Company and Regimental Paperwork

By Craig Schneider

*Reproductions of the necessary everyday paperwork for a Civil War regiment.*

A unit serving in the field during the Civil War needed about twenty different forms to function on a day-to-day basis. The proper completion of these forms allowed not only the company and regimental books (which were large, unwieldy, and often relegated to storage) to be updated when possible, but were necessary to compile the monthly and quarterly returns of all the government stores that entered and exited a unit. These forms varied slightly between printings, between the U.S. and C.S. versions, and by availability (meaning officers and clerks in the field often hand ruled certain forms on blank paper, or amended other forms they had on hand to fit their needs). However, both the U.S. and C.S. armies required essentially the same paperwork and had the same recordkeeping standards.

*Blank Army forms typically were provided folded in bundles to standard sizes for ease of organization in desks and for tying together with red tape.*

Unlike the monthly and quarterly returns and the company and regimental books, which cannot realistically be completed at a weekend living history, the forms described here were the most commonly used during the war and any of them could reasonably be utilized during both immersive and public living history events. Upon completion they could be filed away in haversack or desk for later compiling as the officers and clerks who used them during the Civil War would have done.

The forms most commonly used fell into several categories: paperwork related to UNIT STRENGTH and paperwork related to government stores from the SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT, the QUARTERMASTER’S DEPARTMENT, and the ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT. An examination of several original field desks and their contents shows that the particular forms noted below were kept on hand in abundance.

Important things to remember about Government paperwork:

Government-owned stores were the financial responsibility of the individuals to whom they were entrusted. Officers whose duties required handling large amounts of Government stores were bonded, and company officers were liable for the equipment issued to their enlistedmen. The completion of monotonous paperwork, usually in duplicate, was the official record of an officer’s accountability and, if completed properly, ensured that his pay would not be docked for somebody else’s carelessness or error.
Every request for stores required a requisition form addressed to the specific department that managed that type of stores. In many cases, forms for particular types of stores commonly requisitioned were printed and kept on hand (requisition forms for forage for government-owned horses and separate requisition forms for forage for privately-owned horses in government service, for example).
Every transfer of stores from one person to another required both an invoice and a receipt. When sending stores to somebody an officer would include an invoice with the stores he was sending. When receiving goods from somebody, an officer compared it to the invoice that came with the stores and, if matching, would fill out a receipt to give to the sender.
Many requisition forms contain a reminder at the bottom to fill out the form in duplicate, as well as a section nearby to be filled out later upon receipt of the requested stores. If such a section exists on a requisition form, the duplicate requisitions, once fully completed upon receipt, served as the invoice and receipt rather than separate invoice and receipt forms. For example, upon filling out two copies of a Special Requisition form for clothing for his men, a company officer would give them to the regiment’s Assistant Quartermaster. The A.Q.M. would return with the clothing and the forms and the company officer would confirm that the type and amount of clothing matched what was being requested. If so, the company officer would complete the receipt portion at the bottom of each requisition form, giving one to the A.Q.M. and keeping one for his company’s records.

Both invoices and receipts were required when Government property changed hands, and in duplicate to allow both the sender and the recipient to retain a record. Each Department that handled a specific type of property had their own forms. These are invoices and receipts specific to the U.S. Army Ordnance Department.

UNIT STRENGTH FORMS:

Company Morning Report

Daily Company Morning Report forms were not something that the Regulations mention, as it was assumed that the Morning Reports were completed in large books. As this was clearly impractical in the field, daily, weekly, and monthly Morning Report forms on single sheets of paper were printed and distributed to both U.S. and C.S. units. These forms would be completed after Reveille and handed to the regiment’s Adjutant so he could complete the regiment’s consolidated report, and then returned to the company.

Consolidated Morning Report

Among the first daily duties of the Adjutant of each regiment was to compile the Company Morning Reports so he could complete the regiment’s Consolidated Morning Report, determining the strength of the regiment, both on paper and present for duty.

