Federals, alot of breastblates

[btfire]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

Perhaps it is just me, but when I look at these images, it strikes me how the slings seem so much wider than the images of ourselves in similar shots... Is it me?

[Citizen_Soldier]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

Greetings,
Take a look at the first image in post #13 of this thread, it appears the fellow in the left hand side is using a bowie knife to cut a small tree limb to more managable pieces next to the firewood pile.

On another note, the reason slings may look wider in historic images is due to historic populations having less girth than modern people. Anthropometric data shows a 35-36" chest to be about average among soldiers during the 19th through early 20th century, compared to a modern average of around roughly 44" or so. In addition, reproduction muskets made in Italy are sized larger in both barrel and stock when compared to extant originals.

Merry Christmas,

Darrek Orwig

[Csayankee]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

I do like in the first picture the man standing in the upper left, his belly is hanging slightly over his belt or at least looks that way. If you notice that the belt buckle is angled out on the top like some of us modern people do.

[AZReenactor]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

Tyler,
Do you have a source and info on that camp scene with the fellow sitting in the hard cracker box?

[Tyler Gibson]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

Troy,

I've dug around, but have found nothing definitive...

I would love to find some info on theese guys, but I don't know anything...

[EighthNJVols]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

Pictures are awesome, but without the context some times we find images that might over represented in Camp and never seen on campaign.

I have spent many hours in the National Archives reading through the daily order books, and you find many references to Cols sending out orders to get rid of long boots, and personal hats in the ranks. One order was in reference to NCOs not wearing stripes on their pants and jackets. This was in the trenches of Petersburg.

Looking at some of the photos, you may see a lot of vests in a winter camp setting, and never see them on a summer campaign march. A lot breast plates could that have been after a re-issue? One photo can be very tricky to base an impression around.

[cannoneer]

Photo source help.

I thought that some of these photos looked familiar!

Here is a link to another site that has the photos with some information as to who and where.

Hard Case Boys

Hope this helps. I use these photos as research for my Western impression with the CLA.

[threepdr]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

I think these were taken in Chattanooga sometime after the siege in November 1863, and before Sept 1864. One of these regiments is the 44th Indiana which was assigned to the "Post of Chattanooga" even before the battle and remained on provost duty till the end of the war. The 21st Mich was assigned to the Engineer Brigade during the siege and remained in the Chattanooga area until Sept 1864 when they rejoined the main army.

The number of boots may because their duty in garrison did not require heavy marching. I suspect the boys in the 21st began to loose the boots when they rejoined Sherman down in Georgia.

I also noticed the mixture of weapons. The 44th has Enfields, M61 Springfields and either M63 Springfields or Colt M61 Specials (maybe both). The clarity of the photo makes it hard to distinguish between a M63 and a M61 Special.

[gilham]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

I noticed alot of pinkie rings on those boys also.
I think there has been discussion here before about pinkie rings worn by soldiers. It doesn't mean much until you see shots like this where there is a noticeable number of men wearing them.

[RBergmann]

Re: Federals, alot of breastblates

After having read a recent thread about neckties, does the sitting man second from the right, with either corporal or sergeant stripes on, look like a necktie?