Civil War Logistics: A Study of Military Transportation

by Earl J. Hess

During the Civil War, neither the Union nor the Confederate army could have operated without effective transportation systems. Moving men, supplies, and equipment required coordination on a massive scale, and Earl J. Hess's Civil War Logistics offers the first comprehensive analysis of this vital process. Utilizing an enormous array of reports, dispatches, and personal accounts by quartermasters involved in transporting war materials, Hess reveals how each conveyance system operated as well as the degree to which both armies accomplished their logistical goals.

In a society just realizing the benefits of modern travel technology, both sides of the conflict faced challenges in maintaining national and regional lines of transportation. Union and Confederate quartermasters used riverboats, steamers, coastal shipping, railroads, wagon trains, pack trains, cattle herds, and their soldiers in the long and complicated chain that supported the military operations of their forces. Soldiers in blue and gray alike tried to destroy the transportation facilities of their enemy, firing on river boats and dismantling rails to disrupt opposing supply lines while defending their own means of transport.

According to Hess, Union logistical efforts proved far more successful than Confederate attempts to move and supply its fighting forces, due mainly to the North's superior administrative management and willingness to seize transportation resources when needed. As the war went on, the Union's protean system grew in complexity, size, and efficiency, while that of the Confederates steadily declined in size and effectiveness until it hardly met the needs of its army. Indeed, Hess concludes that in its use of all types of military transportation, the Federal government far surpassed its opponent and thus laid the foundation for Union victory in the Civil War.

Genres: History, Civil War, American Civil War, American History, War, Military History

368 pages, Hardcover

Published September 18, 2017

About the author

Earl J. Hess is Stewart W. McClelland Chair in History at Lincoln Memorial University and the author of numerous books on the Civil War.

Reviews

[Jonathan]

“Amateurs learn tactics while professionals learn logistics” runs the hoary old saying in the US Army. Back in the 19th century, soldiers responsible for the supply and movement of troops were referred to as ‘quartermasters’ and the Civil War, spread out as it was over half a continent, gave the various quartermasters a real workout. The war took place in the era of steam machines, and the North was much better placed to take advantage of that technology for delivering troops and supplies across vast distances. Greater resources in transport, production, manpower, and machinery gave the North its unbeatable advantage. It is ironic that what guaranteed the Union victory were the forces unleashed by the beginnings of the industrial revolution, that same economic upheaval which lead the South to believe that it had to try to strike out on its own.

Professor Hess cleverly divides the logistical systems by type: river steamboats, the railroads, and ocean-going coastal shipping were used for strategic transport. Conveyance of supplies from the railhead or port was the job of wagon convoys (usually pulled by mules), supplemented by pack animals (also mules) and the foot power of the soldiers themselves. Even supplies of meat were delivered by the use of cattle herds “on the hoof.” Due to the nature of the war – and the fact that Confederate quartermasters tended not to keep extensive records – most of the text is about Union movement and supply. A separate chapter examines the use of the transportation systems for the long-range movement of troops from one theater to another. There are also interesting chapters on the various ‘anti-logistics’ campaigns, such as ambushing and bushwhacking Union river shipping on the Southern rivers, as well as the various use of troops and guerillas to interfere with or destroy railroads behind enemy lines. I was astonished to read that the US Army had carried out no examination of the railroad system as a logistical apparatus before the war. In other words, they winged it, learning as they did. All told, there is much to learn here and the author is to be commended for bringing together the disparate threads that made up the Civil War logistical systems, especially that of the North. I suppose the maps could have been better (and larger) but that is to quibble.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, providing a thorough description and analysis of the means by which Civil War armies were supplied. The author, noted Civil War historian Earl Hess, gives professionals a better understanding of how masses of men and mountains of supplies moved across America, enabling the Civil War armies to fulfill their missions. Hess breaks the logistics system into four main elements. Three of these were strategic in nature: railroads, river steamboats, and coastal shipping. The fourth, wagon trains, are presented as generally operating in a tactical role, connecting the operational depots to the armies in the field. The author also details the means by which Soldiers themselves became a logistics network, analyzing the loads carried and the effects on operations. Hess provides a plethora of statistics, showing how transport systems were developed, the trends of their use, and the dynamics which effected their efficiency. The complexity of the systems developed are amazing - abolishing any myths of mid-19th century corporate ineptitude. By the war’s end, especially for the Union, military transportation has reached a level of performance that was unequaled until the major European powers finalized their pre-WWI logistical systems. I especially appreciated the details on the selection of leaders for these systems. Realizing that there was little experience within the ranks of the regular Quartermaster Corps, both governments sought out civilian transportation experts, providing them direct senior commissions and putting them in charge of critical projects with massive budgets. In turn, the capabilities of the American logistics transportation network were accelerated. Adding yet another edge to America’s gilded age industrial ascent. My one critique: the author tried too hard to kluge the Confederate logistics story into the overall tale. Though certain, very specific, Southern incidents are presented, the author himself admits the lack of evidence and smaller scale makes their efforts pale in comparison to the broad story of Union logistics. Plenty of good data here for discussions on mid-19th century warfare’s effect on 20-century developments. Highly recommended for those wanting to better understand the mechanics by which Civil War campaigns were supplied.

[John Lomnicki, · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I envisioned

Fascinating, logistics, not warehousing or acquisition is the focus which includes historical as well as components of replacement. General officers always had the last word, but occasionally the professional logistics officer took command. Details were explained that were not revealed in any other published work- again fascinating.

