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Hello,
My mother gave me a locket photo of my step-father's great grandfather. He name was John H Smith and he was a member of the 5th Company Washington Artillery of New Orleans and was sergeant of drivers and later sergeant of a piece. . Not much was known about him from the family. My step-father is from New Jersey and not much was ever said about this "yankee turned rebel relative".
In any event, I started reading books about the Washington Artillery and found out that he was mentioned in several books about the 5th Company. He and his brother left New Jersey in their teens and lived with family in New Orleans. At the outbreak of the war, both brothers joined the Washington Artillery and were assigned to the 5th Company. The 5th Company was supposed to be the "replacement company" for the other four companies that were up in Virginia. However, the 5th Company filled out so quickly and General A.S Johnston needed them to stop the Federals at Shiloh so they joined his army and there they remained.
John Smith and his brother David are mentioned numerous time in both Philip Dangerfield Stephenson's memoir and the book by Nathaiel Cheairs Hughes Jr. The Pride of the Confederate Artillery. Both men had nicknames given to them. John H was "Bully" and David's was "Hawkeye". Both men survived the war.
Now that the preamble is over, here is my reason for this email. There is a famous photo that we all have seen for years involving the 5th Company (photo#2).
It is from a series of photographs taken of the members in camp prior to the leaving for Shiloh in 1862. After seeing this locket image of John H "Bully" Smith, I remembered the face...I had seen it somewhere before. In looking through the photographs of the 5th Company in camp, I think I have made a very cool discovery.
The man sitting on the table wearing the slouch hat in photo #2 is John H "Bully" Smith. In photo #3 the same man is standing in the middle of the large group with is hands folded, this time he is wearing a kepi. I believe that he borrowed one from the tall man to his right who is wearing the same slouch hat from photo #2. I enlarged photo #3 (calling it photo #4) and you can really see the similarity. I do not know why he was wearing civilian clothes. There is however another man wearing the same long civilian coat over his jacket or vest but he is wearing a kepi. Maybe John Smith had just joined up and had not gotten a uniform yet? In any event, the large group photograph is a wonderful study in uniforms and equipage.
I have sent this information to Dr.Glen Cangelosi who is on the board at Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans and is the foremost expert on the Washington Artillery of New Orleans. He agrees with me that the man in the photographs is John H "Bully" Smith. I had always wondered who the man was sitting on the table with is hat cocked back on his head with a smile on his face. He looks indeed ready for the fray.
I remain, your servant,
Tim Allen
tahats@verizon.net
My mother gave me a locket photo of my step-father's great grandfather. He name was John H Smith and he was a member of the 5th Company Washington Artillery of New Orleans and was sergeant of drivers and later sergeant of a piece. . Not much was known about him from the family. My step-father is from New Jersey and not much was ever said about this "yankee turned rebel relative".
In any event, I started reading books about the Washington Artillery and found out that he was mentioned in several books about the 5th Company. He and his brother left New Jersey in their teens and lived with family in New Orleans. At the outbreak of the war, both brothers joined the Washington Artillery and were assigned to the 5th Company. The 5th Company was supposed to be the "replacement company" for the other four companies that were up in Virginia. However, the 5th Company filled out so quickly and General A.S Johnston needed them to stop the Federals at Shiloh so they joined his army and there they remained.
John Smith and his brother David are mentioned numerous time in both Philip Dangerfield Stephenson's memoir and the book by Nathaiel Cheairs Hughes Jr. The Pride of the Confederate Artillery. Both men had nicknames given to them. John H was "Bully" and David's was "Hawkeye". Both men survived the war.
Now that the preamble is over, here is my reason for this email. There is a famous photo that we all have seen for years involving the 5th Company (photo#2).
It is from a series of photographs taken of the members in camp prior to the leaving for Shiloh in 1862. After seeing this locket image of John H "Bully" Smith, I remembered the face...I had seen it somewhere before. In looking through the photographs of the 5th Company in camp, I think I have made a very cool discovery.
The man sitting on the table wearing the slouch hat in photo #2 is John H "Bully" Smith. In photo #3 the same man is standing in the middle of the large group with is hands folded, this time he is wearing a kepi. I believe that he borrowed one from the tall man to his right who is wearing the same slouch hat from photo #2. I enlarged photo #3 (calling it photo #4) and you can really see the similarity. I do not know why he was wearing civilian clothes. There is however another man wearing the same long civilian coat over his jacket or vest but he is wearing a kepi. Maybe John Smith had just joined up and had not gotten a uniform yet? In any event, the large group photograph is a wonderful study in uniforms and equipage.
I have sent this information to Dr.Glen Cangelosi who is on the board at Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans and is the foremost expert on the Washington Artillery of New Orleans. He agrees with me that the man in the photographs is John H "Bully" Smith. I had always wondered who the man was sitting on the table with is hat cocked back on his head with a smile on his face. He looks indeed ready for the fray.
I remain, your servant,
Tim Allen
tahats@verizon.net
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