Interesting Photo

[flattop32355]

Re: Interesting Photo

You know... this may seem like a radical idea, but I think the man in the background is black. Look at how much darker his hands and face are compared to the soldier in the foreground, and notice the short natty hair. A teamster, perhaps? That would be one explanation for the boots.

Same thing I was thinking. He could also have been brought into the fort for manual labor on the defences, and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Lone Guard]

Re: Interesting Photo

For consideration,

It appears, in my most humble opinion, that the gentleman in the foreground sustained a wound to the back of the neck. His body was then rolled over. Notice at the nape of the neck in the photo (original post). There appears to be a jagged section just below the hairline on the neck. In that photo it appears that the blood has run from the back of the neck to the face. Also on the face there appears to be different colored blood that would come from dust and dirt sticking to the face. Someone then came along and kicked the body over (it may have been posed for the picture). In both pictures of the corpse there is an absence of blood on the hands. Had a wounding blow hit the lad he would have reached into it to check the severity. I believe that the lad was struck mortally in the back of the neck/head, fell face first into the dirt, and was later moved. Of course this is just my opinion, and everybody has their fair share of those.

Humbly,
Christopher D.M. Helvey

I share you opinion. I think it was a headwound, and a bad one at that. He was then rolled over so the photographer could get a picture, or so that someone could go looking in his pockets, take his buttons, etc.

[arsenal guard]

Re: Interesting Photo

S. D.

In reply to your thought on Confederate "heavies" converting to infantryman, You will find it well founded during the late war period in the Carolinas. Especially in the face of Sherman's advance north and following the capture of Fort Fisher. Former redlegs fought as infantryman at Wyse Fork, Averasboro and the final big one at Bentonville.

Great post... I enjoy reading everyone's take on the photo.

Wade Sokolosky
Arsenal Guard

[Doug Harding]

Re: Interesting Photo

You know, unbuttoning the fly may make getting into the trouse's pockets easier. Just a thought.

Doug Harding

[Secesh]

Re: Interesting Photo

That is the original photographer's caption, not Frassanito's.

[Secesh]

Re: Interesting Photo

In viewing the companion photo to this one, showing a close-up of the foreground soldier's head, one can readily see a huge gash between his nose and eye, where a piece of shrapnel has entered. Also, one can see the dried drip marks of his blood, showing that in the 2nd photo his head was turned either by the photographer or someone else after the blood had dried. Rather than everyone speculatiing, why not pull Frassanito's book from the shelf and check it out???

[Secesh]

Re: Interesting Photo

Does anyone read anything into the broken sponge being in this picture? Maybe just where it ended up after an explosion?

According to Frassanito, the sponge is a prop, placed there for effect, as it does not show up in any of the other series of photos taken. Also, the color to designate British infantry was red, and I have read that some Tait infantry jackets sent to the Confederacy did in fact have red trim, being shipped as Infantry jackets, and were issued to Confederate infantryman. Not many, but some...It may actually have been Jensen who wrote this, come to think of it...Lastly, the soldier in the background is black/ dark skinned because his face and hands are beginning to discolor. Everyone's body decomposes at a different rate...It's very likely that he actually was killed and died face down, allowing the blood to pool into his face and lower extremities. This is very common when an individual dies, and will appear as bruising / purplish in color. He may have been turned over by Federal troops to get at his pockets, or the photographer wishing to stage the body for a more dramatic effect ( remember, these photos were being taken not for art's sake, but to sell to a ready Northern market). Secondly, an African American fighting for the Confederacy and dying at Ft. Mahone would have been so unusual as to have the photographer comment on it in his caption and make him the focus of the photo, not a Rebel wearing US gear, which was all too common by late War....Just my 2 cents...

[clconboy]

Re: Interesting Photo

One thing I did notice about the wound is that the top of his nose looks broken or at least where the point of impact of where the shrapnel entered.

any one have a larger image?

thats a good quality image!

[5thMIkeydet]

Re: Interesting Photo

There appears to be a wound on the back of the neck of the man in the foreground. Exit wound? A gash in the back of the neck would not explain the blood on the face. An entrance and exit seem to make the most sense. Also, could they not have possibly both been moved into the spot? Could explain why the pants are open.

[aaron1stvirginia]

Re: Interesting Photo

Gents
I have studied this picture til I'm blue in the face. I opened the tiff up and looked at it. I wander why the epaulettes are missing? And also I think it's net he's still got the US plate on his cartridge box. I can't really tell but if you look at the tiff it looks like the breast plate has been removed. You can see one hole it looks like about 2 or 3 inches where the haversack strap is and the other one would be under the haversack strap. Anothe thing I find funny is that his haversack strap is tied in a knot, which I have heard is a reenactorism. Must not be since this is a real picture. Also I noticed that it looked like he had two straps that looked like haversack straps. Really good picture though.

Sincerly

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Interesting Photo

Are those rounds still in his box...? I don't know if anyone can actually see them well.

My first instinct is the man in the background is wearing a civilian pair of pants and vest. Might he be cavalry? If so, does anyone know which cav regiment could have seen action in Ft. Mahone during the time this was taken?

My thoughts... ;)
Thanks- Johnny

[Dignann]

Re: Interesting Photo

Personally, I believe the fellow in the background is not dead but is being used as a prop. It is quite possible, in my opinion, that he may be a driver for Roche, or a servant of sorts.

In the attached photo (Library of Congress: LC-B8184- B-5077), of photographers Egbert Fowx and Thomas Roche, we can see just such a man holding their horses. This photo was taken near Petersburg. I'm not suggesting that the man holding the horses in this photo is the same as the one in the background of the photo under discussion. I'm just saying it is quite possible that Roche had his servant pose as a body for the Fort Mahone image.

Eric

[Watchdog]

Re: Interesting Photo

A differnt slant:

Is the body in the backgound a Negro (servant)?

Is it posed?

[aaron1stvirginia]

Re: Interesting Photo

Gents after a conversation with a friend of mine, who happens to be mortician, and showing him these pictures of this fellow he says he died on his side not face down, but rather on his left side. He said "The discoloration (if you were facing him) is on the left side of his face. The blood flow from his nose flows to the right of his face indicating he was rolled over from his position of death." He says this is from a condition called liver mortis. "Algor Mortis - The cooling of the body to the surrounding temperature after death. Rigor Mortis - Everyone knows that. Livor Mortis - The changing of the color of the skin after death."


Sincerly

[sam.p]

Re: Interesting Photo

For something completely different. The canteen strap on the fallen man in the foreground. Is the strap split down the middle on the side or is it one piece? I have seen some that were split and wondered if this was common practice for "restrung " canteens to have the strap split on the side so that it "cradles" the canteen. Has anyone else noticed this practice?

Cordially,
Sam Patterson