Richmond Grain Receipts and Shipments

   The data below is taken from a series of brief reports made to the Quarter Master General by Major John C. Maynard, May - July, 1863 and found in the Secretary of War's Incoming Letters, National Archives. The period covered is from the start of the Battle of Chancellorsville through a couple of weeks after the army's return from Gettysburg.

 
   Since it is very difficult to find records of daily shipments of military supplies over an extended period of time, the below table is of significant value, even with 24 of the 84 daily reports missing. Since this is a Quartermaster General's report to the Secretary of War, the grain being reported is mostly corn, and all for the Army's animals (grain 8 lbs per animal per day and fodder 15 lbs per animal per day).
   Note that almost all the grain supporting the Army's animals came by railroad through Petersburg, drawn primarily from southern Georgia, southeastern Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Of course the Commissary Department was drawing from the same places (and local Virginia) for food for the soldiers. The shipments also do not record the shipments of long fodder (hay, corn stalks, straw) required by the animals and straw required by the Medical Department.
   Notice the number of days that the bushels on hand at the end of the day did not equal the shipments of that day -- in other words, if incoming supplies were interrupted, there was not enough on had for even one day's issues. Also note the number of days with less than 1,000 bushels remaining on hand, down to as low as 135 bushels remaining.
   Finally, the other crucial supplies that had to be shipped into the Richmond area are not recorded (ammunition, clothing, stores, civilian food, weapons, etc.).
 
