another interesting ebay image

[rick35ovi]

This looks to me like a post civil war New York regiment but i really have no clue, Look at the listing, Lots of good close ups but al little hard to make out all off the detail. Any ideas as to who they are?http://cgi.ebay.com/Civil-War-Era-Mi...QQcmdZViewItem

[Craig L Barry]

Re: another interesting ebay image

I am going to take a crack at it, allowing that this is an educated guess at best here goes...

Someone more expert on military uniforms could date this image based on the unique attire. From what little I know, the double breasted coats, epaulets and plumed kepis with white leather belts suggest US Navy or Marines in parade dress uniforms. I don't see any canteens, cap pouches, cartridge boxes or cartridge box slings. The plumed headgear only became common after 1872 in the Army (Engineers wore kepis and shakos with plumes) but the Marines were issued kepis with similar plumes as early as 1859, and anecdotal evidence suggests they complained about the way they looked. If these men were holding musical instruments instead of rifle-muskets, you would surely think this was the US Navy band from the early 1870s, but the early 1860s vintage US model rifle-muskets create a problem there.

The rifle muskets are turned lock plate in making identification tougher but the thick barrel bands suggest these are US 1861s, and not a later version. If this were a post Civil War image (and it might well be) it seems unlikely that muzzleloading US 1861 rifle-muskets would be still be in use with the accompanying socket bayonets? I can not quite make out the insignia on the caps to identify a particular branch of service.

The flag in the background is obviously "Old Glory" but it is draped in such a way as to obscure the number and location of the stars, which might have assisted in dating the image. Further the leaves on the trees suggest late Spring or Summer, and the presence of quite a few civilians in the background makes me wonder if this is a holiday parade of some sort...Memorial Day or 4th of July?


This is a very interesting image. Can anybody out there chime in and help me out here?

[rick35ovi]

Re: another interesting ebay image

Just another thought, could this possibly be a military school? if so we may never know who they are.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: another interesting ebay image

I wondered about that...the background pics of the bldgs are not distinct enough in terms of architecture (at least for me) to clearly identify. Also, the uniformed men looked older to me than military academy students. A good mystery...

[MillerTime]

Re: another interesting ebay image

Well I know that Shako's were issued to 49th NY. 72ND NY, 62ND PA, 83RD PA. AND LAST 18TH Mass. They dont look like shakos. Kepis with pompons. The pompons look like different sizes. When we got these from France early in the war they pompons were green. Well the men didnt like these and some either kept or threw it away. Maybe its an early militia unit? NY? Is that white leather belt? I dont believe they are Marines because look at the stripes on the sleeves. I believe its a SGT?

[rick35ovi]

Re: another interesting ebay image

If you notice in th description it says it was found in Syracuse, New York. I have been looking to see if there were any military schools in that area but havent found much info, I am also wondering if this could be a home guard of some sort, although i would'nt expect to see such dress uniform in something like that.