Sherman's Men

[lukegilly13]

I was looking for some period images of men actually performing destruction and I ran across this image of Sherman's men. It is titled "Atlanta Georgia, Sherman's men tearing up rail trackroad track".
Okay sherman's boys....this may be an obvious question that I am missing...but what did they do with their gear? I see no rifles, no canteens, no leathers, no knapsacks. They aren't exactly in their back yard so I imagine that their supply line should of been one of Sherman's main focuses. Could they afford the risk of just ditching this equipment?

[lukegilly13]

Re: Sherman's Men

Correction...I see one canteen on the loafer in the right of the image

[toccoa42]

Re: Sherman's Men

If I were busy tearing up track, I wouldn't want to be encumbered by a musket/canteen/haversack/blanket roll/whatever either. They probably just dropped them by the side of the track nearby and would pick them up later.

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Sherman's Men

Probably did a little number like this one, from LC-DIG-cwpb-0264, "Petersburg, Va. Row of stacked Federal rifles; houses beyond."

[FlatLandFed]

Re: Sherman's Men

For next year's Bummers' Stroll, might we consider the variation in uniforms of these men? -- fatigue blouses prevalent but also are issue dress coats and apparently even an untrimmed mounted services jacket on this "road gang." Think it's a mixture of men from several companies or from one specific group?

I'm still trying to get the time off from work before even beginning to officially get my kit together for the upcoming March but thought this mixture of clothing was interesting and wondered if guidelines had already been established.

Obliged,
Paul Hadley

[DougCooper]

Re: Sherman's Men

For next year's Bummers' Stroll, might we consider the variation in uniforms of these men? -- fatigue blouses prevalent but also are issue dress coats and apparently even an untrimmed mounted services jacket on this "road gang." Think it's a mixture of men from several companies or from one specific group?

I'm still trying to get the time off from work before even beginning to officially get my kit together for the upcoming March but thought this mixture of clothing was interesting and wondered if guidelines had already been established.

Obliged,
Paul Hadley

Paul I imagine we will be wearing what the original units were wearing, or as close as we can get. I suspect Mr Tipton and Co will soon be working on that research.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Sherman's Men

I wouldn't take the lack of equipment too seriously. They don't look like they're in much danger and it's obviously a posed shot. I imagine that a photographer saw some fellows sitting around taking a break and said 'hey, why don't you boys get up here and hold on to some rails like you're going to tear 'em up and let me get an image of you'.

[PanzerJager]

Re: Sherman's Men

I could be wrong but I think there is another photo of this same gang from a different angle out there. If you study the photos taken of the works around Atlanta and really scrutinize Sherman’s boys you will all sorts of different clothing including untrimmed mounted jackets and a cut down sack coat. This photo should be titled “Atlanta’s first urban renewal”.

Regards,

[Brian Baird]

Re: Sherman's Men

Sherman moved his army into and around Atlanta and ordered all the civilians out so these men could be on fatigue duty and marched from there camp....there wasn't much of a threat from Hood at this time.
Brian Baird

[red]

Re: Sherman's Men

I wonder if the photographer didn't spot the men, but they brought him along. from the look of the background, I don't imagine many photographers would simply be ambling about, I think he may have been brought by whoever was in charge, and the pics were meant as a morale booster for civilians at home. I do think they were indeed working on that section and it wasn't just set up, as evident by the dismounted rails near them that appear to be done in the same fashion as what they're set up to do.

just my thoughts,

Ian B.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Sherman's Men

That is a very interesting take that I had not considered. It is also entirely possible that he stopped to talk with the soldiers and said, "hey lets get a picture of you tearing up the railroad."

Would these mean be wearing jackets to do this type of work detail? It seems to me that this is a shed your jacket roll up your sleeves kind of work. Especially the frocks (i'm not the best at determining uni's but I think I see a couple). Also there is a guy standing at attention in the extreme left of the image. It makes me think after further examination that it may be an entirely posed image.

[yankeecav]

Re: Sherman's Men

Attached is the companion photo to the one being discussed as was referred to earlier in this thread. Maybe this image will aid in the discussion.
Here is the link to the uncompressed .tiff version at the Library of Congress site. http://memory.loc.gov/master/pnp/cwpb/03300/03391u.tif

[nastt]

Re: Sherman's Men

Gents,
Heres some drawings of Sherman's men by the eyes of a Bohemian.

[Brian Baird]

Re: Sherman's Men

Gents,
I believe this photo was taken by George Barnard. He was employed by the Army and was sent to Atlanta in the fall of 1864 and took most of all of the images of Atlanta that are in the LOC.
Sherman did not order the railroads destroyed in Atlanta until Novemeber of 1864 to just prior to leaving on the march to the sea.
Brian Baird