The

Confederate Congress The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

created the position of Quartermaster-General on 26 Feb 1861 and the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

was allowed one Colonel and six Majors to serve as Quartermasters. The first Quartermaster General was Col. Abraham C. Myers; his appointment would appear to have been a foregone conclusion as he was signing himself as Acting Quartermaster General on 2 January 1861. In May 1861 when the Confederate government moved to

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, the headquarters of the Quartermaster General were located on the corner of Ninth and Main Street. Quartermaster depots were created at Richmond, Virginia; Staunton, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina;

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, Georgia; Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Montgomery, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; Little Rock, Arkansas; Alexandria, Louisiana; and

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, Texas. In 1863 Myers resigned from his position as Quartermaster General and in August Jefferson Davis appointed the successor to serve in that capacity for the rest of the war; Brig. Gen.

Alexander Lawton Alexander Robert Lawton (November 4, 1818 – July 2, 1896) was a lawyer, politician, diplomat, and brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Early life Lawton was born in the Beaufort District of S ...

Confederate railroads in the American Civil War The American Civil War was the first in which large armies depended heavily on railroads to bring supplies. For the Confederate States Army, the system was fragile and was designed for short hauls of cotton to the nearest river or ocean port. Dur ...

were in the Department's purview.

Quartermasters-General

File:Abraham Myers.jpg,

Abraham Myers Abraham Myers (also Abram Myers; 14 May 181120 June 1889) was a military officer in the United States and Confederate States Armies. Personal life Abraham Charles Myers (also Abram) was born in Georgetown, South Carolina, on 14 May 1811. Mye ...

File:Cabinet card of a bust portrait of Brigadier General Alexander Robert Lawton (cropped).jpg,

Quartermasters-General

References

Further reading