25th Anniversary Photograph

[Gettysburg Greg]

Do you recognize this as one of the most photographed locations on the battlefield? Here on the north summit of Little Round Top are several veterans and family members in Gettysburg for the 25th anniversary reunion. Only one month after this image was taken in July of 1888 another figure would be atop the rock on the left, General Gouverneur Kemble Warren's statue, dedicated on August 8, 1888. This very interesting image shows what this area of the battlefield looked like just 25 years after the battle. The Wheatfield seen behind Warren's Rock is occupied by tents of the veterans' encampment with the Wheatfield Road to the right. The Trostle Woods appear to be just a strip of timber compared to the heavily wooded area we see today. The Trostle house can be seen in the middle distance.

 

[infomanpa]

I love the tents! I would never have guessed what those were.

 

[Rusty Ford]

View attachment 125779

Do you recognize this as one of the most photographed locations on the battlefield? Here on the north summit of Little Round Top are several veterans and family members in Gettysburg for the 25th anniversary reunion. Only one month after this image was taken in July of 1888 another figure would be atop the rock on the left, General Gouverneur Kemble Warren's statue, dedicated on August 8, 1888. This very interesting image shows what this area of the battlefield looked like just 25 years after the battle. The Wheatfield seen behind Warren's Rock is occupied by tents of the veterans' encampment with the Wheatfield Road to the right. The Trostle Woods appear to be just a strip of timber compared to the heavily wooded area we see today. The Trostle house can be seen in the middle distance.

Thanks for posting. On a side note, I am always fascinated with how people of that time dressed in the heat of summer. I never see short sleeved shirts and short pants...or halter tops.

 

[William G Hendry]

They must be just cooking in the clothes there wearing I don,t know how they could stand it.

 

[Wallyfish]

Look on the right side of the photo and follow the Wheatfield Road north just past where the wooded lot starts. There is a whitish monument looking structure right along the road. I bet that is a very early photo of the 96th Pa Infantry marker.

The 96th Pa monument was dedicated on June 21, 1888. So a July 1888 photo would show it. It certainly is in the correct location for that monument.

Do you agree that is the 96th Pa monument?

 

[infomanpa]

Thanks for posting. On a side note, I am always fascinated with how people of that time dressed in the heat of summer. I never see short sleeved shirts and short pants...or halter tops.

They must be just cooking in the clothes there wearing I don,t know how they could stand it.

Summer seasonal clothing is relatively new. They weren't common until the mid-20th century. Before that, people couldn't afford to have special wardrobes for the season. Then, there was the taboo of showing too much skin...

 

[William G Hendry]

they did not show any skin just there head and hands , did they have deodorant

 

[FarawayFriend]

they did not show any skin just there head and hands , did they have deodorant

No they did not. Body odor was not regarded as anything to be ashamed of then. At least not as much as it is today. A bath a week would suffice, otherwise hands and face were washed, not much else. Hair was washed once a month at best.

 

[infomanpa]

No they did not. Body odor was not regarded as anything to be ashamed of then. At least not as much as it is today. A bath a week would suffice, otherwise hands and face were washed, not much else. Hair was washed once a month at best.

Also, the many layers of clothing worn in the past helped mask body odor, as compared to what it would have been like with today's fashions if people didn't use deodorant. Uh-oh...we may have hijacked this thread, into a "Hygiene" discussion.

 

[William G Hendry]

is that what they meant when they said I could smellum comin

 

[Bee]

That rock has seen a lot of traffic Didn't the Chamberlain duo rest upon it?(in THE movie)

 

[infomanpa]

That rock has seen a lot of traffic Didn't the Chamberlain duo rest upon it?(in THE movie)

In the movie, the rocks that the Chamberlain bros were sitting on was on BIG Round Top on the morning of July 3.

 

[Bee]

In the movie, the rocks that the Chamberlain bros were sitting on was on BIG Round Top on the morning of July 3.

Was supposed to be Big Roundtop, but was actually filmed on LRT -- there is a blooper in the flick that actually shows the shadow of the Warren statue. @cash posted a screen capture of it, but I am not sure where it is...

 

[infomanpa]

Was supposed to be Big Roundtop, but was actually filmed on LRT -- there is a blooper in the flick that actually shows the shadow of the Warren statue. @cash posted a screen capture of it, but I am not sure where it is...

Ohhh...thank you, for that. I will take another look at the movie. Again....many thanks.

 

[Bee]

Ohhh...thank you, for that. I will take another look at the movie. Again....many thanks.

Look for the statue shrouded in fake bushes behind the guys I will try to track down the screen capture for you.

 

[James N.]

is that what they meant when they said I could smellum comin

You may be joking (or think you are), but that is EXACTLY what citizens of towns like Frederick, Maryland said about Lee's army during the Antietam Campaign!

 

[FarawayFriend]

You may be joking (or think you are), but that is EXACTLY what citizens of towns like Frederick, Maryland said about Lee's army during the Antietam Campaign!

Another deviation, but as it fits in here: Bernard Cornwell in his "Sharpe" series describes how during the Napoleonic Wars the French cavalry was always easily spotted by the stench of the sore backs of their horses, as they never paid attention to the proper care of their mounts. Right, @GELongstreet?
So smell can become important in times of war!

 

[FarawayFriend]

Ooops, was posted twice, sorry!

 

[JohnW.]

No they did not. Body odor was not regarded as anything to be ashamed of then. At least not as much as it is today. A bath a week would suffice, otherwise hands and face were washed, not much else. Hair was washed once a month at best.

As far as the hair goes...notice the "Dapper Dan" look on almost all the men in photos back then. Shampooing wasn't a priority

 

[infomanpa]

Look on the right side of the photo and follow the Wheatfield Road north just past where the wooded lot starts. There is a whitish monument looking structure right along the road. I bet that is a very early photo of the 96th Pa Infantry marker.

The 96th Pa monument was dedicated on June 21, 1888. So a July 1888 photo would show it. It certainly is in the correct location for that monument.

Do you agree that is the 96th Pa monument?

Too small to tell for sure. So the 96th PA was actually at Gettysburg? I thought that they were on vacation during that campaign.