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Last week I was back in Indiana and spent an afternoon with a guy named Joe Burdick, whom I have been collaborating with for several years doing research on a possible regimental history of my g-g-grandfather's unit, the 6th Indiana Cavalry (formerly the 71st Indiana Vol. Infantry). The 6th Cav was converted from the 71st Inft'y in mid 1863 after having been captured (twice) and paroled (twice) at both the Battle of Richmond, KY in August of 1862 and then by John Hunt Morgan on his Christmas Raid of 1862. This is important to this thought as this unit spent a great deal of time at Burnside Barracks in Indianapolis in 1862 and early 1863 while on parole.
Attached is a photo of three soldiers. We're 99.9% sure that they are (L-R) John "Jack" Boon, Joe Rabb and Charles D. Smith. All three are members of Co. K, 6th Indiana Cavalry. All three were also in the 6th Cav regimental band. Jack Boon was listed on the descriptive rolls in 1863 as 31, 5’ 10”, light complexion, a former shoe maker, brown eyed, brown hair; on the right, we're 99% sure that it's Charles D. Smith, 19, 5’ 5” dark complexion, brown hair, brown eyes, clerk in civilian life, listed as musician in AG, but not on descriptive rolls. We know it's Jor Raab in the middle as the photo is in the Rabb Collection at the Indiana Historical Society. So, the ages on the 1863 descriptive rolls pretty much match the photo.
Looking at the uniforms, particularly the shirts and hats, you think "Span Am!" At least we did - thinking that the clothing and particularly the hats are more Spanish American War than ACW. But it isn't.
The photo is from the Joseph Rabb collection at the Indiana Historical Society and is described as a "tintype." The attached is a photo copy of the "tintype." Joe Rabb was not in the Spanish American War and neither was Charles D. Smith.
Jack Boon and the rest of the band members begged to ride with the 6th Ind. on the abortive Stoneman's Raid to Macon, GA in August of 1864. Jack Boon was captured, sent to Andersonville, survived, and was listed as killed on the Sultana when it exploded, transporting Union prisoners home just after the war. We have a post war letter that from Charles D. Smith describing the raid and their capture and transport to Andersonville
So there's no way that Jack Boon was in the Span Am War - and they'd all be 30 years older if this photo was circa Span Am War.
My question: Anyone ever seen anything resembling these hats and the shirt that Jack Boon is wearing (left in the photo)? It also appears that they are all wearing relatively new knee-high provate purchase boots. We're wondering is, since they were in Indianapolis when the unit was converted to cav from inft'y, if , perhaps, there was a lot of private purchase clothing. It seems plausible that they would have access to these resources in that location. Or, maybe it had something to do with the regimental band??
Thoughts???
Attached is a photo of three soldiers. We're 99.9% sure that they are (L-R) John "Jack" Boon, Joe Rabb and Charles D. Smith. All three are members of Co. K, 6th Indiana Cavalry. All three were also in the 6th Cav regimental band. Jack Boon was listed on the descriptive rolls in 1863 as 31, 5’ 10”, light complexion, a former shoe maker, brown eyed, brown hair; on the right, we're 99% sure that it's Charles D. Smith, 19, 5’ 5” dark complexion, brown hair, brown eyes, clerk in civilian life, listed as musician in AG, but not on descriptive rolls. We know it's Jor Raab in the middle as the photo is in the Rabb Collection at the Indiana Historical Society. So, the ages on the 1863 descriptive rolls pretty much match the photo.
Looking at the uniforms, particularly the shirts and hats, you think "Span Am!" At least we did - thinking that the clothing and particularly the hats are more Spanish American War than ACW. But it isn't.
The photo is from the Joseph Rabb collection at the Indiana Historical Society and is described as a "tintype." The attached is a photo copy of the "tintype." Joe Rabb was not in the Spanish American War and neither was Charles D. Smith.
Jack Boon and the rest of the band members begged to ride with the 6th Ind. on the abortive Stoneman's Raid to Macon, GA in August of 1864. Jack Boon was captured, sent to Andersonville, survived, and was listed as killed on the Sultana when it exploded, transporting Union prisoners home just after the war. We have a post war letter that from Charles D. Smith describing the raid and their capture and transport to Andersonville
So there's no way that Jack Boon was in the Span Am War - and they'd all be 30 years older if this photo was circa Span Am War.
My question: Anyone ever seen anything resembling these hats and the shirt that Jack Boon is wearing (left in the photo)? It also appears that they are all wearing relatively new knee-high provate purchase boots. We're wondering is, since they were in Indianapolis when the unit was converted to cav from inft'y, if , perhaps, there was a lot of private purchase clothing. It seems plausible that they would have access to these resources in that location. Or, maybe it had something to do with the regimental band??
Thoughts???
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