Black soldiers in full campaign gear

[OleMissRebel]

Listed as:

Aiken's Landing, Va. African-American soldiers resting near the Aiken house. Army of the James, June 1864-April 1865.

[Mtn.Guerilla]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Another interesting photo, thanks for the closeups. I'm curious, and I might be way off base, but is that a purple martin house they're gathered around. That thing is a monster, looks to be about 36 rooms.

[creed1939]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

It is interesting that just about every pattern of jacket or blouse is worn in this photo. Do we know if this is all the same unit or to what unit they belong to?

[Jubilo]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Dear Sir ,
Thanks for submitting this interesting photograph. One of the soldiers seems to have his hands in pockets in his overcoat ! Pockets ? Always something new under the sun .
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[WoodenNutmeg]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Now that's a full pack!*

*sixth photo down from the top

[lambrew]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Some interesting bed rolls on those knapsacks as well. More fuel to that old fire too.

Respectfully....
Sean Collicott

[Mike Willey]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Dang, these guys must be rookies or not moving very far. I wouldn't want to carry some of those packs. It looks like they must weigh 75 lbs.


Mike Willey
late of the 49th Ohio

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Hallo!

When it comes to knapsacks, I am reminded me of two old sayings:

-Experience is a harsh teacher.

and

-He who does not listen, feels.

Curt

[Randy]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

The "purple martin house" could be a house for carrier pigeons, which were experimented with to carry messages.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Hallo!

Don't carrier pigeon coops have captured doors so that the bird does not fly off and leave before the message can be removed and read?

(Stuck on WWI pigeons, and not recalling ACW era use...)

Curt

[Slouch]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Its a martin box. Boy, by the size of that thing the Yanks must have thought they were in Richmond! Obviously they are waiting for Jeff Davis to come out!

[Mtn.Guerilla]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Its a martin box. Boy, by the size of that thing the Yanks must have thought they were in Richmond! Obviously they are waiting for Jeff Davis to come out!

I'm still under the same impression as well, particularly because of the design and location. It has the setioned off group entrances, 12ft to 15ft average height, and is close to a human dwelling, with roughly a 40 ft radius "fly zone". All purple martin house traits. As well as it seems to be kind of high, to be accessable enough to retrieve messages. I've seen fellas with coops for racing pigeons and the boxes are at a height accessable to humans. My 2cents.

[unclefrank]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Perhaps the reason for such a full pack is that many of these men never owned much in their lives, and would be very reluctent to throw anything away. I guess that was OK if they were strong enough to carry the load, and that one man looks plenty tough.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Dear Sir ,
Thanks for submitting this interesting photograph. One of the soldiers seems to have his hands in pockets in his overcoat ! Pockets ? Always something new under the sun .
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

I hear you on the pockets. I was told at a recent event that overcoats did not have pockets and I needed to find a way to cover mine up. I showed them an image that i found on here with 4 soldiers wearing overcoats...each with pockets!!!

Is that a civilian hooded overcoat the man on the right is wearing about three blown up images down?

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Black soldiers in full campaign gear

Hi,


I agree with Mr. Perkin, that maybe the reason that they have so large of packs is because they never owned many things. That seems logical, because some of these men could have been former slaves, or even just poor civilians before the war. Just my two cents.