The Days of Shoddy: Worst Manufacturers of the Civil War
Under the catch-all word “shoddy,” unscrupulous manufacturers sold the Federal government poor uniforms, guns that didn’t shoot, and ill-fitting shoes.
By Timothy Koenig
“For sugar the government often got sand; for coffee, rye; for leather, something no better than brown paper; for sound horses and mules, spavined beasts and dying donkeys; and for serviceable muskets and pistols, the experimental failures of sanguine inventors, or the refuse of shops and foreign armories.” So wrote Harper’s Monthly journalist Robert Tomes in July 1864. What Tomes was describing was far from uncommon during the American Civil War, a war that many have pu
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5 thoughts on “The Days of Shoddy: Worst Manufacturers of the Civil War”
Great Article!
I whole-heartedly agree with your findings.
I would like to ask about a possible source for the comment “A similar situation was present at the Battle of Cheat Mountain, when Ohio troops killed or wounded several Indiana soldiers due to a case of mistaken identity.”
About the only thing that saved the North was the absence of any goods, shoddy or otherwise, for much of the Southern armies. Funds were extremely scarce and manufacturing capacity was a small fraction of that of the North. Blockade runners made an effort to bring in critical items but a large proportion were captured or sunk. Note: It was not until the Spanish-American War that the Sutlers were abolished and military post exchanges established.
Great Article!
I whole-heartedly agree with your findings.
I would like to ask about a possible source for the comment “A similar situation was present at the Battle of Cheat Mountain, when Ohio troops killed or wounded several Indiana soldiers due to a case of mistaken identity.”
Anything you can cite would be helpful
R.S. Burk
If the Union was so corrupt… why would anyone ever want to succeed from it??
Hmmm….
Because the south was just as corrupt if not more so
Brooks Brothers shame on you!
About the only thing that saved the North was the absence of any goods, shoddy or otherwise, for much of the Southern armies. Funds were extremely scarce and manufacturing capacity was a small fraction of that of the North. Blockade runners made an effort to bring in critical items but a large proportion were captured or sunk. Note: It was not until the Spanish-American War that the Sutlers were abolished and military post exchanges established.