USA > New Hampshire > The Third New Hampshire and all about it, pt 2 > Part 59
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General Order 202, War Department, 9 Dec. 1862, provided that the clothing allowance of a volunteer should be 842 per year.
General Order 364. War Department, 12 Nov. 1863, provided that volun- teers should be allowed 842 per year for clothing.
General Order 12, War Department, 5 Jan. 1864. directed that the cloth- ing account of a volunteer soldier be settled as follows : If served 3 months $23.93, if served 6 months 35.32, if served 9 months 40 34.
The reasons for the above are so obvious as to require no explanation. General Order 107, War Department, 16 March 1864. provided that the clothing of a small-pox patient should be burned, and he be furnished free with I pr. trousers, 1 blouse, 1 shirt, I pr. drawers. 1 pr. socks and 1 cap.
It was not the enstom to draw clothing as often as it appeared that a man needed a pair of stockings, because the trouble of drawing wouldn't warrant it. Drawing clothing was somewhat of an event. The company commander would ascertain from the men just what they needed : and make- ing a memorandum of it, would, when the list got to be of any considerable size and the circumstances were propitions, hand the same to the quarter- master. He in turn would invite all the company commanders (nder same circumstances) to hand in their lists. On that basis he would draw from the quartermaster of the post, brigade or division: and then, when deliv- ered to him, he would be ready in turn to issue to the company comman- ders. An issue of clothing meant that the men who had signified their needs in that line should present themselves at the captain's tent and re- ceive the articles and receipt for them on clothing receipt rolls. This was a form (quite large size ' furnished by the government, and was the voucher to be used by the captain to account for the clothing he had drawn from the Quartermaster. Some men drew more than their allowance: and when the pay-day came they found the charge against their pay, thus : " Due U. S. for clothing, etc."
973
THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
It will doubtless be remembered that when the Third New Hampshire left the State. grey miforms were upon the men. The hard service soon after landing at Hilton Head soon put those grey uniforms into a condition where we'd got to have new uniforms ; and blue was issued, as shown in the history proper.
Theoretically, each soldlier cared for and maintained his own ward- robe : but practically he didn't. Many men hired their washing and mend- ing done. There were always. in every company, a few men who could, for a few coins of the realm, be induced to wash and mend for others. They were a great convenience, especially to the dandy soldier, who disdained to plunge his hands beneath the suds or don the thimble. To their credit be it said, that some washers and repairers were competent and skilful, being able to " patch" or to sew on a button as deftly and artistically as a woman.
Nearly every man had, and carried in his knapsack, what was gener- ally called a . Soldier's Companion." and sometimes a " Housewife." This was an assortment of small articles - thimble, thread. needles, buttons. scissors, court-plaster, etc., all systematically arranged in a " roll." This was usually made of enamelled cloth outside, and then faneifully lined with colored silk or other fabric. and little pockets arranged, at proper intervals, for the various small articles enninerated.
These " Companions " were almost always the gift of some loved one at home, and were companions indeed and constant reminders of the giver.
PAYING OFF.
Paying off the troops was an event of no small import. It meant much, and much that is impracticable to write. As a rule. troops were paid every two months : but the exceptions during the late condition of unpleasant rela- tions were so numerous that it was difficult to determine just which practice was the role and which the exception. A long interval between pay days was the harvest for the money lender and the bane of the other fellows. Men wouldl borrow, would foolishly expend money, would run in debt : and the money lender's mission was to assist them so far as able. The gen- eral rule was. "I'll give you five dollars next pay day for four dollars now." It was an enormous rate: but the risk was great, it being almost impossible to collect such a debt if the borrower died or was killed. That risk, and also his risk of indisposition to pay, had to be taken : hence high rates of interest. Whenever it became certain that we were to be paid within a few days, the money lender got his accounts in shape for settlement. The man . who had borrowed calmly counted np the various sums he had borrowed. frequently tinding but little would be left for himself and the sufler. The frugal man frequently let go his grip on the last dollar and invested it in condensed milk. if he felt sure the paymaster was coming. The paying off was a simple process and was generally by companies, beginning with Co. A. The men were marched up by thank to the Colonel's or Adjutant's tent, and there the paymaster and his clerks received the signatures of the men and disbursed the ducats. It was a gala day. Everybody was happy, even to the money lender. It may here be remarked that as the borrower of high degree repaid his losses, a tinge of sadness mounted his noble brow at the limited amount left on hand for present and future wants. A general paying. off of debts, the sending of money home and other pleasant duties generally occupied the remainder of the day. and the gala appearance did not disap- pear for two or three days. Did the paymaster leave anything in his wake? He certainly did, and the writer's duty is to record what was usually seen in that wake. It was not phosphorescence, but rather effervescence. With his disappearance, almost simultaneously there appeared an abnormal quantity of liquid happiness, that even sutlers are not permitted to sell. Just how this happened is not the mission of the writer to unravel. He can deal only with the facts. In addition to the liquid alluded to. there was a sudden in- crease in the number of men in the gnard house, and a decrease of the usual respect shown toward superiors. In fact, it was no unusual thing at those
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times for a common, ordinary soldier to " sass" his corporal. The sutler reaped his harvest (see Sutler). Before many days had elapsed the usual routine of camp life was in full operation : the borrowers had begun to borrow, and the men had begun to prognosticate as to how soon the pay- master would come again.
