Tatoos in the war...

[billmatt04]

Greetings all,
I was reading Eye of the Storm, the Civil War diary of Robert Knox Sneden, and I came across a really neat passage that I thought I'd share...

"Old Jack does a good and profitable business by pricking flags, shields and figures in the arms and legs of those who can pay him from $1 to $5 each. India ink is used and raw vermillion. Six or eight fine needles are bunched together and put into a pine stick securely tied around with thread. The ink is pricked into the flesh on arm or leg on the design painted there. The jabbing takes an hour or more. The arm soon swells up and inflames which is painful for a few days only. The ink appears in blue lines. Anchors, hearts, men's names and regiments are the favorite designs, with crossed flags and muskets. Old Jack is quite an artist, and the oldest of the men-of-wars-men here [Andersonville Prison]."

I just thought this was kinda cool as I wasn't aware that it was a popular practice amongst Civil War soldiers. I guess it's not farby then for some of the fellas who sport tatoos to have their sleeves rolled up to show 'em off, eh? Well, as long as their not dragons or stuff like that. I just thought this was a neat passage and I'd share it with you fellas. I guess I learn something new every day.

Sincerely,
Matthew Cassady
Pvt. 104th IL Vol. Inf.

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

"A great many amusing and pathetic incidents happened during and after our charge, only a few of which I will repeat. Undoubtedly you remember the massacre of the prisoners captured at Fort Pillow, Kentucky, by the Rebel General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Well, when we rushed from the first line we captured to the second line, where the Rebel cannon were, we of course captured a good many prisoners. Some of the enemy who refused to run or surrender were killed there. Some crawled under the gun carriages to escape the storm of bullets and bayonets.

One big red-headed man, a cannoneer, crawled out and begged for quarter. He had his shirt off, and on one arm was tattooed in big letters, 'Fort Pillow.' As soon as the boys saw the letters on his arm, they yelled, 'No quarter for you!' and a dozen bayonets went into him and a dozen bullets were shot into him. I shall never forget his look of fear"

- Pvt. Robert H. Strong, 105th Illinois Infantry, Ward's Brigade
- p. 47 Voices of the Civil War, Atlanta

Brad Ireland
Old Line Mess
Pridgeons Shenandoah Legion

[markj]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

Greetings,

Anyone desiring an interesting 1998 journal article about early American tattooing practices, please send me a note at:

markj@purdue.edu

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Doug Potter]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

Ya But I don't think my Harley Wings would be period,
however the tat on my Right arm could be so I guess I can only roll up my right sleeve,

[markj]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

Greetings,

According to the article I mentioned, examples of early 19th century tattoos seen on sailors would be:

Dates with important personal meaning

Locations from where men hailed (e.g., HIBERNIA)

Occupational symbols (ships, fish, the North Star, anchors, mermaids, or fouled anchors)

Pierced hearts with arrows and/or initials of loved ones (according to the article some of these "loved ones" may well have been *ahem* male but, then, again, a lot of things can happen below decks during those long, lonely nights at sea, can't they!?)

Crucifixes

"Trees of Life"

Other popular tattoos were certainly those with patriotic themes (e.g., eagles, national shields, coats of arms, probably even pictures of famous Americans like Washington)

A good example of period tattooing is the case of Captain Thomas Custer (brother of George A.) who was found so badly mutilated after the Little Big Horn that he was only identifiable by a prominent tattoo (I think it was an eagle) on one arm.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Johan Steele]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

Just as a side note, I recently read an article that gave evidence of some Roman soldiers having tatoos. tatoos have been around for a while.

Sailors to Singapore often came back to the states w/ burn tatoos upon their arms.

[markj]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

Hi,

Yes, "body art" has been around since at least the Stone Age although it generally had a more medicinal or religious aspect than what we see today. The oldest known example of tattooing that I've seen can be found on the famous "Iceman" (aka "Oetzi" or "Frozen Fritz"). Check him out:

http://www.archaeologiemuseum.it/index_ice.html

If you click on the link to "Mummy" you'll find a section discussing the 50-odd tattoos found on his body. These were likely applied to relieve symptoms of arthiritis, among other ailments, and may have been a form of "acupuncture."

