GRAPHIC Left and right side photos of dead CS 1865

These negative halves were used to produce this stereoview.
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I always morbidly look at these photos and try to find their wounds. Any guesses?

Yeah I do too. It's kind of a morbid fascination, It looks to me like the entry wound may be just below his nose and to the left a hair. Even a minie ball wouldn't necessarily make a large entry wound. Doesn't look like there is an exit wound.
 
The photos were taken by Thomas Roche in the Petersburg Trenches.1864, Fort Mahone. There were a total of 15. As gruesome as they are, the pics provide valuable evidence of what some of the ANV was wearing at that time. See Frederick Adolphus's website. Sorry I don't have the link.
 
Yeah I do too. It's kind of a morbid fascination, It looks to me like the entry wound may be just below his nose and to the left a hair. Even a minie ball wouldn't necessarily make a large entry wound. Doesn't look like there is an exit wound.

His nose area does look a little screwy. I thought maybe a chest wound and he coughed up the blood on his face.
 
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Now I'm not certain that he was moved. I've never seen this view of him before. I'll stick with the head/face wound but now I'm curious why his trousers are open. Wounded men will tear at cloths to look for wound but I would think his head wound would prevent that unless he got a gut wound 1st & then took the head shot while he was reacting to gut wound. But this is all speculation on my part. Colorization may provide more clues.
 
I would have assumed shell concussion.
That's a very good assumption …his body & uniform doesn't seem "torn or ripped" by shrapnel but his face & hairlines appear to have wounds.
I notice the cannon sponge appears in the reverse picture but no effect on his condition of course. Don't think he was artillery man as he has US cartridge box slung on him.
 
Now I'm not certain that he was moved. I've never seen this view of him before. I'll stick with the head/face wound but now I'm curious why his trousers are open. Wounded men will tear at cloths to look for wound but I would think his head wound would prevent that unless he got a gut wound 1st & then took the head shot while he was reacting to gut wound. But this is all speculation on my part. Colorization may provide more clues.

Probably people rummaging through his pants and pockets.

I see an exit wound between his right ear and shoulder. Thats a nasty wound.
 
According to William Frassanito's book, Grant & Lee: The Virginia Campaigns the picture was taken by T.C. Roche as previously mentioned. Below is the original caption.

"Rebel artillery soldiers, killed in the trenches of Fort Mahone, called by the soldiers Fort Damnation, at the storming of Petersburgh, Va April 2nd, 1865. The one in the foreground has U.S. belts on, probably taken from a Union soldier prisoner; his uniform is grey cloth trimmed with red. This view was taken the morning after the storming of Petersburgh, Va. 1865." T.C. Roche, Anthony stereo # 3181, April 3, 1865 (LC)

Of further note is the other "dead soldier" in the background. If you look closely,(sorry this small picture is the only one I could find in a hurry), you will notice his clothes look more civilian and he looks more African American. I believe a recent article in Civil War Times or another publication found a picture of this "other soldier" who was actually an assistant to Mr. Roche and merely placed in this picture to give it more effect.



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And I believe "CivilWarincolor" of this forum has already colorized another one of the views of this dead soldier.


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In regards to the "other soldier" in the photgraph.

Reference Civil War Times Issue December 2010, page, article entitled; Substitute for a Corpse. Written by David Lowe and Phillip Shiman.

The attached link was a discussion about debunking a black Confederate but it also illustrates that this man was alive and not a casualty of the battle. There is also mention of our Andy Hall of this forum in the article as well.

http://cwmemory.com/2011/08/10/scratch-off-another-black-confederate/
 
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