Army Service

A friend loaned me the dairy of one of his ancestors, Sergeant Budworth of the Union Army, who fought at Vicksburg, perhaps the central battle of the Civil War.  Much later Budworth wrote: "Came off guard this morning. I drew a canteen and blouse and pair of socks. The blouse is 2 small."

Of course, it was too small. Why did he get a blouse? Was he a woman? 

He wrote: "Orders this morning to be ready for inspection at 9 A.M. We were inspected by a lieut. Colonel of a negro regt. He got through about noon. We then get orders to turn over all the old shelter tents. They had to be condemned. We tore down our tent then they were not condemned. We had to put them up again."

That's the same army I served in.