Supplying the Soldier What items did the

Supplying the Soldier

What items did the Militia issue a soldier? • Image of soldier. Student can click on knapsack, haversack, clothing. Knapsack and haversack open to reveal items. Click on the stars below to discover where the objects were made. Map of Maryland with three stars- one at Hancock’s Resolution, one at Baltimore and one of Harper’s Ferry. National Road and rivers also highlighted- discuss transportation. Classwork- Elementary Classwork- Middle For Teachers Acknowledgements

For Teachers • • • Introduction Objectives Procedure Topic Background References Homework

Acknowledgements • Created by Glenn Johnston and Johanna Seymour, Education Consultants, Maryland Military Historical Society • Photo Credits: (need to create)

Harper’s Ferry Musket • • Made at Harper’s Ferry Federal Arsenal. Made to a standard pattern, set by federal government. Very advanced equipment used in its manufacture. Upon opening in 1798, armory hired very skilled and experienced gunsmiths, engravers and armors mainly from Maryland, and Pennsylvania. These men acquire apprentices, with a usual indenture time from five to seven years. In 1809, the factory expanded and introduced piece-rate accounting practices, which did not require a worker to know every aspect of gun making. The “helpers” hired to work on one section were not apprentices. Their bosses were not obligated to feed, house or clothe them nor teach them all the tools of the trade. Their work became more “time-orientated” and less “task-orientated. ” Arsenal was much smaller than the large factories in operation by the mid 19 th century. Few factories existed nationwide in 1812 -1814. Finished muskets shipped by boat eastward/southwestward or on National Road (via wagons) westward. • Images

Baltimore Shops • • In 1808 the federal government set standards for army cartridge boxes. Other leather, clothing, ship’s biscuits and wood items were made to standards as well. Regimental agents visited small businesses to fill the orders. The agent would provide an example of the needed product for the artisans to make. These small businesses would become contractors. In these small shops, fewer employees than in factories. Most of the workers were male apprentices, artisans in training, or journeymen, who knew how to create the product from start to finish. Journeymen hoped to own their own shop one day (as a Master) or hire themselves as skilled tradesmen (higher wages than unskilled laborers). In a shop, they did not work for wages but for a share of the profit. Apprentices and journeymen often worked alongside and lived with masters. Still, as masters of the house and shop, Masters could discipline their apprentices and prevent them from enlisted. These small businesses were eager for federal contracts. They already produced these types of products but on a smaller scale. Federal contracts called for large numbers of items, and were thus quite lucrative. Due to demand the limited abilities of small shops, a regimental agent had to sign contracts with numerous shops. Thankfully, small businesses, such as , tailors or shoe-makers (cobblers), had existing relationships with other businesses, such as button makers, who became sub -contractors. Since everyone in Baltimore needed shoes and clothing, there were a lot of tailors and cobblers in business who could take government orders. • Images

Leather • Farmers raised and slaughtered animals then sold hides to tanners. • Tanners finished the leather then sold to leather-goods shops such as saddlers and harness makers, where workers turned the hides into finished products based on patterns set by the federal government, such as the 1808 pattern cartridge box • The regimental agent would pick up and pay for the products when finished then bring them to his troops where the quartermaster would distribute them. • Items shipped from the shops to the troops via wagons or small boats. Wagons and small boats business owners and workers also enjoyed the increased need for their services. They could charge by the amount of the good shipped and the distance it traveled. • Baltimore sat at the intersection of several highways, and had an excellent harbor that was the home port of hundreds of ships.

Clothing- Linen and Wool • Farmers grew flax and sheep. Flax fibers from the stem are strong enough to weave. • Farmers sold both semi-finished flax thread and spun wool to weavers. • Weavers would weave both flax and wool into bolts of fabric. • Wholesalers, would buy bolts of fabric. • Wholesalers would sell fabric to tailors or small shops or sometimes the regimental agent directly (if the unit had its own tailors). Sometimes a tailor would bypass the wholesaler and buy directly from a weaver. • Agent would create contracts with tailors and small shops. Again, mostly small shops with apprentices as workers, who shared in the profits. Tailors would turn the fabric into finished items that were made according to a set pattern • Finished clothing would ship via wagon or small boat. Quartermasters distributed clothing to unit.

Bakeries- Ship’s Biscuits • Food locally made. Farmers grew wheat to make flour. • Flour sold to grist mills. Mills processed flour. • Processed flour sold to bakeries. The cheapest, most unprocessed flour would become ships biscuit. • Ships biscuit was used both on ships and by armies on land. • Regimental agents contracted local bakeries for biscuits. • Throughout 1814, Maryland’s Committee of Safety and Vigilance contracted with Baltimore bakers to produce enough ships biscuit for the soldiers to eat • Again, bakeries worked like small shops with a Master and apprentices.

Hancock’s Resolution • Troops needed food that would not easily spoil. • Meat: Salt pork from local farms. Pigs slaughtered in the Fall (when they are the fattest) and cut into one pound chucks. Pork then boiled with salt. Salt was imported, usually from the Azores Island (off the coast of Portugal). Salt preserved pork without refrigerated. Boiling also sterilized meat. • Salted pork was preserved throughout winter in wooden barrels. Farmers bought wooden barrels from coopers. Coopers bought wood from sawyers, how cut trees down and sawed them into planks for market. • Regimental agents bought barrels of salt pork from farmers, transported via wagons or small boats. • Before a regiment marched, the quartermaster issued rations to soldiers. Soldiers typically ate one pound of ships biscuit, one pound of salt pork or beef, and one pint of dried peas per day.