Just an observation...

[lauren777]

When I was looking at some of the Gettysburg pictures of the fallen soldiers I saw that quite a few had their pockets pulled out. I was wondering if this was due to battlefield looting or if gunpowder cartridges might have been kept in those pockets and were pulled out in haste of battle?

Lauren

 

[Elennsar]

Some from column A and some from column B, I imagine.

 

[johan_steele]

Quite a few scavengers populated the field of battle after a fight. The dead were regularly robbed of anything of value. In fact some regiments, on both sides, had almost regualr details for such.

Both sides recovered arms and equipment as well as monies in a semi official capacity. At Gettysburg details were sent out to strip the dead of the ammunition.

Also a good amiunt of the disrobing was done by the casualty himself, to see how bad the wound was. Men knew if it was a gut wound they were dead or if the blood was black they would soon be gone. It's rather macabre to understand how much of an expert in death a man became after only a few battles.

 

[lauren777]

Also a good amiunt of the disrobing was done by the casualty himself, to see how bad the wound was. Men knew if it was a gut wound they were dead or if the blood was black they would soon be gone. It's rather macabre to understand how much of an expert in death a man became after only a few battles.

That is interesting, what would the black blood mean? I had heard that many shots themselves weren't fatal but the amount of lead that entered their bodies poisoned them in time. Is that what you mean by black blood?

Lauren

 

[johan_steele]

Blood is black when it's coming out of the liver, men didn't know the particulars; but they knew it was fatal and rather quickly.

 

[lauren777]

Blood is black when it's coming out of the liver, men didn't know the particulars; but they knew it was fatal and rather quickly.

Interesting I didn't know that. Thanks. There would be no way to know for sure but I would guess knowing they recognized they had no chance of survival, being in terrible pain on a dangerous battlefield, with a gun by their side I would guess that there might have been a lot suicide/mercy kills. It's probably what I would have done given the circumstances.

Lauren

 

[johan_steele]

I'm not certain of the suicide rate in such a circumstances but I've read often enough of men beging others to end it for them.

In one particular incident I've read of a Sgt bayoneted a wounded CS soldier who was beggig for him to end it. The Sgt was a very experianced veteran and did so w/ no qualms. What he didn't know was that the men in his line a hundred or so yards off were unaware of the man begging for an end to the pain. He was very nearly lynched by his own men; it was only the testimony of a couple of men who were w/ him that kept it from happening. He was widely distrusted and disliked for a while after that, when the next fought at Corinth he received several apologies.