The army did not issue “post,” “barracks,” or “camp” shoes until the 1880s. Before that it was up to soldiers to privately purchase or improvise footwear that might prove more comfortable than issue field shoes or boots when off duty or on a fatigue task where non-regulation gear might pass. This is a Civil War issue shoe that was issued at a small fort to a U.S. regular in the early years of the postwar frontier army and altered by him into a simple loafer or “mule” style sandal (to use some modern terms) by cutting away the rear part of the uppers at the heel- the “quarters” – just above the sole and cutting away the upper rear portion of the vamp along with the tongue.

The construction is typical Civil War, using black leather, rough-side-out uppers with the vamp and quarters joined by stitching with a reinforcing rivet at either side at the instep. Part of the counter, sewn inside the heel remains. The rivet on the left is in place, showing lots of green. The one on the right is missing. The sole is complete, has very square toe and shows two lines of holes indicating the sole was pegged (one of two standard methods of attaching the sole in the Civil War,) and was fitted at on the underside of the instep with three small copper or brass rivets or pins to reinforce the wood pegs. The heel is missing, perhaps the reason the shoe was finally discarded, or perhaps removed for further comfort when the shoe was modified by the soldier. This shoe is very similar to the pair shoes illustrated on page 191 of Arms and Equipment of the Union, identified to a soldier from the 5^th Massachusetts, with the rivets noted as a mid-war improvement in the pattern. See also J. Tobey’s article, example “C.”

The condition is very good. The cut around the heel is uneven, but rough in only one spot. The vamp is pressed down in the middle, but the leather is solid and has not holes. The surface is a charcoal black with some gray stains and a little dirt. There is a narrow gap between the vamp and sole, tighter at the toe, but the leather is stiff and the shoe holds together. This could be taken for an attic or barn-find from its condition, but was in fact excavated (on private property with the owner’s permission) at Fort Pembina, ND, and was preserved in great condition due to the anaerobic, wet conditions of the dig, which has produced both cloth and leather gear in remarkable states of preservation. (Think of the excellent condition Roman army finds from similar soil conditions in Britain.)

The fort was situated in the Red River Valley in North Dakota near the Canadian border. Trading posts existed earlier in the area as part of the fur trade, and the first U.S. military post there was temporary- manned by a detachment of Minnesota troops in 1863-1864 following the 1862 Sioux uprising. In March 1870 a new fort was established south of the Pembina River and about 200 yards west of the Red River, completed by July and named in honor of Gen. George H. Thomas. The name was changed to Fort Pembina in September and the initial garrison consisted of two companies of the 20^th US Infantry. Their main purpose was to provide security for settlers worried about Sioux returning south from Canada, but much of their duty involved escorting boundary surveys along the Canadian border and preventing Fenian raids heading north into Canada. As was typical of the U.S. Army in those early postwar years, uniforms and equipment were being issued from surplus Civil War stocks. It was not until 1872 that some styles and patterns began to change, and even then Civil War material was issued as much as possible to save money and warehouse space. In the case of footwear, the pattern changed in 1872 when the army introduced brass screws as a method of attaching the soles after campaigns on the dry and rocky ground of the southwest revealed problems with sewn and pegged soles on shoes and boots.

The fort included enlistedmen’s barracks, officers’ quarters, guard house, ordnance storehouse, company kitchen, root house, laundress’s quarters, quarters for civilian employees, hospital and hospital servant’s house, a barn for the “hospital cow,” quartermaster and commissary offices and storehouse, stables, wagon shed, etc. The garrison reached peak strength in 1878 of 200, but the average was about 125 enlisted men and 8 officers. An October 1885 return listed 97 men, 2 field pieces, 1 mountain howitzer, 100 rifles, 19 pistols, 23 mules, and 9 wagons. By 1890 the post had just 23 men, and after an 1895 fire destroyed some 19 buildings it was decided to abandon the fort rather than rebuild, the last detachment left in September. The property was turned over to the Interior Department and later sold in 1902.

Army shoes and boots of the period are very scarce- they were hardly the sort of thing to be preserved by a soldier for sentimental reasons or treasured by a family in honor of the veteran’s service. Nevertheless, they were an essential piece of gear and this one has a good connection to the Civil War and early postwar frontier army. It is also nice example of how a soldier at frontier post salvaged what he could from government issue and altered it a bit for personal comfort even, or perhaps especially, at a remote post.    [sr] [ph:L]

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