Quartermaster Corps?

[sharps54]

Well I was going to (and still may) do a (white) cavalry scout for SASS but it kind of takes some of the fun out of GAF if I don't have a snazzy uniform! So I got to thinking about what branch would be fun to play and I keep coming back to Quartermaster. Now my understanding is that the Quartermaster Corps in the west prior to 1884 was probably officer heavy as there were many civilian employees such as Wagoners, Blacksmiths, etc. I need to do some research but didn't Quartermasters coordinate the use of railroads by the Army? Would the Acting Quartermaster officer for a unit be involved in much travel to secure contacts, civilian workers, animals, and the like? I have seen references (but not read the source material) that a Lt. William Boyle, Field Quartermaster during the Modoc War did inspection tours. Oh well, I guess I am just looking for something a bit different. 

[St. George]

A very brief history...

Organization of the Quartermaster General's Department occurred under the Act of 28 March, 1812, and in March of 1813 - a Commisary General of Purchases came into being, along with nine Deputy Commissaries and six Assistant Commissaries.

Military storekeepers supplanted Quartermaster Officers, and these men were the civl servants of the times.

In 1842, the Quartermaster General assumed all supply functions from the Commisary General of Purchases, and Congress removed most military storekeepers.

Only Officers constituted the Quartermaster Staff until Congress authorized eighty Post Quartermaster Sergeants in 1884.

The Quartermaster General's Department, Pay Department and Post Commissary Sergeants united to form the Quartermaster Corps - effective 1 November 1912, as a result of a rider attached to the Army Appropriations Act of 1912.

Quartermaster responsibilitues included purchase of supplies other than food, transportation of personnell and equipment by water, rail, wagon and stage, purchase, repair and operation of vessels and the maintenance of wharves.

Food for thought, if an Impression is to be done.

The Post Quartermaster Sergeant would be the responsible man dealing with minutae.

In short - he was a bureaucrat and most likely he was pretty pleased with the assignment - which kept him warm and well fed and pretty much indoors - and gave him some power besides, in the late days of his long career.

His uniform bordered on something short of 'plain', since there weren't many distinguishing marks at the time.


Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[sharps54]

St. George,
Thank you for the information. I have looked around online and have noticed numerous mentions of officers assigned as "Field Quartermaster" or "Acting Quartermaster" for units. A prime example is Lt. Boyle who was assigned as "Field Quartermaster" and while on inspection actually wrote a letter recommending a unit be moved because another officer had fallen in with some unsavory civilians! Was a regiment's quartermaster officer just an "additional duty" assigned to officers that would still belong to Cavalry or Infantry or was it actually held by members of the Quartermaster Corps? I would think the Post Quartermaster Sergeants would pretty much stay back at the "fort", which as you mention would be a comfortable job. No doubt they managed to keep some of the best equipment for themselves, even if they didn't need it . I am looking more for someone that would have to go place to place to hire civilians, handle contracts, and conduct inspections. Did the SGTs handle the hiring and management of the civilian blacksmiths and what not as well?

The plain uniform doesn't bother me as I would expect some of the officers involved may have served in other branches and are now assigned to the Quartermaster Corps because (like me) their bodies weren't the same as they ever were.

[Trailrider]

St. George,
Thank you for the information. I have looked around online and have noticed numerous mentions of officers assigned as "Field Quartermaster" or "Acting Quartermaster" for units. A prime example is Lt. Boyle who was assigned as "Field Quartermaster" and while on inspection actually wrote a letter recommending a unit be moved because another officer had fallen in with some unsavory civilians! Was a regiment's quartermaster officer just an "additional duty" assigned to officers that would still belong to Cavalry or Infantry or was it actually held by members of the Quartermaster Corps? I would think the Post Quartermaster Sergeants would pretty much stay back at the "fort", which as you mention would be a comfortable job. No doubt they managed to keep some of the best equipment for themselves, even if they didn't need it . I am looking more for someone that would have to go place to place to hire civilians, handle contracts, and conduct inspections. Did the SGTs handle the hiring and management of the civilian blacksmiths and what not as well?

The plain uniform doesn't bother me as I would expect some of the officers involved may have served in other branches and are now assigned to the Quartermaster Corps because (like me) their bodies weren't the same as they ever were.

