Diorama potential

[Story]

 

[Lincoln56]

View attachment 408734

Is this from the same era (1855) as the Secretary of War Jefferson Davis Camel Military Corps experiment?

 

[Story]

Is this from the same era (1855) as the Secretary of War Jefferson Davis Camel Military Corps experiment?

Actually, the King of Siam didn't offer them until February 1861 so it's probably from April or more likely May 1861 (photo is mislabeled - actually a detachment from the 6th PA Cavalry [Rush's Lancers]) in Maryland waiting for three 12lb mountain howitzers to be delivered.

Concept deployment looka like dis ->

See
https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/1999/nr99-122.html
and
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/what-would-have-happened-if-lincoln-had-used-combat-elephants-civil-war-73481?page=0,1

 

[Lincoln56]

Actually, the King of Siam didn't offer them until February 1861 so it's probably from April or more likely May 1861 (photo is mislabeled - actually a detachment from the 6th PA Cavalry [Rush's Lancers]) in Maryland waiting for three 12lb mountain howitzers to be delivered.

Concept deployment looka like dis ->
View attachment 408750

See
https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/1999/nr99-122.html
and
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/what-would-have-happened-if-lincoln-had-used-combat-elephants-civil-war-73481?page=0,1

Thank you for sharing - had no idea this was offered for consideration by the United States military.

"the 1st Ohio Pachyderms" indeed!

 

[Kurt G]

The altered image shows African elephants . If any had been sent from Siam they would have been Asian elephants .

 

[Story]

The altered image shows African elephants . If any had been sent from Siam they would have been Asian elephants .

Let us begin the chant -

FARB! FARB! FARB!​

 

[Trooper "D"]

Is this from the same era (1855) as the Secretary of War Jefferson Davis Camel Military Corps experiment?

Not a Camel Corps. Just using camels as pack animals in the SW Desert. It was successful and the war of '61 ended the experiment. One managed to be killed at Vicksburg even.

 

[DixieRifles]

The altered image shows African elephants . If any had been sent from Siam they would have been Asian elephants .

I caught that detail, too.
I always wondered how Hannibal controlled elephants in a battle back in his time. I cant imagine elephants going into a 19th Century battle.

 

[Trooper "D"]

I caught that detail, too.
I always wondered how Hannibal controlled elephants in a battle back in his time. I cant imagine elephants going into a 19th Century battle.

Gunga Din has elephants attacking with the relief column at the end. Machine guns or small field guns on their backs I think. The old movie from the 1930s or '40s.

 

[dgfred]

I caught that detail, too.
I always wondered how Hannibal controlled elephants in a battle back in his time. I cant imagine elephants going into a 19th Century battle.

Well he probably didn't mind if they went wild as long as it was forward. lol

 

[dlofting]

I caught that detail, too.
I always wondered how Hannibal controlled elephants in a battle back in his time. I cant imagine elephants going into a 19th Century battle.

There, apparently, is the problem with elephants in battle. No guarantee that they'll step on the right soldiers.

 

[Library Lady]

Best impression ever of King Mongkut of Siam who offered the elephants.

So, here's another movie I'll have to put on hold. At this rate, I'll have to fully retire in order to get caught up!

 

[DixieRifles]

There, apparently, is the problem with elephants in battle. No guarantee that they'll step on the right soldiers.

There is one accurate account of Elephants in battle: Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers & The Return of the King.

 

[scooter748driver]

The altered image shows African elephants . If any had been sent from Siam they would have been Asian elephants .

Is that the same concept as African vs European Swallow?

 

[Story]

So, here's another movie I'll have to put on hold. At this rate, I'll have to fully retire in order to get caught up!

View attachment 545402

Eh, read Kipling's book and to cut to the chase, just watch the best scene.

 

[Library Lady]

Eh, read Kipling's book and to cut to the chase, just watch the best scene.

One of the prompts for the Adult Reading Challenge 2025 at my library is to read a book of poetry. I immediately thought of Kipling's Barrack-Room Ballads. It was surprisingly difficult to find that specific book in an edition I wouldn't be terrified of damaging (the closest ones were editions from the 1890s). Yeah, I moved on to a reprint (but still vintage) book of Melville's Civil War verse that magically appeared in the used book and record shop where I volunteer.

 

[Story]

One of the prompts for the Adult Reading Challenge 2025 at my library is to read a book of poetry. I immediately thought of Kipling's Barrack-Room Ballads. It was surprisingly difficult to find that specific book in an edition I wouldn't be terrified of damaging (the closest ones were editions from the 1890s). Yeah, I moved on to a reprint (but still vintage) book of Melville's Civil War verse that magically appeared in the used book and record shop where I volunteer.

File under 'tricks to encourage reading' (and I may have told this story before), but back during the era of hand-rolling cigars the women in those shops would hire a 'reader' to share the newspapers of the day and books. Fast forward to the 70s, when my mom was part of a quilting group at our church (and I was still small enough to require minding but old enough to read), I remember sitting under the quilt and reading Tennyson.

Imagine the tiny voice sharing the gore of Charge of the Light Brigade.