Early on in the Civil War, entrepreneurs in Dalton began manufacturing an assortment of items needed to equip the military of the Confederacy. Tin ware, pots, kettles, harness buckles, canteens and other assorted metal products were being produced. Oil cloth was being turned out in large quantities and leather products such as sword belts, cartridge and cap boxes were being made. As the demand for all types of leather grew those who produced it grew in numbers as well.
L.M. Munger was operating a tannery on North Depot Street in the city of Dalton and W.R. Long was operating one just outside the city limits of Dalton. Absolom and William H. Foster operated a fair sized tannery in Tunnel Hill and M.P. Varnell’s tannery was located at Varnell Station. A.G.B. Vandevere, Andrew M. Love, John P. Love and Joseph M. Walker were also listed as tanners. They were supplying harness leather, sole leather, upper sole leather and half tanned leather to the quartermasters at Dalton and Columbus.
David Loughmiller & Co. supplied sets of accouterments for the artillery at Augusta and to the infantry at Savannah. He also supplied quantities of candles and soap to the quartermasters at Dalton. James Paxon, a longtime saddle and harness maker, at age 58 was still plying his talent here in 1864 as Dalton became the front line of the Civil War’s fighting in the Western Theater.
By February 1862, the manufacturing of shoes and boots was being carried out in Dalton by three different firms, but they were somewhat hampered by the shortage of leather and the need for qualified workmen. The following is a list of 16 shoe makers who were in Dalton and Whitfield County and were exempt from conscription. They were James Y. Boyd, 45, Roan F. Dantzler, 16, Jacob L. Dantzler, 27, A.S. Dean, 39, Greenberry Easeley, 46, Augustin Harris, 39, L. Harrison, 55, T.R. Harkins, 37, John F. Lane, 24, T.M. McHan, 30, Alfred Ogle, 29, Fred Thompson, S.A. Whaley, 47, John White, 42, Thomas Wiley, 47 and G.H. Worthington, 32.
A resident of Red Clay in northern Whitfield County wrote to Vice President Alexander Stephens asking him to obtain for his friend, James H. Huff, a contract for making shoes for the army. In addition to making contracts with private manufacturers, the Georgia government opened its own shoe shops, but Georgia’s 125 shoe and boot factories were virtually unable to keep up with the demand from the army.
The citizenry found it difficult to procure footwear and soon began making their own shoes from hides tanned by a simple process of burying them in a solution of red oak bark from three to six months. The hides of horses, hogs, cows and even dogs were utilized. For the blacking of these homemade shoes a mixture soot and lard was smeared on with a brush of swine hair. A shine was produced by spreading over this blacking a paste made of bolted meal or flour.
By the winter of 1863-1864, the hospitals, manufacturers, ordnance depots, commissary stores and most of the civilians had evacuated Dalton for safer locations further south. It took about 15 years for Dalton’s population to again reach the 1860 level of approximately 2,400.
General Joseph E. Johnston wrote to President Jefferson Davis from his headquarters at Dalton that his men’s shoes “were worn out much faster than received. As the supply is diminishing rapidly the number of men unable to march is increasing as fast.”
To this end Johnston was successful in resupplying and reclothing the men in the Army of Tennessee while here in Dalton. By May of 1864, as Sherman’s federal legions marched into Georgia toward Dalton to begin the Atlanta campaign, most of Johnston’s men were ready for battle.
没有评论:
发表评论