat an army who's logistics can find a soldier in battle and deliver a piece of birthday cake from home" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted December 15, 2016 Share Posted December 15, 2016 I read that somewhere but I con't remember who it is attributed to. Have to fire up my Google Foo. Alas .... no joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Hand Posted December 15, 2016 Share Posted December 15, 2016 I believe it was Col Hessler (Robert Shaw) in the 1965 movie "Battle of the Bulge". He is in his command trailer and shows a fresh chocolate cake to his officers. He mentions the allies have so much fuel and supplies that they can fly a birthday cake from the US to Europe and deliver it before it went stale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Cassidy #45437 Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 I made some hardtack to eat once; as an avid historian, I just wanted to experience what the CW soldiers experienced first hand. It was as awful as they all claimed, and mine didn't even have weevils and vermin in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 I made some hardtack to eat once; as an avid historian, I just wanted to experience what the CW soldiers experienced first hand. It was as awful as they all claimed, and mine didn't even have weevils and vermin in it! The weevils are what gives it that little bit of ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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