Burying the dead at Antietam I

[C.G. Williams]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

Frassinato writes, " There were only a few barns on the battlefield proper in 1862. My research consisted of narrowing the site possibilities, based on the lay of the land at Antietam in conjunction with the barn inadvertently captured by the right-hand lens of Gardner's camera. I was also aided by another clue in the photograph that pointed to Gardner's most likely camera position. In the distant tree line just beyond the barn is a distinctive tree with with three of its branches grouped together like a pitch-fork. There is a gap in the woods to the left of this tree. If the tree and gap were indeed identical in the two views, it meant that the barn must have been the on elocated on the Miller Farm, adjoining the Hagerstown Pike on its western side. This connection, although potentially significant, could be considered only hypothetical until a modern field investigation of all 1862 barn sites on the battlefield was conducted."

So hypothetically, yes?!?!? Also take into consideration that the book was published in 1978. Does anyone know if a study has been done to figure this out since then??

[ScottMcKay]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

One thing that sticks out with this image, and something I have not seen in other period images, and that is the absence of 'D' handled shovels. In fact, this is the first image I can recall that shows shovel handles of this type used in the 1860s.

[Ridge Runner]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

In the zoomed in image is the guy on the left wearing leggings? Or are his socks just bloused like a few of the others are?


Roman Fox

[Jasper]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

Hey All


If you look in the back ground right of the split rail fence you will find a stack of at least 2 "D" handled shovels.


What my question is ( is that soldier leaning on the stack ?)



Jasper

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

One thing that sticks out with this image, and something I have not seen in other period images, and that is the absence of 'D' handled shovels. In fact, this is the first image I can recall that shows shovel handles of this type used in the 1860s.

Good point! You mean not ALL shovels had D handles! :wink_smil

[DougCooper]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

Fassanito did find this location - on the Miller Farm looking northwest from the Hagerstown turnpike and fence from a camera position north of where Starke's Louisianans were photographed in death along the fence. This photo and the then unlocated photo (still unlocated?) of the Irish Brigade dead are the only Union dead photos at Antietam.

[Jefferson Guards]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

The shovels that these men are holding appear to be the "Shovel, Long Handle" that was issued to the light artillery for placement on the caisson "at the side and under the boxes, staples and other arrangements for securing a long-handled shovel and a spare hanspike." (Gibbon, The Artillerist Manual, 1863 p170 & p432).

In a zoom in you can see a ring near the top of the handle (similar to that found on the trail handspike) for attachment to the caisson body. I do not know if my attempt at a zoon has enough resolution for you to see this.

I believe that there are examples of these shovels pictured in Lord's Encyclopedia.

[GACornbread]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

Thank You Brian and Scott:
Yesterday, while everyone else was looking at the men, I, too, was thinking those shovels have long handles. I could not remeber another picture with such.

But in the right center foreground of the picture, is there one "D-handled shovel" on the ground not being used?

I have done a lot of digging with shovels in my time. If you have digging in the dirt to do a long handle make the work a lot easier. It's the leverage.
A short handle makes the work back-breaking unless you are short. Also, a point on the shovel also makes it easier to break ground. Of course the long handle is prone to breakage. The short handled shovel may not have been the perferred tool and therefore "stayed in the barn" making it more likely that you would find them as left over examples.

Does anyone, have a reference for what tools would have been issued or purchased for: engineers, pioneers, and other supports that did the digging?

Houston White
Cpl. 42nd GA
Pvt 10 Texas

[Jefferson Guards]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

I don't have any written refernces that I know of off the top of my head, but the attached photograph shows a nice variety of digging tools used in an engineering context. The photograph is labeled as being taken of the 64th New York and the 5th New Hampshire working on a military bridge over the Chickahominy towards the end of May, 1862. This would be just prior to the battle of Seven Pines (or Fair Oaks). The photograph is in the collection of the United States Military History Institute and has appeared in a few publications.

I can see some long handled shovels and a D-handled shovel.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

The shovel in the center with the ring on the handle is an artillery shovel. The ring was to make it easier to carry on the piece where ever it was carried (havn't figured that out yet). The specs on the length are on my digging page. I have a dug one pictured there.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/tools/tools.html

Should have read Brian's post above before posting this. Now I know where the artillery shovels were carried.

[Bob McDonald]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

. . . And the guy kneeling to the right of the pointer has on leggings!

Bob Williams

Bob & All:

You're right on as to the vest; its piping is very distinct. This fellow also has stuffed his trouser cuffs into his stockings, but note how dark the latter are. Lastly, the fellow on the extreme left of the close-up is also in gaiters.

Superb image. As to the location of this view, the image appears in Bill Frassanito's book on Antietam photography. As many know, Bill's specialty has been built upon great detective work to correctly place war-time images, his probably best-known discovery being the proper identification of the several Gettysburg views that for a century plus had been misidentified, due to Gardner's creative labeling, as fallen of the Iron Brigade at the McPherson Woods on July 1. As Bill deduced and proved, on the basis of one key boulder, the six interrelated views were of Confederates of Semmes' Brigade who had fallen at the Rose Farm on July 2. Getting the train back on the track, this Antietam burial crew's location is, as I recall, impossible to pin down due to the very limited and completely unremarkable terrain and background/horizon features. In many fewer words, location unknown.


Cordially,

Bob McDonald

[Bob McDonald]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

To All:

My immediate prior nicely illustrates the pitfalls of missing that the end of a post's first page, when scrolled down a bit more, just might have numbered tab links indicating additional pages!

Thus, apologies for missing the excellent points raised on those pages and, thereby, inanely "introducing" Bill Frassanito's book following its thorough discussion re this image, and for relying on a memory missing one barn from its right hemisphere.

Abashedly,

Bob McDonald

[FC Barlow]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

Bob:

It seemed to me Frassanito conclusively located the spot today, with a modern photo that nicely matches the terrain, post-war barn on the site of the wartime Miller Barn, and matches with Brady's other photos taken along the Hagerstown Pike, etc. If not the exact site, its within feet of it.

[2MDF&D]

Re: Burying the dead at Antietam I

The despondent faces tell the story. Interesting looking canteen(??) hanging on the left side of the stacked arms. It's smaller than the one that's uncovered. Also the roll next to it. Half shelter perhaps? The small pan like object on the right below the shallow cup. Mixture of McDowell caps and standard issue. Looks like a variety of brim sizes as well. No chin strap visible on the fella looking at the camera. Always fun to study a photo. Always a new question to ask. Love it! Thanks for sharing this!
I like the two shovels stuck in the ground on top of the hill in the backround. How many questions I can think of as to why they are there!

Rob McFarland
2nd MD, Co E, Fifes and Drums