*Two Company Morning Report forms, the first a Confederate daily form meant for single use, and the second a larger U.S. Army monthly form that would be retained and reused for a period of time.*

SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT FORMS:

Company Provision Return (Form #13)

When rations were to be drawn, be it for one day or ten days, a Company Provision Return (sometimes titled “Ration Return” or some other similar phrase) was first completed. The company would first simply fill in the number of men, have the form signed by both the commander of the company and the regiment, and then pass the form on to the regiment’s Commissary Sergeant and the officer serving as the Assistant Commissary of Subsistence who would compile the forms onto one Consolidated Provision Return. The form would be fully completed once it was determined what rations were to be drawn, with the quantities of each to be issued to the company filled in.

Consolidated Provision Return (Form #14)

Completed by the Commissary Sergeant and Assistant Commissary of Subsistence, the Consolidated Provision Return would list the strength of the regiment, the number of days rations were to be drawn for, and total quantities of each ration component being drawn. Signed by the regimental commander, this form would be taken to the brigade’s Commissary of Subsistence where it would be filled.

Receipt for Subsistence Stores (Form #24)

Any time government stores were received, the recipient needed to provide a receipt to the sender. Usually used upon receipt of bulk rations to the regiment, the Assistant Commissary of Subsistence would complete a receipt to be given to the brigade’s Commissary of Subsistence.

Invoice of Subsistence Stores (Form #22)

Any time government stores were turned over from one officer’s possession to another officer’s possession, the officer turning over the stores needed to provide an invoice along with the stores. While companies and regiments rarely needed to get rid of Subsistence Stores (this form was more important to the brigade’s Commissary of Subsistence whose job was to distribute Subsistence Stores), sometimes these forms were used to keep a record of spoiled and condemned rations, captured stores that were turned over, or most importantly, unused rations that were turned back in in exchange for cash for the Company Fund.

Purchase of Subsistence Stores (Form #19)

If necessary and in the public interest, Subsistence Stores could be purchased from private citizens for distribution to the troops. The officer completing the purchase (usually the A.C.S.) would keep a record of the purchase on Form #19, which the seller would sign.

Other Subsistence Paperwork

While no form existed for it, officers needed to purchase Subsistence Stores for their own use (as, for much of the war, particularly on the U.S. side, officers were required to purchase rations from the brigade’s Commissary of Subsistence). Small slips of paper torn from notebooks or cut from issued stationery commonly served the purpose, with an officer writing something to the effect of “The A.C.S. will provide me with ten pounds of pork, ten pounds of flour, and one pound of coffee for my mess consisting of officers.”

Several of the forms required for a single ration issue: a Confederate Provision Return for a single company, a U.S. Army Consolidated Provision for one regiment, a Confederate Receipt for Subsistence Stores, and a Confederate officer’s purchase order for food for himself.

QUARTERMASTER’S DEPARTMENT FORMS:

Requestion for Fuel for a Company (Form #29)

An Army in one place for any length of time would require far more firewood than could be gathered locally. Both the U.S. and C.S. armies issued firewood to individual companies, usually, but not always, monthly.

Requisition for Fuel (for units other than a company) (Form #30)

Regimental staffs, detached or detailed men, and generally any group of men other than a full company that required firewood would complete their request on a Form #30.

Requisition for Forage for Public Horses (Form #32)

A typical infantry regiment could potentially have dozens of horses and mules, all of which required forage. Hay and grain for Government-owned horses would be drawn on Form #32. While issued much like rations to the men, rations for animals came from the Quartermaster’s Department rather than the Subsistence Department.

Requisition for Forage for Private Horses (Form #33)

Officers provided their own horses and were required to draw forage for them separately from the Government-owned horses.

Most of what a unit required beyond food and weapons was provided by the Quartermaster’s Department. Separate forms were required for everything from firewood to horse feed, with different versions of each necessary for issues to enlistedmen or purchases by officers.

Requisition for Stationery (Form #38)

Companies and regiments required office supplies to function both in camp and in the field. Items such as paper, pens, envelopes, ink, and red office tape would have to be periodically requisitioned. This form is notably archaic and was usually amended by the officer requesting the supplies (quills, ink powder, wax, wafers, and envelope paper were almost never issued, with steel pens, bottles of ink, and gummed envelopes having replaced them).

