2nd Florida Uniform Report
Uniform and Equipment Returns of the 2ndFlorida Infantry
The 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment was clothed with uniforms provided by the state of Florida in late 1861. ..the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, at the third session thereof, passed an act providing that if the several States should clothe the troops raised in each State for service of the whole, the Secretary of War should pay the value in money of such clothing to the Governors of the States so furnishing the same, and the Honorable L. P. Walker, late Secretary of War, after the passage of said act, sent a letter to Honorable M. S. Perry, late Governor of this State, wherein, after referring to such law, he urged the Governor to proceed to procure clothing for the Florida Volunteers, stating the inability of the Confederate States to provide for all the troops in service; and your memorialists further show that the late Governor Perry, on the receipt of said letter, proceeded to contract for as much clothing as could be made, but did not succeed in providing more than has been found sufficient to clothe the 2nd Regiment of Infantry..."
From: "A Journal of the Proceedings of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of Florida, at its Eleventh Session, Begun and Held at the Capitol, in the City of Tallahassee, on Monday, November 18, 1861:"p. 69] Effects and articles of clothing of soldiers of the 2nd Fla.
In the compiled service records are some receipts for clothing in the summer of 1861 including jackets, caps, pants, drawers, shirts, shoes, blankets, and socks. Some of these receipts show that some of the above items were drawn after the regiment reached VA.
Here is some data culled from the compiled service records of the regiment, most of it dealing with their early service in Virginia through 1862.
On July 30, 1862 Col. G.T. Ward (later KIA at Williamsburg) drew the following ordnance stores for his regiment:
2 "Artillery swords”
78 Cartr. Boxes
145 cartr. box belts
174 waist belts
84 cap pouches
174 Bayonet scabbards
483 knapsacks
6 sword belts
43 canteens
36,000 Cart., Cal. .69
39 packing boxes
Received on Aug. 7, 61 for Capt. Daniels' Co. at Richmond, VA for 87 men [there is a similar receipt for Capt. Theo. Brevard's Co]:
87 knapsacks
21 haversacks
87 cap pouches
87 waist belts
87 gun slings
The next month, Sept. 16, 61 Daniels drew six muskets and bayonets with scabbards, and six sets of cartridge boxes with belts, cap pouches, and gun slings. Two more knapsacks were received.
On November 11, 1861 Pvt. J.R. Bradley of Co. H, 2nd Fla. Inf. died leaving behind one knapsack containing the following:
1 pr. blue cotton pants
2 prs. white cotton drawers
2 white cotton and wool under shirts
3 blue striped cotton under shirts
1 red flannel shirt
1 pr. red flannel drawers
1 woolen neck handkerchief
2 prs white woollen socks
2 and one half prs white cotton socks
1 coloured cotton pocket handkerchief
1 gray uniform cap
1 double white woolen blanket
1 pr. shoes
On February 25, 1862 Pvt. James E. Fletcher of the 2nd Fla. died leaving behind:
1 pr. blankets
1 over coat
4 white shirts
4 over shirts
1 vest
3 pr. woollen socks
3 pr cotton socks
2 cravats
1 hair brush
1 cotton handkerchief
1 math [or match,] book
1 cap
2 pr. shoes
1 knapsack
2 pr pants
1 pocket knife
The regiment was certainly clothed in Richmond Depot patterns after the distribution of those goods became standard in the ANV. A couple of years ago on ebay a photo of a 2nd Fla. Regt. NCO was sold, with the guy wearing an RDII jacket (alas I did not save a copy!). The state of Florida did continue to forward clothing to their troops in VA and TN, but almost all of it went to the troops in the west between 62 and 64. Some shirts, drawers, etc. from Florida were forwarded to the 2nd, 5th, and 8th Fla. Regt.s in May, 64.
Perhaps the most interesting item I came upon after the regiment left Florida was a March 1, 1862 receipt for "one (1) bolt Whl Homespun" totalling 35 1/2 yards "being required for badges for the 2nd Fla. Regt."
On July 21, 1862 the regiment drew for its 386 men in Virginia:
113 pr. pants
15 "coats"
88 pr. cotton drawers
92 cotton shirts
118 pr. cotton socks
20 pr wool socks
97 pr. shoes
16 wool over shirts
5 cotton under shirts
One year later, after the Battle of Gettysburg, Capt. Chas. Seton Fleming's records contain receipts for clothing for several of the companies. These show the regiment received clothing on July 22, August 1, and August 10, 1863. These receipts for Cos. F, G, H, K, M show standard items like caps, jackets, pants, drawers, socks, and shoes.
James "Archie" Marshall,
VeteransMemorial Park and Museum, Tampa