Early War Preparations and the Costs Of War – August 1861
War Preparations
After the Attack on Fort Sumter —The call had been made for troops. New Hampshire responded with her first three regiments. The First Regiment was a three-month’s regiment. Its history, condensed, is as follows:
THE FIRST NEW HAMPSHIRE. (Three Months Service)
The regiment encamped at (near) Concord, on the easterly side of the Merrimack River, on “The Plains,” about a mile from the city. The regiment left Concord for the front 25 May 1861, and returned to Concord 5 Aug. 1861.
Discharged before leaving Concord 3
Discharged for disability 13
Discharged by general court-martial 2
Died 0
Captured 5
Deserted 0
Transferred to 2nd NH Infantry: 35
The First Regiment was officially received and welcomed 8 Aug. 1861, by public demonstration, procession, etc.
THE SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE (From Three Months to Three Years)
This regiment was originally designed for three months’ service; but during its formation, it was changed to a three years’ regiment. It was quartered at Portsmouth, in the old “rope-walk,” or “barracks,” at the southerly end of the city. The mustering-in began 31 May 1861, and extended over several days, ending 8 June 1861. The regiment left Portsmouth for war on 22 June 1861, via Eastern Railroad to Boston, where a dinner was given them in Faneuil Hall, and then headed South. The Second New Hampshire Regiment took part in the first battle of the war at Bull Run, fought at Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Mechanicsville and Gaines’ Mill, and took an important part and suffered its greatest loss at Gettysburg. In Company I alone, of this regiment, Newmarket had ten men, of whom four were wounded in battle.
THE THIRD NEW HAMPSHIRE (Three Years Service)
The camping place selected was on the easterly side of the Merrimack River, on the side farthest from and opposite the city of Concord, and quite near the bank of the river, on the “intervals,” almost as level as a floor. This camp existed several days without a name. On the 11th of August a letter was dated thus:”Camp without a name,” and says “I was ordered into camp with my men on the 8th – AYER.”
ACTUAL COSTS FOR THE THIRD REGIMENT
Of the arrivals in camp and assignment to companies, the bills paid by the State for service, at $13 a month, from date of enlistment to date of arrival at rendezvous.
Company Arrival Date by Company, August, 1861 Amount Expended
A 13 $ 410.95
B 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 23 471.30
C 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 461.41
D 16, 19, 21 1,183.86
E 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 19 419.53
F 7, 8, 15, 19, 20, 22, 26 386.21
G 20, 21 561.30
II 13, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25 541.52
I 20, 21, 23, 26 431.24
K 20, 23 642.09
Band 26 296.42
Total all Companies $5,806.13
THE TEN-DOLLAR STATE BOUNTY
This was a sort of gratuity, as the sum was so small it hardly deserved the dignified name of bounty. Later on, a bounty meant perhaps a thousand dollars. This ten-dollar bounty was distributed as follows:
Company Amount Company Amount
A $ 1,010 G $ 3,970
B 1,000 H 1,010
C 1,010 I 950
0 930 K 1, 000
E 980 Band 250
F 1,010 C. S. and Q.M.S 20
Total All Companies: $10, 160
The authority for this disbursement was as follows:
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
General Order No. 2: CONCORD, 31 July 1861.
It is hereby ordered that a bounty of ten dollars ($10.00) be paid to each man who has enlisted or who may hereafter enlist into the Third Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers, or any other regiment or company, and who may be accepted and mustered into the service of the United States. — Order signed by Governor Nathaniel S. Berry; Adjutant-General Anthony Colby, and the vote of the Council authorizing the above was 30th of July, 1861
Additional Costs
An Additional Cost not included was their board bills, which were $2.50 per week at the place of enlistment. The bills for the same, upon examination, appear incomplete in that no bills appear for Companies A and C, though it may be fair to infer by their absence and a knowledge of certain facts that no board bill was incurred by those companies, they both being military organizations (or partly so), and probably did not leave their homes till the day of departure for Concord. The board bills found amounted to over $2,500.
The railroad fares, stage fares, meals en route, the two dollars premium for each man recruited, etc., etc., must all be passed quickly over. The railroad charged two cents per mile. One special train from Concord to New Market Junction, 10 Aug. 1861, cost $154.90. The heaviest bills for the carrying of men were on the Concord & Portsmouth Railroad: one for $510 from New Market Junction, and another for $393 from Portsmouth; the whole bill of the Concord & Portsmouth Railroad being $923.28.
Additional Mustering Out Costs for the Third Infantry
Actual Costs of the 3rd NH Regiment up t0 September 3rd, 1861
Recruiting ($2.00) 32,000
Board Bills 2,500
Pay ($13 per month) 5,300
$10 bounties 10,160
09 horses 11,767
22 wagons 3,230
Harnesses 1,353
Baud instruments 1,200
Caps 1,155
Drawers 8o9
Shirts 2,510
Cap letters 62
Blankets 5,611
Frock coats 6,052
Trousers 3,453
Overcoats 7,021
Shoes 1,480
Stoves 770
Haversacks 341
Knapsacks 3,202
Blouses 1,208
Socks 467
Rations 4,102
Canteens 420
Tents 4.150
1,030 Enfield rifles 30,140
Equipments 4,143
50,000 Cartridges 362
Hospital supplies 900
One bill for transportation, by Con., Man. & Law. R.R. 1,000
One bill (transportation) Boston, Con. & Mon. R.R. 279
One bill (only) Concord & Portsmouth R.R. 923
State of New Hampshire to Steamer Connecticut, for detention $8,365.00:
1,058 meals @ .25 cents 564.50
provisions not mused 310.50
THE COST OF A REGIMENT.
To the larger bills, add for such items as straw, hay, oats, wood, stationery, telegrams, express, pistols, swords, chests, freight, teaming, plates, spoons, knives, forks, clippers, camp-kettles, mess pans, axes, horse-shoeing, hatchets, shovels, drums, bean-pots, brands, soap, etc. —
—on the basis of One Regiment (1,000 men), each man and his outfit has cost $120, and we have a grand total of over one $120,000.
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