Ringgold
09-08-2004, 01:52 PM
Here is my all-time favorite artillery image, for obvious reasons.
http://www.civilwarphotos.net/files/images/008.jpg
This link comes to us from the folks at civilwarphotos.net
It shows detachments #5, #6, and #3 (l-r) of Captain Durell's Ringgold Battery, P.V. That's George on the horse right above gun #3 in the image. For years I tried to get the National Archives to amend their title of this image, but they have insisted on keeping it labeled as "Battery at Drill, Ringgold Georgia" or something like that. The actual label on the image states "Ringgold Battery at drill", they simply added a comma and changed the battery name to a location. There is MUCH more to the original image, but the electronic version has been trimmed down considerably. The original image has all of the 2nd detachment in it as well as some of the 4th. There is another image taken of the Battery at the same time, but the only time I've seen it is in Warren Ripley's "Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War" on page page #111. That's 2 pages before the image of the 20 Pdr. Parrott appears as previously shown by KB in another thread. "somewhere around here I have a copy of a letter written by a member of the Ringgold Battery that mentions the battery being called out to drill only to find that the captain had arranged to have the boys image struck. I believe they were either at Munson's Hill or at Camp Barry. I'm going to have to dig to find the reference. He mentions that they had to do some fancy maneouvering in an attempt to get as many men in the image as possible.
Some interesting things about this photo:
* It was taken before these men ever saw action (very early 1862, March IIRC)
* They are still wearing the dark blue infantry trowsers they were issued at Camp Lacey in Doylestown, Penna.
* They were actually drilling as they would have gone into action, thus their water buckets remain hanging as they are supposed to (unlike the static gun image that KB posted)
* Their linstocks are still on their carriages, ready for use.
* A conscious effort was made to have each detachment pose at a different stage of the drill, but only a few detachments made it onto glass.
* The Chiefs of Piece have remained mounted and can be found directly aside of the lead drivers.
* The "extra men" of the Battery have placed themselves into the picture by populating the stone fence in rear of the Battery.
* The #3 man of detachment #5 should be smacked for not thumbing the vent while #1 is ramming!
* The crew of Gun #5 doesn't seem to have their heart in what they are doing. The Gunner is sighting the piece, complete with stadia sight, but #3 and #4 aren't doing their proper duties.
* Along with Captain Durell, between detachments #5 and #6, can be seen the 2nd Lieutenant George Silvis to his right and trumpeter Josef Cuffel off to his left.
* They are all wearing their fatigue uniform (sacks) instead of their mounted service jackets (which they did have by this time) because they were going to drill. Drill is a "fatigue" duty!
Yessir! It's a first-rate image alright!
http://www.civilwarphotos.net/files/images/008.jpg
This link comes to us from the folks at civilwarphotos.net
It shows detachments #5, #6, and #3 (l-r) of Captain Durell's Ringgold Battery, P.V. That's George on the horse right above gun #3 in the image. For years I tried to get the National Archives to amend their title of this image, but they have insisted on keeping it labeled as "Battery at Drill, Ringgold Georgia" or something like that. The actual label on the image states "Ringgold Battery at drill", they simply added a comma and changed the battery name to a location. There is MUCH more to the original image, but the electronic version has been trimmed down considerably. The original image has all of the 2nd detachment in it as well as some of the 4th. There is another image taken of the Battery at the same time, but the only time I've seen it is in Warren Ripley's "Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War" on page page #111. That's 2 pages before the image of the 20 Pdr. Parrott appears as previously shown by KB in another thread. "somewhere around here I have a copy of a letter written by a member of the Ringgold Battery that mentions the battery being called out to drill only to find that the captain had arranged to have the boys image struck. I believe they were either at Munson's Hill or at Camp Barry. I'm going to have to dig to find the reference. He mentions that they had to do some fancy maneouvering in an attempt to get as many men in the image as possible.
Some interesting things about this photo:
* It was taken before these men ever saw action (very early 1862, March IIRC)
* They are still wearing the dark blue infantry trowsers they were issued at Camp Lacey in Doylestown, Penna.
* They were actually drilling as they would have gone into action, thus their water buckets remain hanging as they are supposed to (unlike the static gun image that KB posted)
* Their linstocks are still on their carriages, ready for use.
* A conscious effort was made to have each detachment pose at a different stage of the drill, but only a few detachments made it onto glass.
* The Chiefs of Piece have remained mounted and can be found directly aside of the lead drivers.
* The "extra men" of the Battery have placed themselves into the picture by populating the stone fence in rear of the Battery.
* The #3 man of detachment #5 should be smacked for not thumbing the vent while #1 is ramming!
* The crew of Gun #5 doesn't seem to have their heart in what they are doing. The Gunner is sighting the piece, complete with stadia sight, but #3 and #4 aren't doing their proper duties.
* Along with Captain Durell, between detachments #5 and #6, can be seen the 2nd Lieutenant George Silvis to his right and trumpeter Josef Cuffel off to his left.
* They are all wearing their fatigue uniform (sacks) instead of their mounted service jackets (which they did have by this time) because they were going to drill. Drill is a "fatigue" duty!
Yessir! It's a first-rate image alright!