WHEN PAID.
October, 1861, at Fort Monroe (Stmr. Atlantic), by Maj. G. B. Pangborn, for August, 1861 (really from muster-in).
4 Nov. 1861, off' Port Royal, S. C. (Stmr. Atlantic), by Maj. G. B. Pangborn, for September and October. 1861.
13 Feb. 1862, at Hilton Head, S. C., by Maj. Hewett, for November and December, 1861.
6 April 1862, at Edisto Island, S. C., by -, for January and February. 1862.
13 June 1862, at James Island, S. C., by -, for March and April, 1862.
15 July 1862, at Hilton Head, S. C., by Maj. Mason, for May and June, 1862. 18 Oct. 1862, at Hilton Head, S. C., by Maj. Mason, for July and August, 1862.
10 Feb. 1863, at Pinckney Island and Hilton Head, S. C., by Maj. Mason, for September and October, 1862.
18 April 1863, at Botany Bay and Bay Point, by * Maj. Wm. S. Stryker, for November and December, 1862, and January and February, 1863.
16 June 1863, at St. Helena, S. C., by Maj. Win. S. Stryker, for March and April, 1863.
22 July 1863, at Morris Island, S. C., by Maj. Wm. S. Stryker, for May and June, 1863.
17 Oct. 1863, at Morris Island, S. C., by Maj. Flagg, for July and August, 1863. 28 Nov. 1863, at Morris Island, S. C., by Maj. Wm. S. Stryker, for September and October, 1863.
February, 1864, at Morris and Small Islands, S. C., by Maj. Rucker, for November and December, 1863.
18 March 1864, at Hilton Head, S. C., by -, for January and February, 1864.
10 Oct. 1864. at Laurel Hill, Va., by + Maj. O. M. Dorman, for March, April, May, June. July and August, 1864.
4 April 1865, at Wilmington, N. C., by Maj. Pulsifer, for September, Octo- ber, November and December, 1864 (and not again till final muster-out - Concord, N. H.)
* Now Adjutant-General of New Jersey.
t A diary says "we were offered 7-30's at this payment."
PAY TABLE.
Private : Prior to 6 Ang. 1861 Sil per month, then $13 per month to 1 May 1864, then $16 per month.
Corporal : Same as private, but when private's pay was increased to $16, corporal's was increased to SIS.
Sergeant : To I May 1864 817 per month, afterwards $20.
Ist Sergeant : To 1 May 1864 820 per month, afterwards 824.
Sergeant-Major : To 1 May 1864 $21 per month, afterwards $26.
Commissary-Sergeant : Same as sergeant-major prior to 1 May 1864: after 1 May 1864 822 per month.
Quartermaster-Sergeant : Same as commissary-sergeant prior to 1 May 1864; after 1 May 1864 822 per month.
Hospital Steward : $30 per month (three classes in Regular Army, 830, 822 and $20); after 1 May 1864: first class $33, second class 825, third class 823.
Principal Musician : 821 per month; after 1 May 1864, $22 per month.
Musician : Same as private prior to and after 1 May 1864.
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THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
Wagoner : Same as private prior to and after 1 May 1864.
(The increase of 1 May 1864 was anthorized by Act of Congress .- Public Resolution No. 122, approved 20 June 1864 .- and promulgated by General Orders 216, War Department, 22 June 1864, to take effect as of 1 May 1864.)
