historical axe

[Charles Kaiser]

Re: historical axe

Hallo Kameraden,
I bid on an axe on Ebay Germany, take a look:

[Charles Kaiser]

Re: historical axe

Hallo Kameraden,
another Question. If the soldiers are on march, I think the had to carry some axes for firewood, building shebangs, or so on. I dont think , they carried it in the waistbelt like thomahawks. Has someone seen a photo of a soldier, carrying an axe? I think this question is only relevant, if the soldiers have no carriagewagons, or mule or horses for transport with them.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: historical axe

Hallo!

While I struggle to remember any Period images, I would add that under the greatcoat straps (greatcoat or blaket roll) on a knapsack is a convenient and safe place...
Another is internally between the two "bags" of a double-bag knpasack.
For me personally, I prefer the first for a hatchet or short-handled camp axe.

Curt

[J.H.Berger]

Re: historical axe

Yes Christof, I think you are referring to a hatchet= Beil not an Axe= Axt:)

P.S. Da fehlt ein "r" in deinem Untertitel;-))))

[Charles Kaiser]

Re: historical axe

Hallo Kameraden,
yes I mean hatchet, not axe, thank you Jan, I am not an Canadian Lumberjack:wink_smil
Curt, I thought about the same place to store, but I want to know, what the other say in the community, maybe it wasn`t common or farby, that soldiers carried an hatchet on the march, but I think a hatchet is as necesarry to survive as matches, or food or water.
I got the Hatchet on Ebay for 10,60€, and on next event I will carry it. Has someone a picture of a protection of the blade. I dont want that the hatchet will" kill" my knappsack on march. If there is no Information, or an existing Pattern, I will made it from Leather.(Homemade Style)


P.s: Danke für den Hinweis mit dem fehlenden R , wie peinlich:embaresse

[KevinInDel]

Re: historical axe

Stupid question, but would any one given soldier have been likely to carry an axe or hatchet, as opposed to their use being mostly limited to the engineers and sappers?

Kevin Mulrooney
Newark, Delaware

[Spewy]

Re: historical axe

My memory isn't what it use to be but I remember reading about a Lt. Gillespe(?) from one of the Infantry Regts' of the Missouri Brigade mounting the Breast Works at Corinth armed with an Axe. No mention is made of if he picked it up off the field or if he brought it with him.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: historical axe

Hallo!

Without "r," I could not breathe. ;-) A German pronounciation pun, "lost in the translation." :)

I do not recall any images of soliders with hatchets. There area number of hatchets attributed to ACW soldiers, but they are "loose artifacts" and just the hatchet (often rehelved). And excavated ones are often just heads with the helves having been lost to Time.
While I prefer images to illustrations... there are two 1861 artists' illustrations I can think of. One is an 1861 parade of Tennessee troops marching to join the "Army of North Virginia." They have "tomahawks' stuck in the front their belts.
The other is a ilustration of a grouping of men to show their uniforms and the man labelled as a Tennessee sharpshooter has one in his belt.

In the absence of artifacts, I know of no ACW associated or documented hatchet/axe covers. There was one in the old Lord's "The Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia" but the hatchet that was with it, although identified as a naval "boarding hatchet" is a roofing/shingling hatchet.

There are a few known hatchet slings or pouches from the 19th century, but these tend to be "frontier" shoulder belts and envelope-type pouches for securing small belt axes/hatchets/tomahawks.

Speaking of "experimental archeology," a hatchet slid under the greatcoat straps, against the greatcoat or blanket, rides safe and secure from doing injury to self or gear. A hatchet inside of the double bags of a double bag is an "exposed blade" that can nick one self or other gear from the blade or more particularly the corners of the blade if one is not "careful." (As is one carried under one's waist belt...)
In the absence of a cover, a cloth rag can be wrapped around the blade.

Tschuess!

Curt
Still looking for images Mess

[J.H.Berger]

Re: historical axe

The QM Manual 1865 states a cover for the hatchet and describes the hatchets being issued as camp equipage but that was 1865. It has a describtion of how it looks like incl. carying strap but that's it.
Well having a hatchet in the mess group makes sense but the question is was it done back then, we need to research more about that!
Anyway, if you need a blade protection for it Christof call me. I have made some before;-)