Confederate brogans with sewed soles?!?!?

[captain_kirk]

Some while back, there was a discussion regarding pegged soles vs sewed soles on bragans in general. The following is a very interesting article I found in the 0fficial Records. It is a piece of correspondence from Colonel Wm. Preston Johnson to President Jefferson Davis.

"April 15, 1863

(to) His Excellency Jefferson Davis, President:
Sir: In obedience to your order, dated March 12, 1863, . . . . I proceeded to Montgomery, Ala., to Atlanta, Ga., and to Tullahoma, Tenn., the headquarters of the army and returned by the same route. I have the honor to submit the following report:
Major Cunningham clothing quartermaster at Atlanta, informs me that he is employing about 40 shoemakers and makes 150 pairs of shoes a day, and that with 60 additional shoemakers he could make 500 pair daily. I examined his establishment. The leather is rolled by machinery and the sides split likewise, which effects a great saving. The soles are cut out by a machine, all done by sewing-machines. The shoes present a neat appearance and can be sold for $4.50 per pair." . . . . " These are the results of my observations in the Army of Tennessee."
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
Wm Preston Johnson, Colonel and Aide-de-Camp"

O.R.-SERIES I -VOL. XXII

Giving that the average work week in the 19th Century was 6 days, that adds up to 900 pair of stiched sole shoes produced by 40 shoemakers. Thats a lot of shoes. So, why can I only find pegged soles shoes that dont last?

[JohnnyGillette]

Indeed, Quartermaster records show sewn soles were common. As far as finding them, there are makers. Jarnigan and Robert Land and Missouri Boot & Shoe Co. come to mind, I'm sure there are others. Hope you find this helpful.
Rae Whitley

[Regular3]

Indeed, Quartermaster records show sewn soles were common. As far as finding them, there are makers. Jarnigan and Robert Land and Missouri Boot & Shoe Co. come to mind, I'm sure there are others. Hope you find this helpful.
Rae Whitley

Sewn shoes were the custom and preferred for all men of any means on both sides. Here's some information on shoes transcribed from the Fugawee web site (not an ad for Fugawee but a source of material culture): Pegged shoes were not only cheaper to make but considered a lower-quality shoe, fit only for the lowest classes of workers or slaves. The U.S. Assistant Quartermaster General actually apologized for accepting a quantity of pegged shoes in 1862 and explained he had only done so to provide enough shoes to be issued. According to Fugawee, about 40 percent of all boots and shoes purchased during the war were pegged, 40 percent sewn, and the other 20 percent nailed or riveted.

[tpallas]

I recommend Jan-Henrik Berger's website:

http://www.lederarsenal.com

It's in German. Click on the US (or British) flag where it says "Wahlen Sie Ihre sprache". Click on the shoes and it gives you some great, up close pictures of sewn and pegged soles. Jan does great work.

[Pvt Schnapps]

During the war the hand-sewn bootee in the US ranks gradually became replaced by a machine-sewn version, which did not wear nearly so well. The annual report of the Quartermaster Department for 1865, contains the following comment by J. E. Remington, Lieut. Col. and Chief Quartermaster for the 14th Corps:

"I would most respectfully draw the attention of the department to the utter uselessness of sewed boots and bootees for troops on the march. From an experience of four years in the quartermaster’s department in the field, I do not hesitate to say and give it as my firm opinion, and have no doubt that the same is shared by every quartermaster in the Western army, that the same, where troops are on the march and cannot draw new ones every two weeks, are worthless; and so well is this understood by every one in this army that it is an impossibility to issue any sewed shoes when any peg shoes can be procured." (ORs, Series III, Vol. V, p. 417)

[tompritchett]

Indeed, Quartermaster records show sewn soles were common.

The previous discussion mentioned in the original post actually gave numbers from the Quartermaster records and might be worth someone doing a search to provide a link to those numbers. According to my memory, the numbers showed that the majority of the shoes bought had sewed soles.