refugee images

[Chip]

Re: refugee images

Many of the civilians who portray refugees seem to gravitate towards doing a sudden flight impression. In other words, folks who would leave their homes, farms and towns in a real hurry. In reality, a substantial number of refugees cleared out well before they had enemy troops coming down their road.

And where would they end up? If you were a refugee yourself, wouldn't you head to a town or an area where you had relatives, friends or at least somewhere where you could obtain decent housing rather than living out in a tent?

Many diaries speak of refugees living in hotels, renting or living in the homes of soldiers who were at the front, living in vacant schools and college buildings, etc. etc. Any vacant building was a potential refugee respite.

Chip Uhlir
SCAR

[Prodical Reb]

Re: refugee images

And this sign:



is in Vanderburgh, In.

Does anyone have any information on this refugee camp?

Joe,
I'm from originally from E'ville. This area is not to far from the old river front(now Dress Plaza). It is also the "wrong side of the tracks" so to speak; pretty rough neighborhood. It is also not far from downtown E'ville. The Reitz Home (I think) was a station on the Underground railroad which is close to this area also

http://vchs.evansville.net/civilwar/civilwarpres.pdf

This is a link from the Vanderburg County Historical Society about E'ville and the Civil War. has some goods pics and illustrations of Tinclads, Timberclads, and the Naval Hospital ship.

[Hank Trent]

Re: refugee images

Joe and I have been corresponding on this topic a little, so I hope he won't mind a little hijack of this thread. In looking up more "refugee" images, there's something that puzzles me.

Here are some examples:

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1864/november/refugees.htm

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1864/may/louisiana-swamp.htm

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1864/civil-war-refugees.htm

1865 painting called "union refugees":

http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images/1065/187492.jpg

Except for the last picture, in which a boy is carrying a bundle on a stick and a man is carrying a pack, no one is personally carrying anything! Even in the last picture, they're clearly not carrying enough to support all of them for even a day.

And I'm not sure whether stuff is being transported at all. In the first picture, there's an ox packed with stuff and a horse with a little, but still not very much for the large number of people. In the second one, a man might be ponying a pack horse, but again, not much for the number of people. They have a pot on a tripod, but no visible shelter. In the other Harper's image, they've got a chair and big trunks, but no visible means to transport them.

At events, "refugees" on foot like these clearly have the look of the people pretty good, but we're weighed down like pack mules, carrying our stuff. I don't know what's being implied by these pictures. Were the refugees going to cities or other homes or places where they wouldn't need things? Were they being followed or preceded by wagons or other pack animals?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[PogueMahone]

Re: refugee images

Thanks, Vicki!

[PogueMahone]

Re: refugee images

And this sign:



is in Vanderburgh, In.

Does anyone have any information on this refugee camp?

[vbetts]

Re: refugee images

Illustrated London News, August 29, 1863. Refugees encamped in woods near Vicksburg, MS.

Vicki BEtts

[PogueMahone]

Found this on the Fort Ward, City of Alexandria, VA, website.



There is no artist credit, publication date or publication information.

Does anyone know anything about this image? I've never seen it before.