Federal in Full Gear

[FootsoreFederal]

Hey everyone,
I was looking through a book and found a pretty nice picture of a a Federal soldier in full gear. Looks to me like he'd been campaigning for a while before this picture was taken by the stubble and worn look to his coat. Well anyway, I just thought it was an interesting picture.


Source: The Complete Civil War by Philip Katcher, p. 57

[markj]

Hi Zach,

Please refer to my note about potential copyright infringement underneath your other posted image.

Best wishes,

Mark Jaeger

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Looks to me like he'd been campaigning for a while before this picture was taken by the stubble and worn look to his coat. That's an interesting conclusion Zach....

Without mentioning any specific history behind this image, and if we went by appearance alone, I would say he's a "raw recruit."

Gee, Haw...

Mr. Muleskinner

[coffee boiler]

The leathers look too new to have seen much service.

[rogue]

VERY wide haversack strap, no?
Note rear sight on his Enfield, raised to its max. Also has a Springfield sling, as, of course, there were no Enfield slings.
String (cord) or chain on the canteen?
All of his gear is pushed to the front, he knew we would appreciate that, 140 some years later.
Also, no blanket on the knapsack, are there blanket straps?
A great deal of detail.
Steve Sullivan
46th Illinois
Co. Mil. Hist.

[markj]

Bob Braun, of the 33rd Wisconsin, has written an interesting article about this image. I believe it is (or was) on the 33rd WI website.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Lone_Rebel87]

I would lean towards the new recruit idea more...notice the large knife sticking up out of his belt on the left side above his cap box :cool:
couldn't quite make out the stopper attachment though. :confused:


Jordan Davis

[FootsoreFederal]

You know, the more I look at your guys' reasons the more I see how wrong I was. The new leathers, the knife in the belt, the dazed look on his face. I suppose this is why you shouldn't judge things to be true just on how they look to you. (sorry, didn't mean to rhyme) Oh yes, I'm convinced now that this guy's new.

[Masked Battery]

[QUOTE=rogue]"VERY wide haversack strap, no?
Note rear sight on his Enfield, raised to its max. Also has a Springfield sling, as, of course, there were no Enfield slings."

There were slings recovered from Enfield rifle packing crates on the sunken blockade runner Modern Greece. Would these be considered "Enfield slings?"


Thanks.

Neal

Don't know much about leathers.

[rogue]

Neal,
It is my understanding (researchers of merit fill in this gap please) that the Federal government issued musket slings, one size fits all. Reenactors asked for and received Enfield and Springfield length musket slings. Sort of like the "end pieces" some have on their shelter tents, reenactor driver but not present in the original enactment. I base this on the work of Don Rademacher, perhaps out of date now, but it made sense thirty years ago that a QM sergeant would not have to stock multiple length musket slings.
I missed the knife on the newbie, also missed mentioning the Enfield appears "bright".
Steve Sullivan
46th Illinois
Co. Mil. Hist.

[rogue]

Neal,
After I read my posting thoughts continued.
I am speaking of Federal slings. The Modern Greece Enfields may have come with British/English slings, buff leather with tie-ons. A whole different animal. I am not aware of photographic evidence, or collection evidence, of the use of Brit slings over here.
The Enfield I got from Lewis Leigh from the Modern Greece before the wreck was dynamited was a two band model 1858, the type that would have taken an issued Federal sling. Were three band model 1853 Enfields on the Modern Greece as well?
Has any work been published on the Modern Greece save for a few magazine articles?
Steve Sullivan
46th Illinois
Co. Mil. Hist.

[Lone_Rebel87]

Ya know the more i look at it and have it blown up I think the stopper in the canteen is attached via a cord or string...you can see the line coming down from the cork-ring and then it appears to loop back up from just behind the rifle and attach to the canteen again...but correct me if I'm wrong :)

Jordan Davis

[Masked Battery]

Steve-- I'll see what I can dig up when I get home. I'm going on the report published by the archaeologists who worked on the wreck.

Neal

[Vuhginyuh]

Neal,

You are correct. Leslie Bright excavated the wreck and he says there were distinct patterned slings. I have asked him to dig up an old report for images.


Buff ''tie ons'' sound too early. Were they around in the middle period?

