Antietam picture?

[musketbal]

While looking for Maryland buttons on ebay I came across this picture described as a death scene at Antietam. Has anyone else seen this picture?

Brent Conner

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1862-civil-war-photo-Antietam-Maryland-Dead-soldiers-o-/260579926224?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item3cabc620d0

[Cyclesmith]

Re: Antietam picture?

I've seen it a number of times, pretty popular photo.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003005186/PP/

[David Fox]

Re: Antietam picture?

Appears new to me. The picket fence and dark slouch hat stand out.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Antietam picture?

Hallo!

I seemed to have missed that one myself.

They could have taken the time to slide the fence picket impromptu "stretcher" out from under the one body they relocated for photographic effect. (Or perhaps to greater credit, used by the burial detail to gather the corpses...)

:)

Curt

[Mississippian]

Re: Antietam picture?

I think I've seen this one before. IIRC, there was a discussion of if this photo was from Antietam or was actually a photo taken at Gettysburg.

Will MacDonald

[YankeeTiger]

Re: Antietam picture?

IIRC (which isn't often :( ) this is some of the 'havock' caused by Burnside's 9th corps

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Antietam picture?

Gents-

I don't remember ever seeing this view before either.

The fence although quite common should be able to narrow this down by verifying where the photographers were after the battle of Antietam and before all the bodies were buried. I would guess this to be an Alexander Gardner picture?

I noticed the dark slouch hat too. I am thinking that it was place there because this soldier's privates may have been exposed.

Those of you they say you have seen this picture before may I ask where? Was it in a book?

[David Fox]

Re: Antietam picture?

It's interesting, also, because there IS a picket fence. Given time and opportunity, it would likely have been converted to campfire fuel had a military force remained in the vicinity any significant period of time. Rebs, certainly(?), last to be buried at either Gettysburg or Antietam.

[musketbal]

Re: Antietam picture?

The first soldier to the left appears to be barefoot. I suppose the dead had already been relieved of anything of value.

Brent Conner

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Antietam picture?

Gents-

The fence seems to be whitewashed don't you think? It seems to be discolored in areas where the pickets are missing. Usually that means this fence would have been close to a house too and that type of picket would be more of the kind found near a home. Perhaps I am seeing things but it looks like the sun is shining through the fence too. Can you see the lines on the grass in the middle and the back left? That might help determine direction with some research.

The soldier on the left looks like he still has socks on to me but yeah you can see each one of his toes outlined in them. Hard to say.

The fence still being there is telling I would agree. They are certainly starting to make use of the fence as the pickets under the soldier in the front clearly indicates. If there were troops close by they must have made use of fences closer by in the fields perhaps.

[Jim S]

Re: Antietam picture?

This image is attributed to Gardner's Antietam series, and is in the collection of the Library of Congress online. You don't see it much because of the lousy condition of the image, but Ken Burns even used it during the Antietam segment of The Civil War. The book "Antietam Farmsteads" put out by the NPS, mentions that it's believed to be on the Piper Farm, with the orchard behind the fence, but doesn't offer any more info to back that theory up. Seems more likely to have been taken further north where the other bodies were recorded. So it's nothing new. It just doesn't get used much.

Here's a link to it on the LOC site:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/civwar/item/cwp2003005179/PP/

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Antietam picture?

I sent a copy to a friend of mine who used to work for NPS at the battlefield. He recognized it and agreed that most locate it on the Piper farm, probably on the southwestern side based on the picket fence, the orchard in the background and the slope of the ground.

Rich

[David Fox]

Re: Antietam picture?

Isn't it possible the burial of these boys was interrupted for the photography session and the pickets under the body are in position to lift it and provide carriage to the grave site?

[bv10182]

Re: Antietam picture?

I do remember this photo as one of Gardner's and it seems it is often overlooked due the more recognizable Dunker church photo and others. Like many photos, I believe this one was a posed picture just before burial but I could be wrong. Thanks for sharing the photo.

Brian Villanueva