US Army Rations 1861

By definition, a ration is the amount of food authorized for one soldier (or animal) for one day.  The Confederate government adopted the official US Army ration at the start of the war, although by the spring of 1862 they had the reduce it.   According to army regulations for camp rations, a Union soldier was entitled to receive daily 12 oz of pork or bacon or 1 lb. 4 oz of fresh or salt beef; 1 lb. 6 oz of soft bread or flour, 1 lb. of hard bread, or 1 lb. 4 oz of cornmeal. Per every 100 rations there was issued 1 peck of beans or peas; 10 lb. of rice or hominy; 10 lb. of green coffee, 8 lb. of roasted and ground coffee, or 1 lb. 8 oz of tea; 15 lb. of sugar; 1 lb. 4 oz of candles, 4 lb. of soap; 1 qt of molasses. In addition to or as substitutes for other items, desiccated vegetables, dried fruit, pickles, or pickled cabbage might be issued.

The marching ration consisted of 1 lb. of hard bread, 3/4 lb. of salt pork or 1 1/4 lb. of fresh meat, plus the sugar, coffee, and salt. The ration lacked variety but in general the complaints about starvation by the older soldiers was largely exaggerated.

Generally the Confederate ration, though smaller in quantity after the spring of 1862 and tending to substitute cornmeal for wheat flour, was little different. But the Confederate commissary system had problems keeping rations flowing to the troops at a steady rate, thus alternating between abundance and scarcity in its issuances.

Soldiers of both armies relied to a great extent on food sent from home and on the ubiquitous Sutler.

Pay Scale for the Union Army, 1861

Union privates were paid $13 per month until after the final raise of 20 June '64, when they got $16. In the infantry and artillery, officer was as follows at the start of the war: colonels, $212; lieutenant colonels, $181; majors, $169; captains, $115.50; first lieutenants, $105.50; and second lieutenants, $105.50. Other line and staff officers drew an average of about $15 per month more. Pay for one, two, and three star generals was $315, $457, and $758, respectively.

The Confederate pay structure was modeled after that of the US Army. Privates continued to be paid at the prewar rate of $11 per month until June '64, when the pay of all enlisted men was raised $7 per month. Confederate officer's pay was a few dollars lower than that of the their Union counterparts. A Southern B.G for example, drew $301 instead of $315 per month; Confederate colonels of the infantry received $195, and those of artillery, engineers, and cavalry go $210. While the inflation of Confederate Money reduced the actual value of a Southerner's military pay, this was somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that promotion policies in the South were more liberal.

As for the pay of noncommissioned officers, when Southern privates were making $11 per month, corporals were making $13, "buck" sergeants $17, first sergeants $20, and engineer sergeants were drawing $34. About the same ratio existed in the Northern army between the pay of privates and noncommissioned officers.

Soldiers were supposed to be paid every two months in the field, but they were fortunate if they got their pay at four-month intervals (in the Union Army) and authentic instances are recorded where they went six and eight months. Payment in the Confederate Army was even slower and less regular.

Army Corps, 1861

Principle Armies of 1861

Army of the Potomac:

The army was called into existence in July, 1861. It was organized by Major General George B. McClellan, it's first commander.

Army of Virginia:

General Orders No. 103, August 12, 1862, directed the forces under Major Generals Fremont, Banks, and McDowell, including troops under Brigadier General Sturgis in Washington, to be consolidated and was called the Army of Virginia under the command of Major General John Pope. By the beginning of September 1862, the troops forming this army were transferred to other armies and the AOV was disbanded.

Army of the Ohio/Army of the Cumberland:

General Orders No. 97, November 9, 1861, directed General Don Carlos Buell to assume command of the Department of the

. General Buell organized the troops serving in this department as the Army of the Ohio

and remained in command until October 13, 1862, when General W. S. Rosecrans succeeded him. At that time this army became known as the Army of the Cumberland and at this time also became the Fourteenth Corps. At this time a new Department of the Ohio

was created and Major General H. G. Wright was given command. General Wright was succeeded by Major General Burnside, who was relieved by Major General J.G. Foster. On January 28, 1864, Major General J.M. Schofield was given command and then on January 17, 1865, the Department was merged into the Department of the Cumberland.

In January, 1863, the Army of the Cumberland

{Fourteenth Corps} was divided into three corps {Fourteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-first}. In September, 1863, the Twentieth and Twenty-first Corps were consolidated into the Fourth Corps. In October, 1863, General George H. Thomas was given command of the army and the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were added to it. In January, 1864, the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were consolidated and became the Twentieth Corps.

Army of the Tennessee:

This was originally the Army District of Western Tennessee, which fought as such at

It became the Army of the Tennssee upon it's concentration at Pittsburg Landing under General Halleck and when the Department of the Tennssee was formed on October 16, 1862. The troops in this Department were organized as the Thirteenth Corps. On December 18, 1862, they were divided into the Thirteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Corps. On October 27, 1863, Major General William T. Sherman was given command of this army, on March 12, 1864, he was succeeded by Major General J. B. McPherson, who was killed. July 30, 1864, Major General O.O. Howard was placed in command due to McPherson's death. On May 19, 1865, Major General John A. Logan succeeded Howard.

The following are mentioned in the records in connection with important operations.

Army of the Mississippi:

Operations on the Mississippi

in Spring of 1862, before

Army of the Gulf:

Siege of Port

Army of the James:

Made up of the Tenth and Eighteenth Corps and Cavalry, Major General Butler Commanding. Operations in conjunction with the Army of the Potomac.

Army of West Virginia:

Cloyd's Mountain, May 9 and 10, 1864.

Army of the Middle Military Division:

Opequan and Cedar Creek, September and October, 1864.

Summaries of the Armies, 1861