Knapsacks.

[Pvt.Shattuck]

During my college days in the early 70s I "backpacked" across Europe for three months (no frame). Heaven only knows how much it weighed. When I got home I burned that @#$%^&* thing and everything that was in it.
Trekking with a heavy load is an activity best left to hardy youth, as were the soldiers of the Civil War.

 

[Package4]

Gardner's stereo image of the dead along the Hagerstown Pike at Sharpsburg was a subject in Frassanito's book about Antietam. The dead soldier shown is still wearing his knapsack. This was all part of the author's attempt to identify the corpses that Gardner captured days after the battle.View attachment 120991 Keith Rocco based his painting "Eye to Eye Along the Hagerstown Turnpike" 1987 on Gardner's imagesView attachment 120992

If you look closely, you will see that the pack in question is either a French pack or a copy of a French pack, the soldiers depicted are Louisianans.

 

[Yankeedave]

If you look closely, you will see that the pack in question is either a French pack or a copy of a French pack, the soldiers depicted are Louisianans.

Good point good eye.

 

[major bill]

An older post on knapsacks to go with the current discussion.

 

[Sven Peters]

non-rigid
View attachment 120922
Semi-rigid

View attachment 120925
rigid
View attachment 120925
Knapsacks are one of the most hated but most needed piece of equipment. What soldier has not worn their pack until they were sure they were going to faint? You hate wearing it, but love the stuff in it when you use that stuff.

Huge number of knapsacks were made and issued during the Civil War. These came in two basic styles, Rigid and non-rigid with the semi-rigid being consider more of a non-ridge style. Rigid knapsacks had generally been replaced with the non-rigid types before the Civil War by the Army but lived on in the State militias. The rigid knapsacks looked better and most militia units did not engage in any field maneuvers that needed the comfort of a non-rigid knapsack. The correct Army term for the non-rigid knapsack used by the U.S. Army was U.S. Army Regulation Double-Bag Knapsack. Knapsacks were used through out the war and are seen at modern Civil War reenactments.

*edited for promotion purposes

Out of what book are these pictures/sketches, please?
Sven Peters

 

[major bill]

They are from American Military Equipage 1851-1872 by Frederick P. Todd. These were published in 4 volumes and republished in 2 volumes. The section on knapsacks were in volume 1 in both. Each knapsack is described in the text.