suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

[Rmhisteach]

I was doing some research and I came upon this pic. It is of a local regiment to my area in Illinois. No date availible but it sure like they are in the feild??

I want to get others opinions. First I will say that I was suprised with the pistols .

[PogueMahone]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

Reckon them two fellers sold their vests to buy those pistols?

They must not have been there for long. The fence is still intact behind them.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

Or they could have asked their officers to pose with the pistols.

Neat picture!

[Rmhisteach]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

I am wondering about the fella in the civilan looking jacket. The post says that the fella second from the left is buried near were I grew up. The fella on the horse is also an officer.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

One thing that strikes me as odd is how low their bayonet scabbards are to the ground. Pictures (and practice) of hanging traps on the stacks always seems to show the cartridge box slings as well as waist belts slung over the bayonet at the top of the stacks, but in this photo the waist belts seem to be looped over the cartridge box where they attach to the sling, or perhaps the belt is looped through the cartridge box strap. It's not the most significant observation one could make about the photo, but it does strike me as different.

[ScottCross]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

The date "1864" is scratched into the emulsion of the glass plate negative. There appears to be more scratches, but I can't decipher it.

It really looks like the belts have been placed through the cartidge box. You see this every once in a while in images, and it is more comfortable to wear them this way.

[fortdonelsonrelics]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

According to the Quartermaster Reports:

Between 1862-1863, the majority of the unit was carrying Enfield Rifle-Muskets. "The Seventy-sixth Illinois is now armed with captured Enfield Rifles" - p160

From 1864-1865 it would slowly migrate to everyone having U.S. Rifle-Muskets M1855-1863.

There are no mention of pistols, but not unusual as we know the officers most likely had them.

Arming The Suckers- Ken Baumann

John Walsh

[Moose]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

The date looks like : Dec. 15th 1864

It's long ways on the left side of the photo.

Cheers,

[Danny]

Re: suckers-76th Illinois interesting pic

I was doing some research and I came upon this pic. It is of a local regiment to my area in Illinois. No date availible but it sure like they are in the feild??I want to get others opinions. First I will say that I was suprised with the pistols .

Rod - I'm always surprised when a reenactor is surprised about use of pistols in the ranks (long pointless thread about it in the Authentic Artillery area). In mid-19th century times, it's apparent that pistols were a common thing to carry, soldier or not, and were available and used by just about everybody, especially during wartime, and certainly by soldiers, issued or not.

Much gas has been expended over what personal weapons were issued or obtained by the ranks or allowed in ranks at the time, but this much is clear: Period photos like the one you post and many others show pistols being carried in inappropriate -- by our standards of authenticity -- circumstance. I realize some were just photographer's props, but most of them?

See attached such pistols as were available for a soldier to obtain. The three photos of the same gun (labeled 893) are an Illinois infantryman's pistol engraved as such: H.E. Carter 19th Illinois Volunteers. The other two photos are similar to the pistols in the belts of your soldiers, a Pettingil and a Butterfield revolver.

Dan Wykes