Objects

Throughout the Ritchie diary and his letters to family, there are references to objects that were part of camp life or the tactical support of troops. The goal of the essays on objects is to explore how some of these objects shaped the lives of the men. Many of the objects were familiar to civilians. Some were complex forms of technology only useful to the military.

The War accelerated the development of new weapons and technologies, altered management and organizational structures, and acquainted men from very different backgrounds with systems of supply, sanitation, and transportation that they might or might not have had any experience with previously. It is easy to overlook the significance of these conditions and experiences because the matter-of-fact descriptions in the diary mask the larger implications. Moving heavy ordinance, building battery defenses, digging trenches during siege operations, and even moving freight or keeping tents warm in winter taught these mostly young men practical lessons about engineering, equipment maintenance, and logistics.

As Regimental Quartermaster and subsequently Brigade Quartermaster, it was John Ritchie’s job to manage logistics and account for what happened to the supplies allocated to the troops he supported. The essays on some of the objects referenced in his diaries remind readers about the complexity of his job, the massive supply chain that supported the War effort and the Northern economy, and the ways in which the objects changed the men who fought the War.

Artillery Shell
Canteens
Christmas Dinner
Coffee
Coffins
Great Coats
Gum Blankets
Gunpowder
Hardtack
Ice
Ironclads
Ironsides
Parrott Riffle