Grand Review: Pioneers

[paulcalloway]

We're all familiar with this Grand Review image - I really like these guys in front of the brass band.






Closeups attached.

Link to the LOC image.

[brown]

Re: Grand Review: Pioneers

Guess they wanted everyone to know who they were. Neat image. Two questions:
1) are the straps on the Pioneers a centeen and haversack? No leather gear b/c they have no weapons?
2) does anyone know what the parade route was? maybe what street that is and/or which face of the Capitol we are seeing.

Thanks for posting!
Lindsey

[clairemorris]

Re: Grand Review: Pioneers

Great close-up Paul, thanks for putting it on the forum.

I wonder what the pioneer on the second line (behind the mounted men), fifth from the left has stuffed into his sack coat/haversack, you can see a large object sticking out?

Claire Morris
69th New York (UK)

[Wounded_Zouave]

Re: Grand Review: Pioneers

Duplicate post... see below

[Wounded_Zouave]

Re: Grand Review: Pioneers

Guess they wanted everyone to know who they were. Neat image. Two questions:
1) are the straps on the Pioneers a centeen and haversack? No leather gear b/c they have no weapons?
2) does anyone know what the parade route was? maybe what street that is and/or which face of the Capitol we are seeing.

Thanks for posting!
Lindsey

I can't answer your first question, but as for the second, that's Pennsylvania Avenue looking southeastly toward the Western face of the capital. The column is about to make a right turn onto 15th Street, go North a block before going left (West) on Pennsylvania Avenue again, passing in front of the White House and the Review Stand.



Here is a neat post-war poem by Francis Bret Harte that describes a ghostly vision of the Grand Review. It reads in part:

And I saw a phantom army come,
With never a sound of fife or drum,
But keeping time to a throbbing hum
Of wailing and lamentation:
The martyred heroes of Malvern Hill,
Of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville,
The men whose wasted figures fill
The patriot graves of the nation.

Entire poem: http://www.civilwarpoetry.org/union/...2ndreview.html