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  • #1

    whatzzit?

    Hello again,

    Does anyone know what the piece of gear is on this trooper? The time frame is spring 1864, place is VA.

    John Tobey
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  • #2
    Re: whatzzit?

    the war's largest cartridge box?
    -Ty "Tic-Tac" Gladden
    Co. A, 1st Texas Infantry
    One of the "Three Jesi", and founding member of the Shire Mess.
    Part of the Chocolate People Mess, of the Texmosippiana Society...

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    • #3
      Re: whatzzit?

      Boy John if you don't know who does?

      Too big to be that special cartridge box for the Spencer that no one really liked and I forget the name.

      Almost appears it could be a medical case, but why would he have a saber.

      Perhaps some type of special message box?

      Curious minds want to know
      Marc Riddell
      1st Minnesota Co D
      2nd USSS Company C
      Potomac Legion

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      • #4
        Re: whatzzit?

        When I look at the shape and size, i think of a early war knapsack, but the strapping on it is all wrong.
        Bill Kane
        Tar Heel Mess
        [url]http://www.tarheelmess.org[/url]

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        • #5
          Re: whatzzit?

          My first reaction was a hospital knapsack, but I don't know enough about them. Where is Tim Kindred when you need him?
          [COLOR="DarkRed"] [B][SIZE=2][FONT=Book Antiqua]Christopher J. Daley[/FONT][/SIZE][/B][/COLOR]

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          • #6
            Re: whatzzit?

            Just a guess: a field medicine case?
            [FONT=Times New Roman]Yours most respectfully, your obedient servant,[/FONT]
            [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
            [FONT=Times New Roman]R. L. ("Rob") Griffiths.[/FONT]
            [FONT=Times New Roman][I]Member, Civil War Preservation Trust.[/I][/FONT]
            [FONT=Times New Roman][I]Authentic Campaigner member since November 10th, 2004.[/I][/FONT]

            [FONT=Times New Roman][I]"I am not aware of ever having used a profane expletive in my life, but I would have the charity to excuse those who may have done so, if they were in charge of a train of Mexican pack mules at the time."[/I] - U. S. Grant[I].[/I][/FONT]

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            • #7
              Re: whatzzit?

              Could it be he is a surgeon which may explain the sword? I don't see any rank straps but the photo is rather fuzzy and I can not tell what the front of the coat looks like either.
              Robert Collett
              8th FL / 13th IN
              Armory Guards
              WIG

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              • #8
                Re: whatzzit?

                The sword is definitely a calvary sword, not an officer's sword, but back to the main question, I concur with the medical box crowd, as I faintly recall looking at something similiar in a museum (possibly the CW Medical Museum in MD), and seeing it identified as a medical steward or surgeons case. It would make sense to me to carry medecines in a hardened case. Now the question is, was the man in the image a calvary medical steward?
                Ross L. Lamoreaux
                rlamoreaux@tampabayhistorycenter.org


                "...and if profanity was included in the course of study at West Point, I am sure that the Army of the Cumberland had their share of the prize scholars in this branch." - B.F. Scribner, 38th Indiana Vol Inf

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                • #9
                  Re: whatzzit?

                  I too cast my vote for the Medical box. On another note, thats either one very short dude or them are some mighty tall horses. Also both saddles have cruppers.

                  Dave Myrick

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                  • #10
                    Re: whatzzit?

                    Hallo!

                    He can't be that short, given the length of the sabre.
                    Must be the horses.... ;-)

                    Curt
                    If a steward, trying to figure if the sabre is a martial prop for the photographer...
                    Curt Schmidt
                    In gleichem Schritt und Tritt, Curt Schmidt

                    -Hard and sharp as flint...secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
                    -Haplogroup R1b M343 (Subclade R1b1a2 M269)
                    -Pointless Folksy Wisdom Mess, Oblio Lodge #1
                    -Vastly Ignorant
                    -Often incorrect, technically, historically, factually.

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                    • #11
                      Re: whatzzit?

                      Without a doubt this is Jerry Todd's lunchbox in an image struck by Claude Levet at the infamous Oatlands event a few years ago. Notice the ham and cheese hanging out one side, and the optional Soyer's private purchase crust cutter/corkscrew combination tool. Sheesh, must I explain everything? :)
                      [B]Charles Heath[/B]
                      [EMAIL="heath9999@aol.com"]heath9999@aol.com[/EMAIL]

                      [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Spanglers_Spring_Living_History/"]12 - 14 Jun 09 Hoosiers at Gettysburg[/URL]

                      [EMAIL="heath9999@aol.com"]17-19 Jul 09 Mumford/GCV Carpe Eventum [/EMAIL]

                      [EMAIL="beatlefans1@verizon.net"]31 Jul - 2 Aug 09 Texans at Gettysburg [/EMAIL]

                      [EMAIL="JDO@npmhu.org"] 11-13 Sep 09 Fortress Monroe [/EMAIL]

                      [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Elmira_Death_March/?yguid=25647636"]2-4 Oct 09 Death March XI - Corduroy[/URL]

                      [EMAIL="oldsoldier51@yahoo.com"] G'burg Memorial March [/EMAIL]

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                      • #12
                        Re: whatzzit?

                        This isn’t my expertise, but to me it looks like it might be a leather artillery haversack as seen here:

                        http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/74154-Allegheny-Arsenal-Leather-Artillery-Haversack_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ28267QQihZ007QQitemZ170118089132QQrdZ1


                        This looks like it is roughly the same size as in the 1864 photo. The strap also looks roughly the same width, and I can only imagine when the leather was new in 1864, it would be much more tough, thus would hold its shape better then that can be seen from this example, 143 years later.

                        As far as the medical kit, here is one, again just offered on eBay. When new it would have been very much like a saddle bag. But then again for all I know there could have been multiple styles of mounted medical bags.

                        http://cgi.ebay.com/Civil-War-Medical-Doctor-Saddle-Bag-Medicine-Bottles_W0QQitemZ300127217049QQihZ020QQcategoryZ13960QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
                        Dane Utter
                        Washington Guard

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                        • #13
                          Re: whatzzit?

                          Thanks for the both the thoughtful replies and the laughs.

                          Fred Gaede thought that it might be carrying the farrier tools I spoke of in another post. Thanks to Ross, however, it has me thinking that it would be unnecessary to put things like that in a hardened case.

                          Another possibility is that it contains saddler tools. You wouldn't want to carry stuff like awls, needles and a head knife in a soft case. Unfortunately, it's all speculation at this point -- I need something concrete.

                          Thanks again,
                          John Tobey

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                          • #14
                            Re: whatzzit?

                            Oh yeah...I did the math. That trooper is a wee lad of five foot two. :)

                            John Tobey

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                            • #15
                              Re: whatzzit?

                              Originally posted by John E. Tobey View Post
                              Hello again,

                              Does anyone know what the piece of gear is on this trooper? The time frame is spring 1864, place is VA.

                              John Tobey
                              Could you point me to the original image this came from? Is it a LOC photo? I'd like to see the rest of it. Thanks!!
                              Dave Gink
                              2nd US Cavalry
                              West Bend, WI

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