United States Quartermaster Corps reports


Descriptive Summary
Title: United States Quartermaster Corps reports
Creator: United States. Army. Quartermaster Corps
Creator: Dillenback, John W.
Inclusive Dates: 1873-1880
Language(s): English
Extent: 1 folder(s)
Collection Number: ms3165
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

The Quartermaster Corps traces its origins to 16 June 1775. On that day, following General Washington's address accepting command of the Army, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution providing for "one Quartermaster General of the grand army and a deputy, under him, for the separate army." Major General Thomas Mifflin, the first Quartermaster General, had virtually no money and authority and was dependent upon the several states for supplies. Major General Nathanael Greene, the third Quartermaster General, reorganized the supply system after Valley Forge, established the first depot system to support the Army. While his fame as a battle leader is well know, his outstanding service as the Quartermaster General during the darkest period of the Revolution have been almost forgotten. From 1818 to 1860, the Quartermaster General was BG Thomas Sidney Jesup, a daring leader and able administrator who did much to enhance the Corps' reputation. During his 42-year tenure as head of the Quartermaster Department, he instituted an improved system of property accountability and experimented with new modes of transportation, including the use of canal boats in the east and camel caravans in the desert southwest, and worked some of the earliest railroads. Because many of his policies remained in effect well into the 20th century, Jesup is traditionally regarded as the "Father of the Quartermaster Corps." The supply of clothing and other items was taken over by the Quartermaster Department in 1842. During the Civil War, the Department under the leadership of MG Montgomery C. Meigs supplied the Union Army of over half a million strong, ran the Army's first major depot system, and transported unprecedented levels of supplies and personnel throughout the war. Also, in 1862, the Quartermaster Department assumed responsibility for burial of war dead and care of national cemeteries. In 1912, Congress consolidated the former Subsistence, Pay, and Quartermaster Departments in order to create the Quartermaster Corps much as we know it today-fully militarized with its own officers, soldiers, and units trained to perform a host of supply and service functions on the battlefield. With this consolidation came the missions of Subsistence and food service. And when the Army began purchasing motorized vehicles, as early as 1903, the Quartermaster Corps naturally assumed the new petroleum supply mission. Short History of the Quartermaster Corps -- U.S. Army Quartermaster Foundation http://www.qmfound.com/short.htm (Retrieved August 10, 2009)

Scope and Content

The collection consists of various quartermaster reports dated 1873-1880 in Georgia. Reports include: Roll of enlisted men employed on extra duty; Quarterly return of quartermaster stores; Report of horses, mules and oxen; Return of officers doing duty in Quartermaster Department; and Personal reports to the Chief Quartermaster, Department of the South, Newport Barracks, Kentucky. Several items are related to the repair of the steam launch "Pulaski."