The duties of AAQM (Acting Assistant Quartermaster) were generally additional duties assigned to one of the officers at the post, often junior officers with some experience.  The terms "Acting Assistant QM or Adjutant General" applied to all officers other than the QM General or Adjustant General of the Army.  They were "acting" as opposed to permanently assigned those duties, and "assistant" as they weren't the actual General officer.  As an example, Lt. Fred. H. Beecher, KIA Beecher Island, 18 Sept 1868, was the AAQM of the 3rd Infantry at the posts where he was stationed prior to the Forsyth Scout during which he was killed.  Beecher was actually in charge of seeing to the building of serveral Kansas "forts", using mostly soldiers to do the work.  He also was in charge of issuing equipment to the troops.  As the 3rd Infantry was the ONLY infantry unit west of the Mississippi that was issued repeating arms, and these were Spencer rifles with triangular bayonets, he MAY have issued RIFLES to many of the civilian scouts that participated in the Beecher Island battle, rather than CARBINES, as has always been inferred!

The practice of assigning the duties of AAQM to junior officers continued at least through 1876 at Sidney Barracks, Nebraska.  I can't dig out the name of the officer at this point, but he was either 1LT A. D. King, or 2nd LT James Foster, both Cavalry officers of 3rd CAV.  These were additional duties, as Foster was a platoon leader in Company I, 3rd CAV.  King may have been the AAAG.

Hope this is of interest and some assistance.

 

[St. George]

The Post Quartermaster Sergeant did those things as the bureaucrat he was - there weren't 'additional duties' as there are today, and the Army was pretty specific about who did what.

As to the allusion of them keeping the best equipment - well, now...

Though they did handle the Army's equipment and uniforms and the like - they were pretty scrupulous, since it job was taken seriously and great trust was placed in their hands.

Besides - there was little to pilfer, since there was little being bought, and any misappropriation was glaringly obvious, since the responsibility for the Government's dollar was well monitored, with paper trails in place, and penalties were severe.

Men of that time took these responsibilites seriously.

Now - as to the term - 'quartermaster'  - it was the basic name for the guy who kept track of supplies.

That could be anyone - but it wasn't necessarily a member of the Quartermaster General's Department, just a 'responsible party' for a set length of time.

As such - his uniform was that of his assigned Branch, and his duty was very temporary.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[sharps54]

Trailrider and St. George

Gotcha,
OK, well I think I will move up a few years to after 1884 and just do the Post Quartermaster SGT. No reason for me to come up with too important a job (riding all around doing inspections) when the Quartermaster SGT was pretty important himself.

St. George, understand I don't mean to disrespect the Quartermaster NCOs, I was the "Supply CPL" (the slot of Unit Supply SGT) with B Co., 1/9 INF (L) in the early 90's. This is also why I was looking at the Quartermaster Corps; the other jobs I did, CO's RTO, NBC NCO, and later "Dragonmaster" (UNIX database administrator), didn't exist back then!

modfied to add
Trailrider, that is interesting information about Breecher's Island, worth further investigation! That seems to be one of the few time the non-Indian scouts were issued weapons by the Army.

[St. George]

Sometimes, the best Impressions are an amalgamation of 'your' Service time, overlaid on those of the past.

The Post Quartermaster Sergeant was a damned important figure in those times - especially since there were so few of them.

In those days, the Army expected that the dollar so grudgingly allocated by Congress was stretched to its maximum potential.

Between the Post Commander and his Post Quartermaster Sergeant - the Government got it's money's worth - and more.

Today - it's a little different - and in the days preceding the Automated Property Book - it 'was' easier to massage numbers, and manipulate the System, but back then - a system of checks and balances - Personal Integrity and Organizational Watchfulness - kept folks on the straight and narrow.

As an aside - in my collection/library - I have a 'Handbook for Quartermasters'.

In it, the idea of frugality and getting the most value is outlined in amazing detail - instructing the Quartermaster in the purchase of meat, fruit, and all manner of vegetables - along with harness, webbing and even the construction and expectations of same of pretty much everything the Army owned.

Today - all that's contracted out and purchased off the shelf, where possible - but back then - being the Quartermaster was a big deal.

Good Luck with your Impression.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Guns Garrett]

...and they get to drive the boat, too!





OOOps - wrong service