Civil War cards

[easttnfed]

Re: Playing Cards

Whats that tucked inside the guy's rolled up pants on the left? Could it be another card or a piece of paper?

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Playing Cards

Kind of off the subject of the photo, but what programs do people use to zoom in like that? I would love to be able to do that on my own. And maybe find something worth contributing!

David,

I use Adobe Photoshop, but at $649 it's probably overkill for most average computer users. Fortunately my employer bought it for me. I think Photoshop Elements will work for you, that lists at $99.

Ron Myzie

[KCLoewe]

Re: Playing Cards

David,
If the photo is from the Library of Congress all you need to do is open the photo on your computer from their site, then select to download the large TIFF version. Depending on what sort of power your computer has could take a few minutes per photo. From that point you can save the image and zoom in at your leasure. One recommendation is to note the particulars of a photo so you can properly site the LOC if you ever decide to post a photo or portions of.

[sedlakchristopher]

Re: Playing Cards

Mr. Ray,

As for the white "thing" in the cuff of the soldier on the left's pants...

since it is rolled up, possibly the white cotton tape used in finishing trouser cuffs
OR
if it is a mounted pair of trousers (or trowsers as an original QM sheet I have spells it) these had a button system that used a cotton strap placed under the foot to keep the pant in the boot, as this cavalry soldier is wearing, when tucked in the boot.
I don't know much about this system and how often it was used, I'm just familiar with them from the mounted trowsers we use from our artillery impression. I remember thinking that was interesting the first time I saw them in a repro... "what's this for?" kind of thing. This strap system also has some white cotton tape involved.
OR
It's a piece of a spare Ace poking out... just a guess.

Nice image.

Your obedient servant,
Chris Sedlak

[easttnfed]

Re: Playing Cards

Chris,

Thanks for your explanation on what that mysterious white object was in the cuff.

[Poor Private]

Camp Life

I am one of those guys who has to do something in camp. and since there is so much down time in camp. I can't carve, hate playing chess or chequers (checkers). You can only sleep so much. My other half is into raising sheep and goats, so I was wondering if any weaving was done in the camps and what type and devise or tool was used.

Cris Westphal
1st Mich Vol.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Camp Life

One very good resource you can look to for information on what soldiers did with bivouac time is the letters home--letters are a fantastic way to see what the people themselves found interesting and noteworthy. They either mention they did X and Y, or complain about needing some item or supply to be able to do X and Y, or talk about someone else doing X and Y, etc.

A good set of questions to ask is this:

What did the original people (in this case, quartered soldiers) do?
Can I duplicate that exactly?
If not, what other things did they do (use, make, think)?
Can I duplicate that exactly?
Which historic practice (item, philosophy) will work best for my situation?

This helps prevent the backward thinking of "I'd like to do X, can I justify it?" Start with what we can document as having been done, said, eaten, worn, thought, and our impressions stay more accurate, and develop more fully.

What collections of letter, memoirs, or reminisces of soldiers have you look at to this point, to find what men of the period were doing for recreation in camp? Knowing what books you've look at to now will help others point you toward books you've not yet seen.

(Reading, by the way, seems to have been a popular pastime for both military men and men in their "citizen" lives. With the abundance of newspapers, magazines, and books both fiction and nonfiction published during the mid-century, reading historic things would be a good way to increase the context of an impression and occupy "down time" as well.)

[BrianHicks]

Re: Camp Life

I am one of those guys who has to do something in camp. and since there is so much down time in camp. I can't carve, hate playing chess or chequers (checkers). You can only sleep so much. My other half is into raising sheep and goats, so I was wondering if any weaving was done in the camps and what type and devise or tool was used.

Cris Westphal
1st Mich Vol.

Must be nice to have so much down time.

Perhaps your experience in camp has been different than mine. Between Guard, Fatigue and Drill, a period of rest is much welcome.

What to do? Clean your self, your weapon and your clothing. Make your sleeping accommodations more user friendly. If you have a post or Regt. Sutler, visit them.

A well ran event should provide enough activities for the men in camp, so as to allow for little or no idle time.

[nrandolph]

Re: Camp Life

I'll second what Mr. Hicks had to say! Go to quality events and the free time thing shouldn't be much of a problem. As has been said many times before, "busy soldiers are happy soldiers!", or at least active complaining soldiers. I've never personally had that much time at a good authentic event. I'd wonder what the organizers and officers had been planning prior to the troops arrival if there was a lot of down time. If I do get some free time, I usually sleep!

Neil Randolph
1st WV

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Camp Life

Neil,

Good to hear that you don't have much time, otherwise I'd figure I was slipping!

