Armed & Bespectacled

[Private Watkins]

I have seen few Civil War images of soldiers wearing glasses, so thought this one to be quite interesting...

 

[Private Watkins]

Any other bespectacled Civil War soldier images out there...?

 

[Northern Light]

In Killer Angels, Devlin? tells on of the couriers to clean his glasses because they are so covered in mud. It is in the movie,as well.

 

[Private Watkins]

In Killer Angels, Devlin? tells on of the couriers to clean his glasses because they are so covered in mud. It is in the movie,as well.

Yes... thanks!

 

[James N.]

I suppose the really "blind" who wore them all the time may have also worn them while being photographed - Ed. Stanton and Slemmer of Ft. Pickens fame come to mind - but since it was so easy to remove them ( plus issues like reflections or simple vanity ) I'm sure most preferred to do that.

Edit: I have a pair that appear to be like the one's he's wearing; they have cast brass frames with little "loops" on the ends of the earpieces so that a cord or ribbon could be attached and tied behind the wearer's head!

 

[kholland]

William "Willy" Pegram was one of the confederates premier artillerists, first with A.P. Hill's famous "Light Division" and then with Hill's Third Corps. He fought in virtually every major action in the Eastern theater in which the Army of Northern Virginia was engaged.

Willy Pegram once stated, "Men, whenever the enemy takes a gun from my battery, look for my dead body in front of it." On April 1, 1865, at the Battle of Five Forks, a battle Southern historian Douglas Southall Freeman deemed "a day of disaster not to be recorded solely in terms of four guns lost or of good soldiers captured," Pegram finally suffered the loss of one of his guns while he lay mortally wounded beside it.

 

[Private Watkins]

William "Willy" Pegram was one of the confederates premier artillerists, first with A.P. Hill's famous "Light Division" and then with Hill's Third Corps. He fought in virtually every major action in the Eastern theater in which the Army of Northern Virginia was engaged.

Willy Pegram once stated, "Men, whenever the enemy takes a gun from my battery, look for my dead body in front of it." On April 1, 1865, at the Battle of Five Forks, a battle Southern historian Douglas Southall Freeman deemed "a day of disaster not to be recorded solely in terms of four guns lost or of good soldiers captured," Pegram finally suffered the loss of one of his guns while he lay mortally wounded beside it.

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Excellent... Thank you!!

 

[GELongstreet]

"Stovepipe" Johnson

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[Private Watkins]

"Stovepipe" Johnson

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Wow, are those specs... or goggles??

 

[kholland]

"Stovepipe" Johnson

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I just saw this photo on another post a couple of weeks ago. I understand he was blinded by an accidental shot from one of his own men during an attack at Grubb's Crossroads near Princeton, Kentucky so maybe he has a pair of glasses with a cover for his wounded eye. Those specs are strange looking, looks like somebody took a sharpie to a photo.

 

[GELongstreet]

Wow, are those specs... or goggles??

He even upgraded after the war.

 

[Northern Light]

I just saw this photo on another post a couple of weeks ago. I understand he was blinded by an accidental shot from one of his own men during an attack at Grubb's Crossroads near Princeton, Kentucky so maybe he has a pair of glasses with a cover for his wounded eye. Those specs are strange looking, looks like somebody took a sharpie to a photo.

That's what I thought, that it was a joke post! I wonder of what they were made?

 

[diane]

I have seen few Civil War images of soldiers wearing glasses, so thought this one to be quite interesting...
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Is that Adam Jacoby Slemmer? I know I've seen a picture of D H Hill wearing his glasses but can't find it on the internet! Part of the secret of his commanding stare was he was trying to see what he was staring at...

 

[kholland]

D H Hill with specs. Trying to visualize that Diane. Must be an obscure photo as, judging by his personality, I can't imagine him to allow the photo.

 

[Private Watkins]

Is that Adam Jacoby Slemmer? I know I've seen a picture of D H Hill wearing his glasses but can't find it on the internet! Part of the secret of his commanding stare was he was trying to see what he was staring at...

I don't know the identity of this soldier. The image is from the Liljenquist Collection in the Library of Congress. It's titled "Unidentified Soldier in Union Uniform with dual revolvers and sword, wearing eyeglasses." Here is the link... http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/lilj/item/2010648833/resource/
If anyone is not familiar with the amazing Liljenquist collection, it's well worth spending the time to browse through it.

 

[AUG]

Y'all may want to check out this article on eyeglasses of the Civil War era
https://www.historiceyewearcompany.com/files/HOYFrevisedMcBrayer.pdf

 

[Northern Light]

Y'all may want to check out this article on eyeglasses of the Civil War era
https://www.historiceyewearcompany.com/files/HOYFrevisedMcBrayer.pdf

Great article! Thanks.

 

[Northern Light]

Montford S. Stokes

 

[Barrycdog]

I have seen few Civil War images of soldiers wearing glasses, so thought this one to be quite interesting...
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I had spectacles like that that were too small for my face. I eventually got away from them as they did not help my impression and actually cut into my scalp.

 

[Private Watkins]

Y'all may want to check out this article on eyeglasses of the Civil War era
https://www.historiceyewearcompany.com/files/HOYFrevisedMcBrayer.pdf

Wow! Great article and there's our Armed and Bespectacled Man on the front page!! Thanks for sharing, really interesting...