Missed my stop...
“Sometime after midnight I was awakened by the chill of the early morning hours, and turning over, caught a glimpse of a little flame on the slope above me, and sitting up to see what it meant, I saw, bending over a scant fire of twigs, two men seated on old cracker boxes and warming their hands over a little fire. I had to rub my eyes and collect my wits to recognize the figures of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Who can tell the story of that quiet council of war between two sleeping armies.” - James Power Smith
150 years ago the Battle of Chancellorsville pitted the Union Army of the Potomac, under Major General Joseph Hooker, against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under General Robert E. Lee. Lee decided to divide his forces in the face of a larger Union army, which resulted in a major Confederate victory, Lee’s “perfect battle”. Despite having a reputation as an aggressive division commander, Hooker’s failure to take the initiative during the engagement lost him not only the battle but also President Lincoln’s confidence and he was replaced soon afterwards as commander of the Army of the Potomac.
- Map of Field of Occupation, Army of the Potomac, [from Dumfries south to Port Royal and west to Chancellorsville]. Prepared by order of Gen. Hooker from reconnoisances made under Capt. R. S. Williamson, Lt. N. Bowen, Gen. D. P. Woodbury, and others. From the Civil Works Map File
- Wilderness, near Chancellorsville, Va, ca. 1860 - ca. 1865. From the Matthew Brady Photographs series.
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![tuesday-johnson:
ca. 1860’s, [carte de visite portrait of three young Federal soldier amputees all using hospital issue crutches. The boy at left wears a round metal identification disk pinned to his blouse], W. Snell
via Cowan’s Auctions](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wzlzZPvr1qa51rdo1_400.jpg)
ca. 1860’s, [carte de visite portrait of three young Federal soldier amputees all using hospital issue crutches. The boy at left wears a round metal identification disk pinned to his blouse], W. Snell
via Cowan’s Auctions
193 notes (via and-also-lace & tuesday-johnson)
Piece of Hardtack With Original Paper Wrapper, Issued By The United States Army During the Civil War.
Hardtack is a biscuit (or cracker) made from flour, water and salt. It was a staple of the Civil War soldier’s diet because it was inexpensive and, when properly stored, lasted for years. Hardtack, while nutritious, could be exceedingly hard and usually had to be soaked before it could be eaten. The wrapper reads “Army / Cracker / or / Hardtack 1864 / John W. Weiser / Ohio Infy”. It was given to Levi Longfellow, Principal Musician of the 6th Minnesota Regiment, Company B, by John W. Weiser, Ohio Infantry, at the close of the Civil War.
Watch the Collections Department’s podcast about hardtack to learn more.-Curator Matt Anderson shows a very old piece of food from the Minnesota Historical Society’s collection: an original piece of hardtack from the Civil War. It’s one of the more bizarre items in the collection, and an edible that was made to last.
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The history of the U.S. Civil War, in a beautiful timeline from 1897. Pair with Cartographies of Time.
121 notes (via electriclandlady & explore-blog)
April 9th 1865: The American Civil War ends
On this day in 1865, Confederate general Robert E Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, thus ending the war that had raged since 1861. The war broke out when the Southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederacy. After great defeats such as at Gettysburg and the destruction of Sherman’s march to the sea, the Confederacy realised they could not win. After Lee’s surrender, Grant defied tradition due to his respect for Lee and desire to restore peace, and allowed Lee to keep his sword and horse. Whilst more armies and generals had yet to surrender, Lee’s surrender essentially marked the end of the deadliest war in American history. The end of the war meant the abolition of slavery, preservation of the Union and began the era of Reconstruction.
270 notes (via and-also-lace & todayinhistory)
Load in Nine Times
This film was shown at the old Gettysburg National Park Visitor Center in the 90s. The individual loading and firing sequence is very accurate.
Freedom Fighter | 1865 by Black History Album on Flickr.
The gauntlets and pistol are likely the photographer’s props. An infantry soldier would not be likely to wear leather cavalry gloves, as it would make it difficult to grasp a cartridge and nearly impossible to procure a cap from his cap pouch. He also doesn’t have a holster for the pistol, and again, a Union infantryman would not be issued a pistol, nor likely to carry one because of its weight. The image is reversed, and he is holding the rifle at “order arms” with his left hand which is probably why it looks uncomfortable, as he would have been used to it being on his right. The cap pouch and cartridge box would be on his right side.
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Today contractors began demolishing the old Visitor Center/Cyclorama building at Gettysburg National Military Park. The building, designed in the 1960’s by architect Richard Neutra, had been scheduled for demolition for several years following plans to build a new visitor center, since completed. Architectural preservationists clashed with battlefield preservationists, and a study was ordered as to the feasibility of preserving or moving the building. The park service finally determined that the building could not be preserved, and conflicted with its underlying duty to preserve the battlefield as close to it’s 1863 appearance as possible.
In 1999 the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation called for removal of the Cyclorama Building, claiming that “With rare exceptions, the millions of people who have visited the GNMP since 1962 have come to see the battlefield and not Neutra’s architecture. Neutra has a secure place in the pantheon of American architectural history. There are other Neutra buildings; there is only one Gettysburg Battlefield. The proper treatment of the Building would be considered under quite different criteria, of course, were it on some other site without superior historical competition.”
Over 900 casualties occurred on or near the ground which the building occupied. Units which fought there included the 126th NY, 108th NY, Woodruff’s Battery, 125th NY, 111th NY, 12th NJ, 39th NY, 1st DE, 14th CT, and two companies of the 71st PA.
