Hats! Revisited

[guad42]

Friends,

A few weeks back there was some lengthy discussion on hats in the Cavalry folder and on the oft hear complaint that hats are sometimes one of the weaker links in our hobby. One of the better photos out there illustrating Confederates in the field is from the set featuring POWs in Tennessee. Looking at the high res image from the Library of Congress, one sees a wide variety of hats. I'm posting this mainly for the fun of it. Here are some selects from the larger image.

-Sam Dolan

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Hats! Revisited

The 4th picture has what must be the guards sitting among the prisoners sinse they have muskets. Interesting that they are sitting right there with the prisoners rather than being off to the side.

[guad42]

Re: Hats! Revisited

Louis,

You bring up a good point and this photo brings to mind the account of Captain Wash of the 60th Tenn. after their capture at Big Black in May of 1863 in his book "Camp, Field and Prison Life":

"A guard line was formed, and we were allowed loose range over several acres of ground. The Yankee boys soon mixed all among us, and were anxious to know why we rebels were fighting so ardently against "the best government the world ever saw"....there was an entire freedom of intercourse, and the Federal officers came in too, and when they could distinguish them from the privates, talked with our "big officers" about things in general."

Wash's description of this informal and seemingly complacent arrangement continues on the next page:

"Altogether it was a semi-interesting occasion, and that vast general admixture of gray jackets and blue coats was a fit subject for the graphic pencil of an artist."

According to Wash, many of the officers retained their arms until the next day. I wonder if this easy going attitude about prisoners was more common at times than we might think.

-Sam Dolan

[CompanyWag]

Re: Hats! Revisited

Often one reads of a somewhat genial attitude between freshly captured soldiers and their counterparts and not just during the Civil War. Perhaps front line soldiers share a bond from common experience even on opposite sides. This attitude seems to generally change the farther a prisoner is transported to the rear.

Regarding the second photo: I was struck by the posture of the federal with his hands shoved behind his braces and into his trousers. Several times in the past I've found myself standing in this comfortable and relaxed way, but wondered if that was common in the 19th Century. Well here is one soldier who couldn't care less if he was photographed doing the "Al Bundy".

[guad42]

Re: Hats! Revisited

Here's a couple of more selects showing some of the Federal Guards on the far left side of the photo (interesting blanket roll on the Sgt. there) and an apparently wounded man who is standing very near our "Al Bundy" in the full picture.

-Sam Dolan