[Masked Battery]

Steve and Garrison--
The report that I have by Leslie Bright refers to Enfield "rifles" and "carbines." Due to the accompanying illustrations and the dimensions given, I think that today we would probably refer to these weapons as "rifled muskets" and "rifles," respectively. [This report came out in 1977.] Bayonets for both types of these guns were recovered.
I don't know any more details about the slings. What can you tell us, Garrison?

Neal

[Clark Badgett]

The rifle musket does not appear to be bright. In fact the coloration on it has lead me to believe it was still in the blued state. Bright metal contrast significantly with the wood, while the blued metal is as dark aas the wood. Another clue is the lockplate which is noticeably lighter than the barrel and bands, and we know that case hardened steel looks more washed out than bluing.

[1stMaine]

Steve and Garrison--
The report that I have by Leslie Bright refers to Enfield "rifles" and "carbines." Due to the accompanying illustrations and the dimensions given, I think that today we would probably refer to these weapons as "rifled muskets" and "rifles," respectively. [This report came out in 1977.] Bayonets for both types of these guns were recovered.
I don't know any more details about the slings. What can you tell us, Garrison?

Neal

Comrades,

Issue No. 4, Vol. X May-June 1983 of the North South Trader has an excellent article on English accouterments imported by Massachusetts. The article has several images accompanying it, and there are some of the 44th and 6th Mass. regiments where English-pattern slings with "D" buckles are plainly visible on the Enfield.
Of interest as well is the facsimile of Plate 15 of Captain Martin Petrie's contemporary book "Equipment of Infantry" which depicts the accouterments and weapons of the Rifles, Guards, and Line regiments of 1865.
The illustration shows the two patterns of bayonet frogs, one with a belt and buckle to secure the scabbard, and the other sans belt. The plain one is labeled as "buff" while the belted one is clearly labeled as "black leather'. The same with the waistbelt. The belt with the snake buckle is clearly labeled as black leather, whereas the buff belt uses a spoon and wreath buckle. Likewise, the cartridge box belt as well as the rifle slings are divided into buff and black leather, with the rifle-musket sling using the "D" buckle being black, the buff sling having no apparent buckles.
If the moderators will permit it, I would gladly scan the image and post it. I am just uncertain as to the copyright of a 139 year old drawing in a 21 year old publication, especially when the images are credited to other sources :sarcastic
Anyway, the images certainly show enfields with English pattern slings.

respects,

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Wasnt there an article titled some thing along the lines of What I Like About This Image in the Company Wag several years ago?

In regards to his musket, if you look at the barrel bands you will notice that it retains its original blue finish. Many Enfields look birght in period images due to the fact period cameras picked up the color blue, and the way light reflects off the steel. Ever seen a person with blue eyes in a period photo?

[DaveGink]

Hi Zach,

Please refer to my note about potential copyright infringement underneath your other posted image.

Best wishes,

Mark Jaeger

Hi Mark, I couldn't find the post you spoke of, so my comment here may be out of context or has already been addressed...

Zach's Posting this picture (and crediting the source) is 'fair use' under Copyright Law (Title 17, Chapter 1, section 107). Fair Use permits posting copyrighted works for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching and research.

[Lone Guard]

I'd like to chime in agreement about this fellow being a new recruit. If you look at his canteen sling, it is actually buckled underneath one of his knapsack straps. Anyone who had been on the march for more than a month would know your canteen is always outside of everything cumbersome.

It is possible though, that the photographer, or maybe the soldier, were in a hurry for some reason, and the soldier just quickly threw on his equipment.

Something else I just noticed, the shoulder straps on his knapsack do not appear to be scalloped. I thought all (I know, dangerous word to use) double bags had scalloped ends on their shoulder straps. Please feel free to correct me.

[TKlas]

Wasnt there an article titled some thing along the lines of What I Like About This Image in the Company Wag several years ago?

In regards to his musket, if you look at the barrel bands you will notice that it retains its original blue finish. Many Enfields look birght in period images due to the fact period cameras picked up the color blue, and the way light reflects off the steel. Ever seen a person with blue eyes in a period photo?

Robert and all,

Yes there was an artilce called "Why I like this image" written by Bob Braun of the 33rd Wisconsin and the Mudsills that used to be on their website. The copy I have of the article dates a 1994 copyright. A good read even in 2006.

Best Regards,