- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Location
- Mt. Jackson, Va
The 9th NY Heavy Artillery in one of the forts defending Washington DC.
The top left corner. I didn't know how big one of these forts was.
Good detective work. But I'm going to throw you a curveball. I don't believe the image should be flipped. My reasoning is this: the privates standing in the rank behind the limber are at " order arms." That means with the musket butt next to the privates right foot and held by it's lower barrel band with their right hand, and with the barrel pointing straight up. This is how they appear in the original photo. If the photo is flipped, the muskets are on the left side of the men and there is no command in Hardee's or Casey's manual of arms to ever have the muskets held on the left side in that manner. In addition, the officers are wearing their sword scabbards on their left hip, which is also the correct side.But I had to flip the photo to figure it out.
Good detective work. But I'm going to throw you a curveball. I don't believe the image should be flipped. My reasoning is this: the privates standing in the rank behind the limber are at " order arms." That means with the musket butt next to the privates right foot and held by it's lower barrel band with their right hand, and with the barrel pointing straight up. This is how they appear in the original photo. If the photo is flipped, the muskets are on the left side of the men and there is no command in Hardee's or Casey's manual of arms to ever have the muskets held on the left side in that manner. In addition, the officers are wearing their sword scabbards on their left hip, which is also the correct side.
In addition to what I just stated, if you look at the gun crews in the original posted photo, we can see a cannoneer positioned with a ramrod to the right of the cannon. This is the correct place for that particular soldier because he is the number 1 of the artillery crew and his spot is to the right front of the gun. So I'm pretty convinced that the way the photo was first posted is the correct view.
I'm a Federal reenactor myself, but I'm too old and ornery to do an event down in Virginia during July. I heard it was HOT! How did you hold up?I'm a reenactor and I did order arms all day Saturday at the 155th Manassas event this past weekend.
I'm a Federal reenactor myself, but I'm too old and ornery to do an event down in Virginia during July. I heard it was HOT! How did you hold up?