Special Requisition (Form #40)

Frequently used to requisition just about any other Quartermaster’s Stores that could be needed, from clothing for the enlistedmen to camp equipment, Forms #40 were one of the most commonly used documents in the company. Forms #40 were often amended and used as a catch-all form to requisition anything that there was not already a form on hand specifically for, be it Quartermaster’s Department property or not.

Receipt for Quartermaster’s Stores (Form #45)

Upon receipt of Quartermaster’s Stores, the recipient would compare the invoice that came with the stores with the stores themselves to confirm that the items and quantities matched. The recipient would then fill out a receipt to give to the sender to officially complete the transfer.

Receipt for Clothing, Camp and Garrison Equipage

The U.S. Army in particular made a notable distinction between Quartermaster’s Stores (such as wagons, wagon harness, forage, fuel, etc.) and Clothing, Camp and Garrison Equipage (clothing, blankets, mess equipment, tents, shovels, etc.). Upon receiving said items, the recipient would have to provide a receipt for it.

Invoice for Quartermaster’s Stores (Form #27)

Typically used at the company and regimental level when damaged, unserviceable, or unused Quartermaster’s Stores were being turned in or disposed of, the Invoice for Quartermaster’s Stores was a record of items that left the possession (and financial accountability) of an officer. Sometimes this form was amended and used in the unusual event that Clothing, Camp and Garrison Equipage was turned in as well.

Purchase of Quartermaster’s Stores (Form #12)

If necessary and in the public interest, Quartermaster’s Stores could be purchased from private citizens for distribution to the troops (at the regimental level this usually came in the form of compensation for hay consumed by the regiment’s animals, or fence rails burned by the regiment’s men). The officer completing the purchase (usually the A.Q.M.) would keep a record of the purchase on Form #12, which the seller would sign.

Receipt Roll for Clothing (Form #52 [U.S.] or Form #53 [C.S.])

After filling out a Special Requisition and receiving and signing for the goods from the regiment’s A.Q.M., the company needed to have the men who received clothing sign the Receipt Roll for Clothing, with an officer signing as a witness. Multiple men could sign this individual form, which would then be used, when practicable, to complete the Company Clothing Book, in which each man had his own page to record his clothing account.

ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT FORMS:

Requisition for Ordnance Stores

Items such as weapons, ammunition, accoutrements, and artillery harness (and in the C.S. Army, haversacks, canteens, and knapsacks) were Ordnance Department property and were to be requisitioned separately from other Stores. While the C.S. Army had a variety of forms to requisition Ordnance Stores, the U.S. Ordnance Department does not appear to have regularly provided a standardized form for requisitions until later in the war. Requisitions for Ordnance Stores completed by U.S. Army officers in the field were often done on blank paper lined for the purpose, or on a Quartermaster’s Department Special Requisition (Form #40) that filled in for the purpose in a pinch (much to the dismay of the Ordnance Department, which warned against it several times before giving up and finally printing their own forms).

Receipt for Ordnance Stores (Form #7-a.)

As with Stores from other departments, an officer would confirm the Ordnance Stores he received matched the invoice that came with them, and then provide a receipt to the officer from whom he received the stores. The boxes Ordnance Stores came in were government property as well, were the responsibility of the receiving officer to maintain and return, and would be included on the receipt.

Invoice for Ordnance Stores (Form #2-b.)

Officers in a regiment completed an Invoice for Ordnance Stores when turning in unserviceable weapons, empty ammunition boxes, and other Ordnance Department property.

OTHER NECESSARY PAPERWORK:

Blank Paper

Companies and regiments required blank paper, both in letter (similar in size to modern letter paper) and foolscap (similar in size to modern legal paper) sizes, both to rule out forms they might be missing, as well as to cut into smaller slips for writing orders. Paper was issued by the quire of 25 sheets.

Envelopes

Large envelopes similar in size to modern business envelopes were required to transmit monthly and quarterly returns, and other correspondence. Those provided to troops in the field were often marked “Official Business” and did not require postage.

Red Tape

Office Tape—narrow, loosely plain-woven red-dyed cotton tape—was used to organize and bundle paperwork both in the field desk and when transmitting copies of forms in duplicate or triplicate. Red tape was issued by the “piece” of 3 3/4 yards, enough to last a typical army company about three months.