Union Army Uniforms and Insignia of the Civil War

Equipping the Civil War Infantryman

Captain George R. Bradshaw's Receipt 1864

An Infantryman in Field Gear

On September 30, 1864 at Chattanooga, Tennessee Captain George R. Bradshaw (May 15, 1841 - September 10, 1871) of Company F of the 74th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment received seven requested articles of military equipage described as ordnance and ordnance stores for one of the soldiers in his company. This list is interesting because it comprises one set of the weapons and accoutrements carried by a single Civil War infantryman. We can only guess at why Company F, which had existed for better than 2 years would need to equip or re-equip a single soldier at that juncture but it seems that it did. The list includes an English-made .577 Caliber Enfield rifle-musket, a bayonet scabbard (and presumably its bayonet), a cap pouch (cap box), and cone pick, a cartridge box and plate, a cartridge box belt and belt plate, a gun sling and a waist belt and waist belt plate. Just as today, the Union Army floated on a sea of paper work and there was accountability for all items of government property within the massive Army down to each and every belt buckle. Some of the items are visible in the image on the right. Certain items of equipage were the responsibility of the ordnance department and those are the ones listed above. Other items would be drawn from the quartermaster's department stores and those would include things seen in the illustration but not on Captain Bradshaw's list of ordnance stores received: knapsack, haversack, canteen, blanket, shoes and items of clothing. It would be of no surprise if this list had a companion document of other items received from the quartermaster.