Procuring Provisions
William McAdams, Sr., was a tall man with fair skin and blue eyes. He was of Scottish ancestry, the sort of Scot who knew much about cattle and horses, and who wrote many letters. When he was 25 years old, he was already known as one of the best farmers in Illinois; he was a particularly well-known breeder of Shorthorn cattle. In 1861, at that young age of 25, he entered the Union army's 59th infantry and was given quartermaster duties in Company H. This was not a simple job; there was no effective supply chain during the Civil War. McAdams and his colleagues had to acquire supplies as the army moved through the South. How was this accomplished? Well, McAdams and his colleagues would sneak out to the next town, ahead of the other soldiers, and they'd steal the best horses, cattle, and food that they could find. That's how a large part of the provisions were procured. War is hell. This Company H was in the battles of Pea Ridge, Bay...