Boat on the Appomattox River

[tmh10]

Appomattox River, Virginia. Boat on the Appomattox River.
CREATED/PUBLISHED
[between 1861 and 1869]
NOTES
Caption from negative sleeve: Boat on Appomattox River.
Two plates form left (LC-B811-2624A) and right (LC-B811-2624B) halves of a stereograph pair.
Forms part of Civil War glass negative collection (Library of Congress).

 

[jessgettysburg1863]

They just keep getting better Ted, sweet pic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tmh10]

Anybody know what the purpose of the buildings on the hill were?

 

[NFB22]

Anybody know what the purpose of the buildings on the hill were?

Just taking a guess here but maybe an Observation post to report movement on the river? Or maybe theres more to it and its part of a battery overlooking the river? Looks like a pretty dominant elevated position.

 

[Carronade]

Cool picture! Note on the nearest boat, sections of bulwark at the bow folded down to clear the arc of fire for the heavy pivot gun - maybe a Parrott rifle? I'm not that great on IDing guns. They'd be raised for cruising in open ocean. The boat behind her also has a folded-down section. The next one back looks like a ferryboat, many of which were taken into naval service; the shallow draft, wide decks, and carrying capacity made them very useful in coastal waters or rivers.

p.s. I had not realized the Appomattox was that large a river, learn something new every day.

 

[prroh]

Anybody know what the purpose of the buildings on the hill were?

They were huts. I suspect that a battery was nearby. The two ships appear to be sisters and pretty heavily armed paddlewheelers. I can't see any planking? Could they be made of iron? From their looks they seem ocean going. Anybody know their names or class?

 

[tmh10]

They were huts. I suspect that a battery was nearby. The two ships appear to be sisters and pretty heavily armed paddlewheelers. I can't see any planking? Could they be made of iron? From their looks they seem ocean going. Anybody know their names or class?

I had thought that, but didn't see any guns. You are probably right.

 

[prroh]

I had thought that, but didn't see any guns. You are probably right.

It is a beautiful gun position

 

[tmh10]

It is a beautiful gun position

No doubt, Pat.

 

[donna]

Another great photo.

 

[prroh]

Strange title. The two in the foreground are ships and since there are at least five craft why use singular to describe the scene?

 

[tmh10]

Strange title. The two in the foreground are ships and since there are at least five craft why use singular to describe the scene?

It should be retitled Fleet On the Appomattox River. After looking at a lot of these pictures, I have learned to take the titles with a grain of salt.

 

[prroh]

It should be retitled Fleet On the Appomattox River. After looking at a lot of these pictures, I have learned to take the titles with a grain of salt.

I had thought Flotilla on the Appomattox.

 

[Free Agent]

Cloths hanging to dry from the lines?

 

[tmh10]

Cloths hanging to dry from the lines?

Ha, you should know how wet everything gets living on the water. Signal flags, perhaps.

 

[AndyHall]

Cloths hanging to dry from the lines?

Look like feather boas to me. Fabulous!

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

The vessel closest to the camera looks like it could be one of the "double-ender" gunboats, with rudders at bow and stern. (Despite the name, most of these vessels weren't perfectly identical forward and aft-- they had a bow and a stern, and the forward rudder was smaller than the 'main' one.)

 

[truthckr]

Nice photo Ted

 

[pamc153PA]

Wow, one false move when you step out of those huts, and you're in the drink! There is a little tiny path down to what looks like a cave dug into the side of the bank, but, man, I wouldn't want to be coming home late without a light!

 

[John Hartwell]

p.s. I had not realized the Appomattox was that large a river, learn something new every day.

Judging from the width of the river, I suspect the photo was probably taken from the high ground on Bermuda Hundred, near the mouth of the Appomattox, not far from City Point.

jno