[Cropredy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, someone had to write this book.

As any aficionado of Civil War histories knows, armies needed supplies and also needed to move men and equipment from place to place. Yet how this actually happened and who made it happen appear only tangentially in the typical Civil War histories - whether of campaigns or battles.

Hess dived deep into primary sources to describe the four pillars of logistics:

River steamboats
Railroads
Coastal shipping
Wagon trains


Each of these gets a chapter with most of the attention going to Union sources as there was better documentary evidence. There are all sorts of interesting tidbits like:

"Union Station" as a term for a railroad station came about because for the most part, each railroad company used a different gauge track and getting between points meant that these tracks needed to meet or "union" at a central location

or ..

The armies went to war with whatever mules were sufficiently adult by 1861 as breeding new mules and waiting for their maturation and training far exceeded the length of the conflict. Needless to say, civilian mules were readily impressed into military service.

Now the book is not really a narrative, more of a treatise on those four pillars of logistics. Each chapter is illustrated with vignettes taken from actual campaigns. You'll get statistics on how long it took to go from Baltimore to Memphis and what the cost to the Federal government per man was. You'll learn how quartermasters created contracts to help avoid being cheated by private steamship owners. It is not dry reading but then again, logistics can hardly be as exciting as reading about the 20th Maine on Little Round Top.

I did learn many new things such as how administratively effective the Union Quartermaster Corps was at delivering supplies and troops. One also learned that despite constant raiding by Confederates behind Union lines, railroad damage was readily repaired and where supplies were held up, the armies just levied from civilians.

There are shades of German retribution against civilians for acts of the Resistance when Hess describes Union generals' actions against the local population when railroads or bridges were burned by the Rebels.

Hess also makes some interesting comparisons between the Prussians in 1866 and 1870-1 and the Union logistics effort just a few years prior.

In the preface, Hess suggests that there are histories yet to be written about exactly how the supplies came to be available for transport to the armies. Some PhD candidate may be laboring away today on "Civil War cattle herds".

There are only two maps - one showing the river network and one showing the railroad network. Both maps are minuscule as the author presumes the reader is familiar with all the campaigns of the conflict. There are some interesting photos though - such as the prototypical army wagon.

Is this a book for the specialist? Not really. I'd say it rounds out the Civil War generalist's knowledge of all aspects of the war, no different in scope than reading about the politics. It is straightforward to read and not at all dull.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic summation and insight into the logistical difficulties during the USA's darkest struggle with itself. The disparity and differences between the Union and Confederates Rail transportation and logistical organization was far worse than I ever realized. This era shaped the United States and although many of the lessons of this era were effectively forgotten. What I was shown through this is that the ingenuity and spirit of overcoming such tremendous difficulties of transporting and moving over 3 million American soldiers, their gear and equipment, along with sheer volume of supplies necessary for the war.

The other important insight is that the government of the United States was shown to be capable of making immense decisions and accomplished the construction of vast infrastructure when unified with a righteous cause.

A recommended read for Civil War history enthusiast, while not as glorious as the stories of the battles, the most underrated aspect of all military affairs is that of logistics.

[Mark Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’d think a book on Logistics would be as dry as melba toast. Maybe some books on topic are. This book though, is a different experience. As the saying goes, amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics, this book shows the true strength of the Union forces in the Civil War. By ruthlessly harnessing the railroads, river steamers and coastal shipping, the Yankees ensured the eventual fall of the old South, which was too inept and too timid to make their logistical systems work for them. This is a thoroughly researched and engaging book on a topic that is only hinted at in many Civil War histories, but should still be studied after all these years. Basic logistical skills are as applicable now as they were then. Learn the lessons well or face imminent disasters.

[Chris Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of military writers and far too many officers shy away from talk about supply and logistics. Earl Ness provides a needed in depth look at the latter in this readable, interesting book. Using his lengthy documentation, he takes us through river steamers, coastal shipping, railroads, wagons, herding, and shank's mare (walking) to describe in detail what was necessary to get troops and their accoutrements to the front. This is a must read for Civil War historians, military officers and any politician who thinks a confederacy makes sense. The south does not come off well, either in supporting their troops or documenting what they did manage to do.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice review of Civil War logistics by Earl Hess that pairs with his book on supply. It's a worthwhile read and clearly written. I think it covers the topic - if anything I wish there would have been more material - but its very enlightening and offers insight into mid-19th century transportation including steamboats and railways.

[Matthew Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overall view of the accomplishments

Hess does an amazing job chronicling the logistical changes and operations of the War. His narrative is smooth and easy to read while being superbly documented and accurate. This is a great scholarly work that is easy to read and understand.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important study of the behind-the-scenes efforts to supply the armies and navies of the American Civil War over oceans, rivers, and rail, with ships, trains, wagons, horses, mules, and human backs.

[Larry Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and informative book. It added a lot of understanding of how much time and effort war leaders had to spend on transportation issues, and how that paid off for the Union effort. These aspects are way under covered in most writings on the war.

[William Olenick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This full length study on military transportation during the Civil War covers it all. Due to a lack of records the study focuses more on the Union side of transportation than the Confederacy. If you are one who enjoys numbers, facts and statistics, this is the book for you.

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another typically excellent monograph by Earl Hess as he first examines Washington's superior expertise at organizing transportation over what Richmond mustered in comparison, before going on to consider the issue of anti-logistical warfare as conducted by the Confederate and Union armies.

Originally read: February 26, 2020.