Wild photo

[1st Maine Trooper]

Guys,
Check this fellow out, he is supposed to be a CS cavalryman but he is wearing his saber belt upside down.

http://www.oldsouthantiques.com/os1813p1.htm

Dave Myrick

[Hank Trent]

Re: Wild photo

Looks like he's desperately trying to figure out how to be photographed drawing it with his "right" hand. (Note the way his buttons button--that's actually his left hand drawing it.)

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[1st Maine Trooper]

Re: Wild photo

Drawing his saber with the left hand would make sense if the belt was on upside down.
Dave Myrick

[GrumpyDave]

Re: Wild photo

Looks to me like all of his NCO's were dead. LOL. A fresh fish for sure.

[Iceman]

Re: Wild photo

Or more likely, it's a photographers trick to create an image that has the Sam Brown strap over the correct shoulder, and to make it look as if he's drawing the saber with his right hand as he's supposed to, if it wasn't for the fact that the image is reversed. There are many images of Illinois infantry that I have seen where they are wearing their cartridge box and cap pouch on the wrong side and have their musket at order arms, but on their left side. Not because their ignorant of how a soldier is supposed to wear and handle his equipment and weapon, but because they are correcting the reversing of the image.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Wild photo

I have first person accounts of soldiers trying to fool the reversed image properties of period photography by wearing items opposite to their normal intended usage.

CJ Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[csabugler]

Re: Wild photo

At that price, we might not ever know. I surely won't.

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Wild photo

I personally like how the seller is [I]sure[I] that the man is a cavalry private... How many images have you seen that something in the image has been gilt that wouldn't have in in reality? I've seen bits, buckles, buttons, piping, the trim on the flag, spurs, saber hilts, the finial on flag staffs, rings, and the list goes on... I'm not sold he's a cavalryman and not an artillerist... Just my .02. TEH