Colonel : 895, six rations 854, and two servants $45 : total $194, and 84 for forage.
Lieutenant-Colonel : $80, five rations $45, and two servants $45 : total $170, and 83 for forage.
Major : S70, four rations 836, and two servants $45 : total $151, and $3 for forage.
Surgeon : 880, four rations $36, and two servants 845 : total $161, and forage for two horses in actual use.
Assistant-Surgeon : 870, four rations $36, one servant $22.50 : total $128.50, and forage for two horses in actual use.
Chaplain $100: two rations $18, and no servants : total $118, and $1 for- forage.
Quartermaster : Same as Ist lieutenant and $10 additional, and $2 for forage. Commissary : This is inserted for the purpose of emphasizing the fact that there was no such officer as a regimental commissary.
Adjutant : Same as Ist lieutenant and 810 additional. and 82 for forage. Captain : $60, four rations $36, and one servant $22.50 : total, $118.50. 1st Lieutenant : 850, four rations 836, and one servant 822.50 : total, $108.50. 2d Lieutenant : 845, four rations 836, and one servant 822.50 : total, $103.50. Leader of the Band : Same as 2d lieutenant.
Band : The law provided for 24 men, one-fourth of whom should be paid the same as sergeants of engineers 834: another fourth to be paid the same as corporals of engineers $20; the remaining half to be paid same as privates of engineers of the first class $17. The Band, however, made a different distribution of it. (See Band.)
LEAVES OF ABSENCE.
Leaves of absence to officers were the same as furlonghs to enlisted men - a privilege to be absent from duty for a specified time, and usually with the right to go where one pleased.
Leaves of absence were generally for thirty days, but there were (in the Third New Hampshire) variations from this, of seven, ten, fourteen, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five days. When an officer was sick or wounded and obtained a leave in consequence of it, he was said to have obtained a "sick leave."
In this latter case, particularly, if he was unable to return at the expira- tion of his leave. he was obliged to obtain a certificate from a regular physician to that effect. sworn to, etc., and a copy sent to Washington. and another to his regiment. This was usually made to cover a period of twenty days, the certificate affirming that the officer would be unable to travel for twenty days. This latter having expired, and still finding him- self unable to travel. the process was repeated, covering another twenty days. This was the generally accepted limit, and thereafter the officer was liable to. peremptory discharge for disability.
General Order 52, War Department, 14 May 1862, directed all officers on leave to rejoin their regiments at once, and actually revoked their " leaves." There were so many absent at the time, it was considered necessary and ex- pedient to do this apparently unjust thing; but in many cases it worked hardship. It was found that the order above quoted was not having its. desired effect.
General Order 61, War Department. 7 June 1862. provided that all officers absent with leave would be considered absent without leave if they didn't return to their regiments and posts within fifteen days.
This order permitted invalids (sick or wounded) to report to the Camp of Instruction at Annapolis ( for the East), and at Camp Chase, Ohio. (for the West). Apparently this order, even, didn't result as intended.
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General Order 92, War Department, 31 July 1862, ordered (by the Presi- dent) that on Monday, 11 Ang. 1862, all leaves of absence (and furlonghs, too), by whosoever given (except by the War Department), be revoked and absolutely annulled. The only valid excuses will be: 1. An order of the War Department (leave) ; 2. Disability from wounds received in action ; 3. Disability from disease that renders the officer untit for military service.
The order very significantly adds that no officer able to visit watering places, places of amusement, etc., will be exensed. The order further pro- vides for a special muster on 18 Angust, to ascertain who were yet absent - pay to be stopped - to be dismissed the service, and none to be restored except through a court of inquiry and with the approval of the President. To make the order etficacions. the Secretary of War was anthorized to ap- point a commissioner from each State; and all marshals, mayors, chiefs of police, sheriff's, postmasters and justices of the peace, were authorized to. arrest at $5 per head. There can be no doubt that the government meant " business " at that time.
General Order 100, War Department, 11 Ing. 1862 (the very day of the limit of previous order, No. 92), revoked so much of General Order 92 as re- lated to extensions of sick leaves. and said no applications for such exten- sions need hereafter be made. The order further provided that all officers who have been absent more than sixty days on account of wounds or disease and still unable to rejoin, will be reported to the Adjutant-General for dis- charge.
