Does anyone recognize this headquarters?

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

From the other images of the camp it looks like a fairly big place. I would be surprised if they did not have some type of laundry facility onsite. I doubt that they did not have the resources, a simple piece of string or twine strung between two of the buildings would do it. With a camp that large though, why two pair! Another mystery that will probably never be solved.

I would love the answer to be that the photographer had a sense of humor and said "Hey, let's put some pants on the ground and 150 years from now we will have people debating what they are doing here!"

LOL! Maybe the photographer was looking for a silly prop to make people look twice and wonder! The one soldier is nearby standing, you would've thought at least he would've said hey, the pants, let's remove them. If they weren't laid out so perfectly I would've hazard a guess that they blew off a clothesline.

 

[Reb]

Post Hospital near Alexandria
November 24th, 1862

My Dear
We had a great deal of very heavy rain all last weak and cold too which don't agree very well with sick folks. If we get wet it has to dry while the clothes on us. Then at night it freezes. Great Guns! This morning our canteens was all froze tight so that we could not get a drop of water out. Had to wait till there was a fire kindled. We had coffee this morning at 8 and no dinner at all. We may get a little bit for supper if the wood comes. If not we will have to go to bed supperless as usual.

William

 

[Mike Serpa]

Thanks, Andy!

The pants? Not laundry but lawn-dry!

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Thanks, Andy!

The pants? Not laundry but lawn-dry!

Brings new meaning to those fabric softeners that claim to smell like a sun drenched meadow, too!

 

[civilwarincolor]

I was looking through my collection of Civil War stereo images and guess what popped up this morning?

The National Archives has this image here listed as: Convalescent camp near Hospital Headquarters, Alexandria, Va

One thing I did notice on this image though is that they got rid of the pants!

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Ha! The pants are gone but they added a sentry with a pointy bayonet fixed. Perhaps he's guarding against random littering of laundry!

 

[civilwarincolor]

Ha! The pants are gone but they added a sentry with a pointy bayonet fixed. Perhaps he's guarding against random littering of laundry!

Ha Ha! My other thought was that this picture was taken first and then someone said, "Hey, why don't we add a pair of pants!"

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Ha Ha! My other thought was that this picture was taken first and then someone said, "Hey, why don't we add a pair of pants!"

Or they thought it appeared too tidy and wanted to give the hospital a lived in looked.