Date Bushels Last Report Bushels Received Total Received Total Bushels Shipped Total Issued Balance On Hand
  Ham. Cros. Guineas Hanover Beaver Dam Various Gordons-ville Local
May
2 7347 3704 R&P                        
    727 Canal 4,431 11,778   1000     300 404   526 2,266 9,512
3 9512 2882 R&P 2,882 12,394   1000 602 675       514 2,791 9,603
4 9603 1780 R&P 1,780 11,383               317 317 11,066
5 11066 286 R&P                        
    813 R&D                        
    24 Canal 1,123 12,189     141         469 610 11,579
6 11579 869 R&P 869 12,448     928     114   321 1,363 11,085
7 11085 4859 R&P 4,859 15,914   5952           612 6,564 9,350
8 9350 1116 R&P                        
    533 R&D 1,649 10,999   3489 1116         923 5,528 5,471
9 5471 1521 R&P                        
    893 R&D 2,414 7,885   3500 1001         1314 5,815 2,070
10 2070 4758 R&P 4,758 6,828   3501 1001     257 750 573 6,082 746
11 746 Report not found 1,636
12 1636 3083 R&P                        
    393 R&D                        
    1700 Unk. 5,176 6,812   1671 1001       1000 1137 4,809 2,003
13 2003 Report not found 1,598
14 1598 3734 R&P                        
    354 R&D 4,088 5,686   1903         1003 1311 4,217 1,469
15 1469 5453 R&P 5,453 6,922   930 1000         657 3,593 3,329
16 3329 6114 R&P 6,114 9,443   2289         998 1047 4,334 5,109
17 5109 Report not found 6,970
18 6970 3724 R&P                        
    418 R&D 4,142 11,112   3264   400     2000 677 6,341 4,771
19 4771 4780 R&P 4,780 9,551   1674 1002 500       460 3,636 5,915
20 5915 4146 R&P                        
    103 Capt Morfit 4,249 10,164   1405   500 200   1000 1040 4,145 6,019
21 6019 4186 R&P 4,186 10,205   463   500 300   500 1032 2,795 7,410
22 7410 5178 R&P                        
    250 R&D 5,428 12,838   2283 1000 500       937 4,720 8,118
23 8118 8596 R&P 8,596 16,714   3437 1000 500 300   1000 581 6,818 9,896
24 9896 3924 R&P 3,924 13,820   747 1000 501 300   1673 40 4,225 9,595
25 9595 48 Capt Archer 48 6.643   3500 380 500 300   2000 188 6,868 2,775
26 2775 4254 R&P 4,254 7,029   2391 1000 801 300   1607 525 6,324 705
27 705 3560 R&P                        
    266 R&D                        
    2000 Unk. 5,826 6,531   2106   501     2173 47 4,827 1,704
28 1704 7090 R&P 7,090 8,794   3214 1001 502     2002 372 7,091 1,703
29 1703 6614 R&P 6,614 8,317   3031   808       700 6,545 1,772
30 1772 Report not found
31 Report not found
June
1 Report no found
2 Report not found 489
3 489 2801 R&P                        
    271 R&D 3,072 3,561   999   500     1000 644 3,143 418
4 418 3423 R&P 3,423 3841   800   500     1000 200 2,500 1,341
5 1341 6266 R&P 6,266 7,607   800   500     2130 646 4,076 3,531
6 3531 6750 R&P 6,750 10,281   800   500     2876 420 4,596 5,685
7 5685 4929 R&P 4,929 10,614   800   500     4314 22 5,636 4,978
8 4978 Report not found
9 Report not found
10 Report not found 790
11 790 3485 R&P 3,485 4,275   800 400 51     1715 519 3,485 790
12 790 Report not found
13 Report not found 790
14 790 1281 R&P 1,281 2.071   1200   51       30 1,281 790
15 790 4794 R&P                        
    490 R&D 5,284 6,074             5024 911 5,935 139
16 139 2856 R&P 2,856 2,995             2501 359 2,860 135
17 135 4965 R&P 4,965 5,100             1000 733 1,733 3,367
18 3367 4993 R&P                        
    279 R&D 5,272 8,639       51     1000 928 1,979 6,660
19 6660 1563 R&P                        
    272 R&D 1,835 8,496       296     1000 818 2,114 6,381
20 6381 2500 R&P                        
    55 Canal 2,555 3,936             993 915 1,908 7,028
21 7028 3051 R&P 3,051 10,079           1465 S     1,465 8,614
22 8614 2466 R&P                        
    116 R&D 2,582 11,196       250   1653 S   679 2,382 8,614
23 8614 5003 R&P 5,003 13,617               2865 2,865 10,752
24 10752 1982 R&P 1,982 12,734               90 90 12,644
25 12644 Report not found 12,962
26 12962 2207 R&P 2,207 15,169               493 493 14,676
27 14,676 411 R&P 411 15,087               411 411 14,676
28 14676 Report not found 14,676
29 14676 630 R&P 630 15,306               858 858 14,448
30 14448 Report not found
July
1 Report not found 10,544
2 10544 146 R&D                        
    1415 Boat 1,561 12,105       146       686 832 11,273
3 11273 2505 Boats 2,505 13,778               1089 1,089 12,689
4 12689 Report not found 14,745
5 14745 4074 Boat 4,074 18,819               573 573 18,246
6 18246 1365 Boat 1,365 19,611               1220 1,220 18,391
7 18391 Report not found 18,776
8 18776 1857 R&P 1,857 20,633               305 305 20,328
9 20328 Report not found 21,328
10 21,122 2271 R&P                        
    51 R&D 2,322 23,444               1051 1,051 22,390
11 22390 Report not found
12 Report not found 22016
13 22016 457 R&P 457 22,473               982 982 21,491
14 21491 85 R&D 85 21,576               962 962 20,614
15 20614 1426 R&P 1,426 22,040       500       516 1,016 21,024
16 21024 2758 R&P 2,758 23,782               946 946 22,636
17 22636 683 R&P                        
    20 R&D 703 23,339             500 848 1,348 21,991
18 21991 Report not found
19 Report not found 23.914
20 23914 2471 R&P 2,471 26,385       500   2661 S   380 4,541 21,844
21 21844 2898 R&P 2,898 24,742             2846 550 3,396 21,346
22 21346 1484 R&P 1,484 22,830             3482 898 4,380 18,450
23 18450 Report not found 20,273
24 20273 2557 R&P                        
    85 R&D                        
    101 Boat 2,743 23,016             1429 810 2,239 20,777
 
December
            To ANV by Virginia Central RR    
18-19           7,300    
21           4,700    
Ham. Cros. = Hamiltons Crossing, just south of Fredericksburg
R&P = Richmond & Petersburg RR   R&D = Richmond & Danville RR   S = Staunton 
Boats = Canal boats from Lynchburg or boats from Petersburg
Bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds. A car load was 285 bushels in 2 1/2 bushel sacks.
December report from QMG letter to Lee dated December 22, 1863

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