General Order 326. War Department, 28 Sept. 1863, provided that officers might be sentenced by a general court-martial to be reduced to the ranks, for absence without leave, and to thus serve for three years or during the war.
General Order 383, War Department, 30 Nov. 1863, authorized the com- manders of geographical departments to grant leaves in accordance with the regulations; but no officer will be permitted to visit Washington, except by order of the War Department (special permit) : and no extension will be granted by the War Department except on the approval of the officer grant- ing the leave.
General Order 279, War Department, 10 Nov. 1864, directed that all leaves of absence (and furloughs, too - the order erroneously designates both as furloughs) of those fit for duty expire on the 14th (four days' notice), and all were ordered to report at once to the nearest draft rendez- vous. The Provost Marshal-General was directed to enforce the order.
The first leave of absence granted to any officer of the Third New Hampshire was to Col. Fellows, in April, 1862. and the last to Capt. Wood- bury. The latter rejoined the regiment only an hour or two after its arrival in Concord. There were cases where officers went home on recruiting ser- vice : with the veterans, March, 1864, and with the "expired term " men in August, 1864, and with the "' discharged on order " men in June, 1865, which were subtantially leaves of absence.
Some of the cases were better than a "leave." Some of the short leaves were within the Department of the South, and Beanfort or St. Augustine, or Fernandina, were the places visited. (See list.)
FURLOUGHS.
Furloughs were simply authorized privileges to go home, or anywhere else, and generally for thirty days. These privileges were very desirable, and he who got one was called " a lucky dog." They were generally be- stowed npon the most deserving, and there are instances where the same person had three furlonghs. The term " furlough " for men is synouomons with " leave of absence" for officers. Sometimes men were furlonghed be- canse they were unable to do duty. either from sickness or wounds, and such were termed " sick furloughs." In some Instances, where a hospital was overcrowded, those who were able to travel were furloughed to relieve the hospital. While the regiment was at Hilton Head. a large number of passes were given to Beanfort, for one, two. or three days, to visit friends in other regiments; but these were in no wise considered as furloughs.
7
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SURG. ANDREW J. H. BUZZELL ..
Sa:
ASST. SURG. CHARLES A. BURNHAM.
LIEGT. ALVAN H. LIBBY, Adjt.
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THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT.
The writer has made a memorandum of every furlough coming to his knowledge; and the list which he gives is not put forth as a complete list, but substantially correet as far as it purports to cover the ground .. The list given is entirely exclusive of the re-enlisted men, each of whom received a furlough (except as noted), and need not be repeated. That some were ungrateful and ungracious enough not to return at the expiration of their furloughs (and this applies not only to those of the re-enlisted class, but to others as well) is sadly true.
Sometimes they simply overstayed just a week or so, you know, and then returned. These cases were generally treated with great liberality and leniency. Very, very few of such ever suffered further than in their own minds. They were generally at once restored to duty without trial, and some of them were actually promoted to warrants, and even to commissions. Another class of furloughs worthy of separate mention were those granted in October, 1864, to men in hospital, for the purpose of going home to vote at the November election. (Officers also had " leaves " for same purpose.)
Every man who had been taken prisoner and paroled, was entitled to a furlough of thirty days at once; but this was revoked 28 June 1862, by General Order 72, War Department, and all furloughs then unexpired were revoked and all ordered to report at certain named places at once (for the East, at Annapolis, Md.) This privilege was restored later.
General Order 78, War Department, 14 July 1862. directed that the granting of furloughs be discontinued, owing to the many evils arising. All furloughs (and leaves of absence) were revoked by General Order 92, War Department, 31 July 1862. (Noted elsewhere.)
By General Order 391, of 9 Dec. 1863. Commanders of Departments were authorized to grant furloughs to men in hospital within their com- mands. (Noted elsewhere.)
This latter was modified by enlarging the percentage from five per cent to twenty per cent by General Order 2, War Department, 2 Jan. 1864.
Furloughs were granted paroled men by General Order 122, War Department. 28 March 1864, to not over twenty per cent at a time from any post, and not over thirty days duration, and the time to be graduated by the distance to homes. and good condnet to be a pre-requisite. All furloughs (and leaves of absence), by whomsoever given, were revoked 10 Nov. 1>64 by General Order 279, War Department. to take effect the 14thi, and all to report to the nearest draft rendezvous. The Provost Marshal General was directed and empowered to carry out the order.
