U.S. Army Procurement of Draft and Pack Animals in the Civil War Era

Abstract

This article examines the Civil War era procurement of draft and pack animals. A statistical analysis of Army records shows that the procurement of mules and horses reflected their relative prevalence in the theaters in which military commands were located, presumably to economize on transport of the animals from point of requisition. Different characteristics of the two equines made mules especially desirable in Western commands and in units with large numbers of draft animals. No statistical support was found for the notion that the abuse resistance of the mule made it preferable in units where animal handlers were poorly monitored.Military; Procurement; War