More Confederate Prisoners.

[ThehosGendar]

Gents,

While again scanning through images, I noticed an amazing cluster of soldiers in the far corner of the image, "Richmond, Va. Residence of Jefferson Davis (1201 East Clay Street)]." The LOC doesn't give any more specifics other than it was taken in 1865, but based on the equipage of the men in the snippet, I would assume it to be right after the evacuation and surrender.





It appears to me that the soldier with the lighter colored jacket at right is wearing a horseshoe blanketroll over his knapsack, and from the reflection, the man to his right has a groundcloth as the top layer of his roll. It also looks as if the soldier at far left is leaning upon a sword (or walking stick).

I submit it now for your edification and discriminating observation!

[Jimmayo]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Some nice hats in that picture. A few look almost new.

[tmattimore]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Also of note they are all shod. One frock coat visible.
Tom Mattimore

[markj]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Hi,

Also check out that circa April or May 1865 image showing recently paroled Confederate troops lounging around the Washington statue in Richmond. Some of them are wearing what appear to be recently-issued uniforms. I'm pretty sure this image appeared in the Time-Life CW series but it may also be at the same site you're exploring.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[ThehosGendar]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

There were two images taken from slightly different angles of the parolees gathered around the Washington monument in Richmond. The LOC has them dated April 1865.

Some strewn gear. It looks like some tin mess kit at left.

[NY Pvt]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Jason, I saw the post of the site where you found many of the images at that you post. Do you find all of these there? I always seem to find the same couple hundred. How do you zoom in that much? Is it a computer program you have? On the website I can get a large photo but nowhere near that zoom. These are some neat photos. Thanks

Also, the last reb picture there, isn't he the same guy standing all the way on the left in the picture above it? He is wearing the same "thing" around his neck and same jacket. However the top picture he is wearing a kepi. And both times he is chewing a wad of tobacco.

[Jeffrey Przewozniak]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Hi Dane,

When I go to the LOC site, I right-click "view uncompressed TIFF file" then save it to one of my folders. From there, I open it with either Adobe or Photohouse. Your average photo program should do the trick. Then you can cut out a portion of the image, select "crop to selection," (or something the like) to make it suitable for posting here. Hope that helps! I am in earnest,

[DougCooper]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Notice all the knapsacks in the first photo - Fed double bags or Mex War designs? They all appear to have chest straps so that eliminates the Isaac & Campbell. Fantastic stuff that deserves to be published in any new uniform book.

[Reserve]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Doug,

I think they are Mexican War or some other single bag with "H" style straps. The shoulder straps don't appear to be 1 3/4" - 2" wide as on the double bags I have examined. Also, it looks like it is a single chest strap perhaps without even buckle adjustment. This would appear to match up with some other researching (on Mexican War knapsacks) I am trying to do right now.

[ThehosGendar]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Ethan,

I agree... those knapsacks certainly look to have a single chest strap.

Also, does it look like the soldier to the far left with the sword/walking stick is wearing an English pattern cartridge box?

Hallo Dane,

No, that's not the same guy, although it could possibly be his doppleganger. They are wearing opposite colors. I just cut up parts of the same image to make it easier to put up on the board:



Neat that the soldier standing closest to the camera has a pipe put through his buttonhole and a tobacco pouch hanging from his button.

[DougCooper]

And almost all have vests

Vests, knapsacks, well shod, not ragged...most clean shaven. Either these boys have had access to 3 squares a day, tailors, showers and barbers or they were garrison troops...

..or the myth of the ragged rebel takes another hit...and the Richmond Depot stands a little taller.

[Yellowhammer]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

That's an excellent question...

My suspicion is that they are soldiers on their way home post-Appomattox and seeing the sites. Many Confederate soldiers worked there way back to Richmond on their way to pick up transportation. For example, RT Coles of the 4th Alabama went to Baltimore before heading home to Huntsville.

On a uniform note, I'm interested by the number of jean uniforms evident. As we get later into the war, I think we sometimes allow the English kersey to overwhelm our ANV impressions but field images from mid-1864 certainly appear to show a mixture of what is likely to be both kersey and jean of varying shades in the ranks.

And Doug, I agree with both your last two points. I definitely think the efforts made by the CS Central QM cannot be overstated. To start from absolute scratch in 1861 and be supplying whole armies in quantity and quality so quickly is nothing short of amazing. Sure, there were fits and starts and periods of want, but current research is certainly banishing the ragged rebel more and more to the confinds of mythology.

[DougCooper]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

John - an interesting thing about us Americans - sometimes we do much better when there is no bureaucracy in place to impede innovation. From the CS Central QM to the CS Navy, it's pretty impressive what you can do in an emergency, especially without a "we've always done it that way" mentality.

Kind of like our hobby :D

Was talking to Mike Hendricks the other day on the ratio of jean to kersey coming in to the RD in 63-65. Beginning in mid 63, you have large receipts for incoming imported cloth but even at it's height, Mike believes the ratio was about 60% jean/40% kersey based on the QM's own records. It would be interesting to note if the RD followed the same path as the Houston Depot, with kersey going mostly to jackets and jean to trousers. As the Taits started to come in this would have been an addition to the mix, vice a replacement for jean, as jean wool uniforms were pumped out to the bitter end based on photos and surviving examples.

Can anybody discern type jackets in the above photos (thanks Jason!)

[courier]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Comrades,
I cannot quiet the small voice that keeps saying "Government Clerks".These gentlemen do not have the appearence of troops from the trenches at Petersburg or the slow retreat from same.They are all clean,neat and very well dressed,perhaps nattily.They may have been issued marching kit to defend Richmond and then retreated with the army.Maybe not.overall a most interesting image to ponder.
Regards,Rick

Full name, please - Mike Chapman

[BobDenton37thVA]

Re: More Confederate Prisoners.

Also of note they are all shod. One frock coat visible.
Tom Mattimore

To paraphrase Les Jensen, the best chance of seeing a well-supplied, consistently uniformed Confederate army would have been at the Appomatox surrender.

BTW- these are great photos! What a find! Thanks for posting them.

(PS-How about some enlagements of the other fellows standing in the second set as well.)

Your servant, et c.,
Bob Denton