Latest News: Vicksburg NPS Site

[Grabenkater]

I hope this is the correct place to post this.

http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/vick/index.html

[PaulJ]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

Many thanks for that. The site contains a picture of the Jones CD jacket I haven't seen before (look under 'All Images'), complete with some measurements and a picture of him in later life. :)

They refer to the inside pocket being on the left - I believe that's incorrect and that it is on the right according to people who have studied it (Becky Nall of "Cotton City").

[Pritchett Ball]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

I can't help but wonder why they DON'T have these items on Display?

Kevin Dally

[Cpt Boone]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

They refer to the inside pocket being on the left - I believe that's incorrect and that it is on the right according to people who have studied it (Becky Nall of "Cotton City").

Paul,

You are correct. I have 3 pictures of it sent to me by the curator there. One shows the front, one the back, and one the interior. The interior pocket is visible on the right. Hope this helps.

[sigsaye]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

I noticed that in the Cairo section they mention that the personal gear was issued to the crew by one of the ships three Quartermasters. This would be wrong since in the Navy, Quartermasters are navigators and helmsmen and have nothing to do with issuing anything. At that time in the Navy, the Yoeman was the storekeeper who issued stores, and the paymaster was responsible for issueing personal stuff as he would dock it on the Sailors pay record.

Steve Hesson

[coastaltrash]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

All,

First, rather than all of us line up and attack it, lets be thankful that the Curator and the Staff at Vicksburg went through the trouble of putting this together for ALL of US. I believe it was meant purely for the fans of material culture such as ourselves.

Kevin,
I asked the same question when I got to go into "the back" and saw a lot of the items listed on the website they just launched. It boils down to not having the available funds, or space, to properly display these items to the public without causing further damage to them. All of the items shown are stored in climate/light controlled facilities and really given the best care they have ever had. Consider for a moment that when the Cairo first went down to Ingalls Shipyard when it was raised they had somewhere around 90% of the artifacts, now most of those were picked over and grew legs. Mostly because the park system did not have anyone who loved the collection as much as the current curator, and the current park staff as a whole. For many of the staff there, Vicksburg is not a stop along the ladder of success with the NPS, many of them are at their "crown jewel' and it shows whenever one of them talks about the park and its history.

[DougCooper]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

I noticed that in the Cairo section they mention that the personal gear was issued to the crew by one of the ships three Quartermasters. This would be wrong since in the Navy, Quartermasters are navigators and helmsmen and have nothing to do with issuing anything. At that time in the Navy, the Yoeman was the storekeeper who issued stores, and the paymaster was responsible for issueing personal stuff as he would dock it on the Sailors pay record.

Steve Hesson

Absolutely right Steve - good call. Can somehow close to the staff tactfully get word to them to make that change?

[sigsaye]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

Doug, In a hobby and an orginasion like the National Battlefield Parks which are pretty much wrapped up in "Army Culture", it is an easy mistake to make. Only Navy types would even notice. BTW, The Marine Shako plate is upside down.

I agree, they do a great job there, the best they can do. I know they don't have any one who is really versed in "Navy". I have communicated with them over the last few years as they try to get things squared away, but haven't heard from them lately. I really don't know all that much about the Army stuff, never had all that much interest in it. Most people have no clue about the Navy side of the house, so a lot of stuff is missed. I see it, but wonder how many others do.

Steve Hesson

[coastaltrash]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

Dr. David Slay, PhD, is in the process of squaring away the Cairo. He's active on this forum and the hobby and is a welcome site for the Navy guys, as he actually cares. He is also well versed in the use of Colored Troops during the CW....great guy.

[sigsaye]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

You are absolutely correct, he is who I have been working with. Just as a houmorus aside, when he was going for his PhD., I mentioned how cool
"Doctor Slay" sounded. He said he was thinking of "Doctor Dave". I said Dr. Slay sounded like a villian from the "X-Men", and that people would think twice before giving him a hard time. Just a chuckle. Yes, Dave is working hard and doing a great job to get the Cairo side of the house squared away. He has a monumental task in basiclly identifying things. The issue is mostly that the average person simply does not "Speak Navy". You can read the original documents, but not only are they written in "19th Century", but written in "Navy", like "Quartermaster". To the person who deals with the Civil War military (and lets be honest, that means Army), a Quartermaster was the supply guy.

I have to admit, 19th Century Navy is different from modern Navy in many respects. I have been studying Navy stuff for about 40 years now, and learn new things all the time. On top of that, the Sea going Fleet was different from the Blockading Fleet which was different from the River Fleet. Much like the Pacific Fleet is different from the Atlantic Fleet. They each evolve different "Personalities" based on where they operate. During the 19th century, because the different fleets worked different waters, their language was different. The Pacific Fleet Sailors picked up and adopted many Asian words and terms. The Atlantic Fleet went with assorted European and Mediteraenen (sp) terms. Another thing to think about is that 47% of the Navy was Irish imigrents (as compared to 7% for the Army). That puts a much different accent on the speach. For example, there were 40 enlisted men serving on Monitor. Only 8 were native born Americans. The rest were Irish, English, German, Norwiegen, French and Italian. Imagine what it must have been like at meals on the berth deck. Or trying to get orders across.

Eventually, we see them come together towards the end of the 19th century, but in the 1860s, it was all still developing. Add to that the huge influx of war time civilians into the Navy who also did not readilly understand the language of the fleet aqnd you often find confusing documents about the same incident.

Any way, a heartty Well Done to Dr. David Slay for what he has accomplished so far, and good luck in the future.

Steve Hesson

[Vicksburg Dave]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

Alright guys, let's layoff the Dr. Dave stuff and go back to just Dave or any number of oaths as prefixes. I don't want to get too high above my raising. :)
Your comments are duly noted and will be forwarded to the folks who penned the captions. I was not involved in this project and like most of you, this is the first time I have seen the website too.
Steve is correct, we have been so Army oriented for so long at Vicksburg, that learning to speak Jack Tar has been a slow process. Hopefully, with the help of Steve and other interested people, we can continue to improve and increase the accuracy of our work.

Cordially,

David Slay

PS: I believe the Confederates sank the Cairo with tripwire torpedoes, not with galvanic battery powered devices.

[sigsaye]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

Hay Dave, (Your Honor.....Sir...:wink_smil)

Haven't heard from you for awhile. Hope all is well. I quit my day job and am back to doing Navy stuff full time again.

Steve Hesson

[sigsaye]

Re: Vicksburg NPS Site

I received a message from Dave this morning. He has sent our concerns to those responsible for the web site for corrections. The folks who wrote it are not employees of the site, so, it just sort of happened.

Steve Hesson