On September 3, 1912, ground was broken for a new cyclorama building on Baltimore Street in Gettysburg, on Cemetery Hill (on the site of the present day Holiday Inn), near the entrance to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. It opened to the public in 1913, in time for the 50th anniversary of the battle, once again displayed as a full circular painting, rather than in sections.
John C. Guntzelman has created an accurate colorized portrayal of the Civil War. In The Civil War in Color: A Photographic Reenactment of the War Between the States, Guntzeman tediously colorized hundreds of photos covering every aspect of the war.
It’s amazing how the addition of color adds dimension, emotion and reality…
Soldier of the 4th US Colored Troops December 1864 by Don Troiani
The 4th USCT was organized by Col William Birney of freemen from Maryland. The regiment lost 3 commissioned officers and 102 men killed in battle, 1 officer and 186 men to disease. A total of four Medal of Honors was awarded to the unit, one to a white officer and three to enlisted men, including Sergeant Major Chrtistian Fleetwood. During the attack on Fort Harrison eleven of the twelve men assigned to the regimental color guard were killed or wounded, including two color bearers. Flleetwood seized up the fallen colors and “bore them nobly through the fight.”
From Nick Duvall of Duvall Leatherwork, the best in the business…
Last time I visited a private collection, I thought it would be interesting to take a few pictures of a variety of Federal issue cap pouches from known time periods and compare them side by side. There are many differences that can help determine the time frame of manufacture for a particular Federal Issue cap pouch. Before I continue any further, please note that all of the cap pouches in the pictures are original specimens….So let’s begin!
How about we say there are three time periods of manufacture shown on this page…pre-Civil War, Early to Mid Civil War, and late war manufacture. Not every example is shown on this page, however it is a very good overview of Federal cap pouch manufacturing through the golden age of percussion weapons. As you looks at each cap pouch, take note to several details, first the flap shape. You’ll notice that as time moves from pre-war to late Civil War the outer flap changes shape very dramatically and is a tried and true detail of dating Federal issue cap pouch early, to late war. Next, note the overall size, you’ll see that as you move early to late the overall size of the cap pouch increases. And lastly, examine the size of the belt loops on the back of the cartridge box. Once again, you’ll notice that as time moves from early to late the belt loops go from very thin to wide and riveted.
Each cap pouch is numbered and its matching backside is numbered the same as well. Below I’ll give a brief overview of the cap pouch in time line form!
Cap pouch #: 1
Model: Unknown
Place Of Manufacture: Unknown
Approx. Date Of Manufacture: 1850’s
Distinguishing Details Of Face: Very revealing flap, a lot of cap pouch “molded body” exposed.
Distinguishing Details Of Back: Single belt loop, very abnormal, and will only accommodate a 1.5” waist belt indicative of early manufacture. Possibly state issued. NOT OF CONFEDERATE ORIGIN!!
Cap pouch #: 2 & 3
Model: 1850 Federal Issue Cap Pouch
Place Of Manufacture: Watervliet Arsenal
Approx. Date Of Manufacture: 1850 - 1861
Distinguishing Details Of Face: Very revealing flap, a lot of cap pouch “molded body” exposed. Very distinct “US” stamp on the outside flap.
Distinguishing Details Of Back: Very narrow, stitched belt loops. No rivets.
Cap pouch #: 4 & 5
Model: 1855 – 1861 Federal Issue Cap Pouch
Place Of Manufacture: Allegheny Arsenal
Approx. Date Of Manufacture: 1855 - 1861
Distinguishing Details Of Face: Shield Front, or Full Faced. Very different from any other cap pouch.
Distinguishing Details Of Back: Wider, but not very wide belt loops with no rivets.
Cap pouch #: 6, 7, 8, &9
Model: Federal Issue 1862 Contractor Variant Cap Pouches (Patterned off the 1850 Watervliet Arsenal Cap Pouch)
Place Of Manufacture: Unknown
Approx. Date Of Manufacture: Sept. 1862 – Oct. 1862
Distinguishing Details Of Face: Very thin bodied flap, leaving much of the “molded body” exposed
Distinguishing Details Of Back: Wider belt loops with stitching and rivets.
Cap pouch #: 10
Model: 1863 Contract (possibly even 1864 contract)
Place Of Manufacture: Unknown
Approx. Date Of Manufacture: 1863 though 1864
Distinguishing Details Of Face: Much fuller/thicker flap, covering much of the “molded body”
Distinguishing Details Of Back: Wide, long belt loops with stitching and rivets.
Cap pouch #: 11
Model: Federal Issue July 1864 Cap Pouch
Place Of Manufacture: Pittsburg, PA
Approx. Date Of Manufacture: July 1864 – October 1864
Distinguishing Details Of Face: Very full/thick flap, covering almost the entire “molded body”, ear tabs sewn right to the flap, no rain flap in side!
Distinguishing Details Of Back: Wide, long belt loops, stitched and riveted.
Cap pouch #: 12
Model: Federal Issue October 1864
Place Of Manufacture: New York, NY
Approx. Date Of Manufacture: October 1864- January 1865
Distinguishing Details Of Face: Very full/thick flap, covering almost the entire “molded body”
Distinguishing Details Of Back: Wide, long belt loops, stitched and riveted.
I hope this has sparked some interest in material culture and I would love to hear your feed back!
Enjoy!
Nick Duvall