Ron

[nrandolph]

Re: Camp Life

Ron,

That's correct! You are a hard, but fair taskmaster! I might add that Mark T. and I also have fun!

Neil Randolph
1st WV

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Camp Life

As insinuated by some of the responses already posted on this thread, the extent to which a participant needs to be creative to "fill the time" at an event is a function of the event type, portrayal/scenario, organizers, and the battalion and company leadership. For example, an event that features a lot of marching culiminating in a late-afternoon battle reenactment will probably not have a lot of "down time". On the other hand, an event like a garrison portrayal MAY have increased downtime if you're not assigned to duty such as Guard or fatigue or something else.

If you're talking about the "typical reenactment", where there may be an hour of drill in the morning, followed by four or five hours of "down time" until the afternoon spectator battle, when participants are free to visit the vendors and the wife-and-kids-in-the-civilian camp, well, filling the time at that event may be a bigger challenge, particularly if your company- and battalion-commander are running off from camp themselves and leaving the men to fned for themselves. That I can tell, reenactors often like to be kept occupied, and most so-called "non-authentic" reenactor events have loads of "down time".

First, if you desire a "more military" experience and feel you aren't getting it in the events you attend, consider trying out a "campaigner" event, whether it's a marching event or a more-static (garrison-type) weekend. You'll probably start to see less free time.

I'm involved in a semi-immersion winter-quarters garrson-type event, and the challenge is to provide accurate, period activities for the battalion while not crowding it too much; after all, winter quarters was sort of dull. While we don't wish to reenact, as one person once put it, "authentic boredom", we also don't want to overdo it. What type of stuff do we do at that event?

* Fatigue details including a lot of chopping wood to keep the fires going.
* Camp guard duty.
* Picket duty (sometimes).
* Mail call, organized pre-event. This would be less likely for an event portraying troops in the midst of an active campaign, although even they sometimes received mail, sometimes even just before going into battle.
* Daily inspection of quarters by the Officer of the Day. Quarters that don't measure up to the expected standard of cleanliness have to be cleaned up and re-inspected.
* Paperwork associated with various "scenarios". This keeps busy the clerks, orderly sergeants, and company officers to a large extent.
* The men are encouraged, pre-event, to bring soldier amusements, such as cards and period games, instruments to play, etc. Some guys bring paper and pen and write letters--a very common soldier activity in camp or at stops on the march. At Gettysburg 1998 I was asked by a webzine to write "dispatches" from the reenactment, so I wrote at each stop on our marches or waiting for a "battle", with my knapsack as a desk. My comrades who saw me doing this didn't know I was doing "modern writing"--to them it looked like I was writing a letter home.
* Some of the participants at this event offer needed services. For instance, at the previous edition of this event, one fellow was providing shaves with a straight razor, so I opted for one.
* A few pre-planned "scenarios"; usually low-key stuff like a civilian asking to enter the camp to make a complaint about foraging. Nothing big or dramatic, but enough to give the boys something to talk about, and the Guard detail something to deal with.

There's loads of things, but it's easier to "get into it" when you're in an environment that's supporting more-accurate first-person activities, such as Guard duty and stuff like that.

[Duke20thSC]

Re: Camp Life

I am one of those guys who has to do something in camp. and since there is so much down time in camp. I can't carve, hate playing chess or chequers (checkers). You can only sleep so much. My other half is into raising sheep and goats, so I was wondering if any weaving was done in the camps and what type and devise or tool was used.

Cris Westphal
1st Mich Vol.

Weaving? Only after an over-indulgence in popskull and then trying perambulate the ole campground.

I believe this presents, in stark example, the difference in our own 21st C frame of reference and the 19th C. You are looking for pre-packaged entertainment. Your stated interest is in weaving wool. How about this? These were soldiers removed from their familiar surroundings. They didn't get to do what they wanted to do. They occupied their time with a plethora of occupations designed to simply fill the time, such as:
Singing. American Idol did not exist and this was done for self-entertainment, not recognition or achievement
Playing cards
Playing dominoes
Writing letters home
Writing memoirs or verse
Reading whatever was available
Whittling. Ever read descriptions of Grant? From all accounts, he never carved anything except twigs into shavings.
Smoking. Ever read descriptions of Grant?
Bible study. Ever read descriptions of Jackson? Or the revivals described by Watkins?
Instrumental play. Harmonica. Fiddle. Spoons.

You can use these as opportunites for self-improvement ...or not. It is self-guided...or not. You can go to events where they tell you what to do every 5 minutes according to some schedule...or not. You can read and apply the fruits of your reading...or not.