Not having seen much literature on the practice of tattooing within the Legions, logic dictates that the types of designs used were very much like those of the 19th Century and even today. To wit: items relating to good luck, initials, hearts, religious symbols (e.g., images of Mars/Venus/Mithras, emperors, or, after the adoption of Christianity, crosses). Even "sports logos" were probably used: In addition to favorite gladiators, the Red/White/Blue/Green chariot racing teams were wildly popular with the Imperial citizenry.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[cante]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

i am an abenaki indian with traditional tatoos done pretty much as sneeden described... a little swelliing and stings like a burn for a day, then the skin gets rough for a week, then all is well... the south pacific islanders used what looked like a rake studded with fish teeth, and the sound is the origin of the word tatoo...

[fahtz]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

As a person who got to college and had to rebel and get one of those under the skin art things. I have become some sort of an "art" watcher. Anyone who has stepped foot into a tatoo shop sees that the art is very very complex and at times very large. I wonder just how good and clean these tatoos during the war were. I know my one color celtic cross is nice, very very old. It fits the bill, but would it have the crisp lines back then with a guy and a needle jabbing india ink under the skin? I doubt it. Also what is the color and texture differences between india ink and the industry standard ink used in "guns" now? It is safer and has a color stay effect. Even my old man's tatoos are green and faded from the inks used in the mid 1950's. If we want to portray the number of tatoo's and the quality of tatoos, why not try the needle and india ink out? It may take a little convincing but I may be in for it. Here again just like our shirt sleeves covering our art, Where is the line between authenticity and safety? I would side on the way fo safety if it is going under my skin layer. But if it is in a controled enviorment, semi clean and going to look cool at an event I would be up for some living history tatoos! Hell I am sure Calloway has an authentic campaigner tatoo over his heart!

[Fiddlebum]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

A long, long time ago, Mister read me a passage out of someone's memoirs that mentioned tattoo artists in the US Army. At this point, neither of us can remember which book it was, and we've been round and round about it, but Mister believes it may have been by a soldier in the Irish Brigade. If this rings any bells with anyone, please let me know.

This is pre-war, but accounts of Fletcher Christian and the crew of the Bounty mention that some of them were heavily tattooed.


Kim Caudell
Tattooed Lady Mess

[Matthew.Rector]

Re: Tattoos in the war...

Yes,
The great article Mark Jaeger spoke of mentions a Bounty crewman.
"Thomas Ellison, one of the mutinous crew of the H.M.S. Bounty, was recorded by Captain William Bligh as having '25 October, 1788' tattooed on his right arm. Bligh recalled this as the day the Bounty's crew first saw Tahiti."
p. 62 of The William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd Ser., Vol. 55, No. 1 (Jan., 1998)
Reading the Bodies of Early American Seafarers by Simon P. Newman

I have a couple of seafaring tattoos. I found some early-mid nineteenth century engravings in a book and had them copied. After researching the history of tattoos I've come to realize that mine are probably too neat, detailed and crisp. At the present time anyways. It appears that most tattoos from back in the day were fairly simple line "drawings."

[Swag]

Re: Tatoos in the war...

I have a Celtic knot work horse on my right fore-arm all black, its rather simple, modeled off of an ancient Celtic design so I assume its period. The question has been asked, can and artist with a needle have the same precision, so to speak, as one with an electric gun. The thing is though I have seen "homemade" tattoos that were done with a needle rapped with silk thread and they were very, very well done, and very crisp. They do take much, much longer to complete so I can understand why they would be simple but it can be done. Point here is, if the artist is very skilled in his trade, I do believe that the tattoo can be done just as well free hand as it can be with a tattoo gun. Just my two-cents after seeing one done with a single needle and no gun.