Hip-hop Yank?

[roundshot]

This yank is on the cutting edge of trend with his low riding belt and plate. Hip-hop fashion? Or maybe he's Scottish and thinks it's a sporran. Anyway, he's got it covered. From an LOC photo showing a Union sentry at Redoubt Zabriskie on the Bermuda Hundred lines.

[jandksuttorp]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Wow! I can't believe his NCO of the guard let him stand his post looking like a riff-raff. Is he wearing his fatigue blouse tucked in to his trousers?
Nice picture, thanks for posting!

John Suttorp

[SCTiger]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Mounted-type trousers? Perhaps he's Mounted Infantry and all his gear is on the horse, out of the picture shot. Maybe tucking in your blouse was a good idea for riding.

[roundshot]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

My guess is that these are "heavies," armed as infantry and manning static guns along the line. Here's a larger view. Merry Christmas to all.

[Dignann]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Chances are that these fellows are members of a Signal Corps detachment. "Redoubt Zabriskie" was located on Cobb's Hill, along the Appomattox River and was manned by the Army of the James. At least one officer that appears in this image is included in another photo (LC-B811- 2595), which shows the Cobb's Hill signal tower behind them.

Eric

[roundshot]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

I'd say you're onto something, Eric. And those signal fellows were a law unto themselves as far attire went. Nice sleuthing!

[DaveGink]

Another fatigue blouse tucked into pants

I thought it was interesting that just after seeing this thread I ran accross this photo of a trooper from the 18th Pennsylvania cavalry with his fatigue blouse tucked in to his pants.

[lawson]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Upon looking closer, YES, his blouse is tucked in. OH NO!
It would also appear that he has taken advantage of his extra storage space, and has stuffed a few items inside his tucked in blouse. Otherwise, he's got dem lub handles, and I think not. What a killer image.

Reagrds,

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Nice little patch of cockle-burrs in #4.

[Dignann]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Today I was searching through the regimental history of the 12th NH, for something completely unrelated, and came across a nice description of a photo that is part of the same Cobb's Hill signal tower series.


"The picture here given is the 'Cobb Hill' tower and shows the parapet of the fort lying between the position of the artist's camera and the tower, and which cuts off, as will be noticed, the bottom view of the latter. This fort was built upon the spot where the owner of the estate lived in a large family mansion when our troops first landed at Bermuda Hundred and City Point, and from whom the tower took its name.

The tower and detachment of men connected therewith were, at the time the picture was taken, in charge of a signal officer who had previously followed the colors of the Twelfth Regiment, and is shown in the engraving sitting in a chair and holding a newspaper in his hands. The man standing near him was his colored cook and waiter, and the two others reclining at his right and front were two naval captains then in command of gun-boats. lying in the Appomattox river a short distance away; while the person seen standing by the wagon on the opposite side was one of the men employed by Brady & Co., the noted war photographers of New York city, the other, being at the camera, cannot of course be seen.

The house, occupied at that time as the officer's headquarters, had been the family residence of one of the slaves that worked upon the plantation; and the staging across the ridgepole was built to signal from before the tower was built. The quarters of the men, some of whom can be seen upon the tower, and the stables for their horses were on the other side of the fort. The dark spot seen on the first section below the top of the tower was a sort of box shelter for the men on duty during the winter season, as one of them had to be constantly on the watch, no matter how cold or severe the weather."
-- Asa W. Bartlett. History of the Twelfth Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion (Concord, N.H.: Ira C. Evans, Printer, 1897) p. 381


The parapet belongs to Reboudt Zabriskie, which was named on honor of Col. Abram Zabriskie, Ninth New Jersey Volunteers. Zabriskie died of wounds received at Drewry's Bluff.

The reverse of a sign is visible atop the parapet. Perhaps that is the same sign for which we see the obverse in the photo of the post above. The Library of Congress call number for this photo is LC-B811- 2500. It's always nice when the photographers decide to capture themselves in an image, as well as some their equipment.

Eric

[roundshot]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Now that's cool, Eric. Thanks for sharing.

[Moonshine]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

What's funny too is I have a book titled "Illustrated History of the Civil War" with pictures from the Bettman Archive and on page 204, there's a large picture of some contraband cooks/teamsters and the gentleman standing in the doorway is also in this photo along with 6 others.

Just thought that was a coincidence!

[samarshall]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

I dont know if anybody else noticed this but the yank who is seated farthest to the left in both pics, looks a whole lot like the same guy.

seth marshall

[markmason]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Wow! I can't believe his NCO of the guard let him stand his post looking like a riff-raff. Is he wearing his fatigue blouse tucked in to his trousers?
Nice picture, thanks for posting!

John Suttorp

Seperate what we as living historians expect of ourselves and those who were there at the time. He looks fine to me and exactly how I would stand guard in the field.

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Hip-hop Yank?

Just when you think you've seen everything, something like that pops up! And in the field not the studio, too. How comfortable is it to wear your fatigue blouse tucked in like that?