One group of furlonghed men must not be overlooked -the men who received this favor for their excellent conduct during the siege at Morris Island.
See list of furloughs, made as nearly correct as the limited information and data at hand will permit. The list does not include the re-enlisted men or the paroled men, all of whom were presumed to have had furloughs.
PROMOTIONS AND REDUCTIONS.
(NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.)
As a rule, fitness and worth (or their opposites) were considered; but there were many cases where personal reasons were paramount. Many of the cases of reduction were for the most trivial and capricious reasons, and frequently without due deliberation or inquiry as to obseure but mitigating faets. The above statement may be more readily accepted, by observing the fact that in several instances the same persons were almost imme- diately promoted again to their former places.
At least one such case (really a group of cases) can be seen in Co. B: and the reductions took place at Washington, and under circumstances very like these. Squads of say ten men each from each company were permitted to go. to the city daily, by rotation, to see the Capitol and some other objects of interest, and always charged to behave their best and have their
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brasses eclipsed only by the sun at its meridian height. For some slight variation in the prescribed straight jacket, several of B's non-coms. got reduced. As the Captain himseif did not make a good record for the Cap- tain of Co. B, it may be inferred that he acted too hastily. This much in semi-justification of these non-coms.
The supposition was that promotions among non-coms. should be by sen- iority, etc., the same as in commissions ; but many a corporal and many a sergeant reckoned without his host. They were "jumped." This means that a corporal appointed later than the other seven, may be appointed a sergeant to fill a vacancy ; or a private may be appointed Ist sergeant, " jumping " all the eight corporals and four sergeants. This was more than once the case. Of course there was "kicking" in consequence : some resigned their warrants rather than submit to the humiliation, as they called it. Or a sergeant was " jumped" over the 1st sergeant to a commis- sion. More cases need not be cited.
When a corporal or sergeant was reduced, the process was familiarly termed " stripes (chevrons) taken off." The method of reduction (or pro- motion either) was by the captain calling on the colonel with the com- plaint or recommendation, as the case might be ; and the result was an order emanating from headquarters of the regiment, and read on parade, reduc- ing "Corp. John Smith of Co. Q to the ranks, for insubordination or incom- petency, etc .; and Private James Smith is promoted to Corporal of Co Q, rice Corp. John Smith reduced, and he will be obeyed and respected accord- ingly."
One peculiar case happened on St. Helena Island, S. C., in June, 1863, where a company (nameless now and evermore), by some hocus pocus, had more than the regular number (8) of corporals. Just how to deal with this hydra-headed difficulty was a vexed conundrum for several days. Finally a compromise was effected, by several of the corporals agreeing to sur- render their warrants and permit the Colonel to appoint anew or substitute other names, not to exceed the regulation eight. They would n't resign - no, not at all, but simply surrendered; and it was conceded that neither of them could be reduced, for none had committed any offence whatever. What might have been the result if these generous-hearted corporals had not thus vacated their offices, one can hardly predict.
The " will be obeyed and respected accordingly " attachment to every order of promotion, caused a smile to play around the mouths of the privates, especially if the promotion was to the dignified position of a cor- poral, as a corporal got no more pay than a private, till after 1 May 64. When the increase came, the major part of the smiling disappeared, and the corporal was treated with increased respect. The reducing of a non- com. was sometimes termed . breaking " him.
EXTRA DUTY.
(INCLUDING EXTRA DUTY, DAILY DUTY, SPECIAL DUTY, DETACHED SERVICE.)
The line of demarkation is not strictly drawn between certain kinds of classified service. By this it is intended to refer only to duties other than the ordinary duties of soldiers, such as drilling, cleaning up (policing) the parade ground. eating one's own rations, sleeping, marching, fighting, polishing one's gun-barrel, etc. In order to give a general idea of the dif- ferent classifications, it may be said that if a soldier was detailed as company cook, with the responsibilities attendant thereon, he was on daily duty. He might or might not be thus reported on the morning report. But just as sure as an order was issued, or a custom came into vogne (even though it was temporarily so) of accounting for every man, just so surely the cook was reported as on " daily duty." Generally there were two of these function- aries ; but at the last of the war, when companies had dwindled to mere squads, ouly oue cook was permitted to hold office in a company. Under " daily duty " were also included the nurses and attendants in the regimental
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