People of an earlier age would not ask such questrions because their world did not contain the pre-packaged, subscription entertainment that most of us have become accustomed to at home. I attended an event this past weekend where the older tradition lives on. As I left the event site, I passed bright, banked fires where banjos and guitars were played, songs were sung, not just by the singers, but by all who knew the words within the ring of light. Not all were of our period, to be sure, but old traditions and memories were recounted and passed on to the young'uns. The spirit of "our time" was alive and preserved there, no matter how academically flawed. Reenactors and students of history of future generations will spring forth from that event and its surroundings because a yearning for past honors and past glories was engendered.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Camp Life

I am one of those guys who has to do something in camp.

This August 2007 event is in your backyard, and has to potential to keep a fellow busy for the vast majority of the weekend: http://www.fortwayne2007.com/

If you are truly bored at events, take some time to back up a step and re-read the classic foundation works by Fisk, Hinman, Billings, Fletcher, Bull, et al, and maybe a few of the more obscure works dealing with the daily life of the common soldier. Grab pencil and paper to take notes, and study how what they did can be incorporated into what you can do at any given event. Use your imagination.

On the other hand, work to be done is just about always a common thread at any event, and the never ending jobs of the wood and water details are closely followed by helping the village idiot doing the cooking for the company or battalion, as the case may be. Having been that village idiot a number of times, I can tell you without hesitation that any form of help (unless you happen to be Colbi Rosenthal) is greatly appreciated.

How can you help? Glad you asked that. In the absence of KPs, which the powers almighty invariably forget to assign:

1. Learn the scrub the living Hell out of a sheet iron mess kettle with soap water and sand. They don't need to be armory bright, but most of them could use a good scrubbing and scouring. Also learn why this does not work well with tin.

2. Become skilled at sharpening knives, cleavers, axes, and whatever else may be dull as a froe around the cook fire. A small stone or brick and a little work can help a battered tool.

3. Learn to splint wood to the point where the different configurations and types of wood can be used for different types of fires whether baking, boiling, or fulfilling the natural desire for a good Guy Fawkes or Joan D'Arc pyre when the heavens burst forth with a deluge.

4. Create a deer path between the cook fire and the water supply by fetching buckets of water. Once the patch is firmly developed, perfect your ability to Tom Sawyer this never ending task on some unsuspecting soul.

5. Help with food prep. With a minimal amount of training, you too can cut meat for hours at a time, make consistent carrot and potato cubes, quarter cabbages, core apples, jump Sibley tents in a single bound, open tins with a bayonet, and weep over onions so strong they can practically carry water by themselves.

6. Learn to make coffee and help those poor souls wandering around camp in the rain at 3:00 a.m. identify the coffee kettle from the dishwater kettle. Remember, the coffee need not be good, or real coffee, nor does it have to be much different than a strange glow in the dark shade of gray for your fellow participants to enjoy it. Keep them guessing by tossing in some secret ingredients, so they ask purely innocent questions like "was this kettle formerly used to boil rat poison?" To which you sweetly reply, "Why, no, but the captain had us boil up some smegma for use as caulk."

7. Assist young troops, or at least those fellers hailing from the Harpeth River Brownwater Squadron in determining the difference between soap and cheese when both are being issued at the same time. Believe me when I say you won't have any trouble identifying those who receive a no-go for this task.

8. Fill some wag's knapsack with rocks or bricks. Sure, this has nothing to do with cooking, but, man, look at the alibi you'll have while observing the unpleasantly surprised Private Whoathisdangthinggotheavyinahurry attempt to secure his knapsack hook in that triangle thingie.

9. Steal a pie. Some tribes from the Hoosieriania Nation tend to only steal half a pie. Why this is, no one knows. Some cooks put the trash pies out on a board elevated in the middle of camp, and put the good pies under a false bottom in a hardtack box, but I digress. An especially evil cook would bake an apple pie with salt instead of sugar, and leave that out there for the pie pilferers to plunder.

10. Since you mention you don't like whittling, give this a try. Find a big sweet potato, carve the best likeness of a male dog's reproductive organ that you possibly can. (Think Mastiff or Great Dane, and not Pomeranian.) Leave this work of art as the most especial centerpiece for the Officer's Mess table. Even better when enhanced with a circle of wildflowers.

Sure, I'll move this to The Sinks....

[lhsnj]

Re: Playing Cards

http://www.civilwarphotos.net/files/images/002.jpg

Another image of soldiers playing some cards while enjoying some "down time".



The note from the page I found it on says it is taken around Petersburg, VA.