Norman K. Wiard.

[Robert Gray]

A civilian wearing a top hat appears in at least three photos of Wiard guns at the Washington Arsenal. In the captions of the images at the Library of Congress, we are told he is H.L. Stuart. The Winter 2020 edition of the Wisconsin Magazine Of History, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society, features an item entitled The Ice Boat & Mr. Wiard. On page 12 is a photo of Norman Wiard, the subject of the article. He is the same man who invented the versatile Wiard six-pounder rifle seen in the Washington Arsenal pictures. I immediately noticed he bore a striking resemblance to the man identified as H.L. Stuart. I'm going to suggest that this is really Norman Wiard who is seen posing with his guns.

Photo credits:
Library of Congress
pnp-cwpb-03600-03649
pnp-cwpb-01400-01444 (detail)
pnp-cwpb-03900-03923 (detail)

 

[Nathan Stuart]

The shape/style of those muttonchop whiskers look distinctive (and identifying).

 

[Seduzal]

Wow! Never seen this before. Learning something new today. Another piece of the Civil War history's mysteries found. Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed it.

 

[Mike Serpa]

Ahhh... interesting. It looks like him! We have other photos of Willis and Sickles to compare with. Do we even know who H.L. Stuart is? (He is wearing glasses.)

Edit to add: There was a man named H.L. Stuart who had something to do with guns.

Who wrote "...my friend and representative...?" It was Norman Wiard! From his book "Inefficiency of Heavy Ordnance in the Country and Everywhere and About Parrott and Other Hooped Guns," 1865. See page 46.

Maybe he is in the photos?

Inefficiency of Heavy Ordnance in this Country and everywhere, and about Parrott and other ... : Norman Wiard : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Book digitized by Google from the library of Harvard University and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.

archive.org

 

[redbob]

I guess that ole Norman was as much of a mystery as was his artillery pieces.

 

[Package4]

A civilian wearing a top hat appears in at least three photos of Wiard guns at the Washington Arsenal. In the captions of the images at the Library of Congress, we are told he is H.L. Stuart. The Winter 2020 edition of the Wisconsin Magazine Of History, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society, features an item entitled The Ice Boat & Mr. Wiard. On page 12 is a photo of Norman Wiard, the subject of the article. He is the same man who invented the versatile Wiard six-pounder rifle seen in the Washington Arsenal pictures. I immediately noticed he bore a striking resemblance to the man identified as H.L. Stuart. I'm going to suggest that this is really Norman Wiard who is seen posing with his guns.

Photo credits:
Library of Congress
pnp-cwpb-03600-03649
pnp-cwpb-01400-01444 (detail)
pnp-cwpb-03900-03923 (detail)

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I actually think you are correct, but I proffer that there is a fourth man. Looking at the individual with glasses, his beard almost touches both sides of his mouth and it is a beard. His clothes are slightly different and he has a thinner face IMHO. The individual leaning against the tree does not have whiskers that touch the mouth, has a fuller face and if you blow up the photo you will see that he is clothed in the same clothes as the studio CDV, complete with spotted vest. He could possibly have had that photo taken while in Washington (love to see the backmark). I could be wrong and this is all a result of shadows, but to me the two men are different.

 

[Mike Serpa]

I actually think you are correct, but I proffer that there is a fourth man. Looking at the individual with glasses, his beard almost touches both sides of his mouth and it is a beard. His clothes are slightly different and he has a thinner face IMHO. The individual leaning against the tree does not have whiskers that touch the mouth, has a fuller face and if you blow up the photo you will see that he is clothed in the same clothes as the studio CDV, complete with spotted vest. He could possibly have had that photo taken while in Washington (love to see the backmark). I could be wrong and this is all a result of shadows, but to me the two men are different.

Yes, there is a fourth man. He is not wearing glasses. The man in the other photos is wearing glasses.

Look at his vest. Is it a match for Wiard's vest?

My thought is Wiard is against the tree and Stuart is in the other photos.

 

[Package4]

There were actually other photographs taken that day that seem to support this theory. Below is a photograph where a group of infantry were used to hoss a Wiard gun and limber out of line. Could this have been for the benefit of a visiting Wiard? There is another picture of what look like staff officers and a dog in the same area.

Yes, there is a fourth man. He is not wearing glasses. The man in the other photos is wearing glasses.
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Look at his vest. Is it a match for Wiard's vest?
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My thought is Wiard is against the tree and Stuart is in the other photos.

 

[Package4]

Yes, there is a fourth man. He is not wearing glasses. The man in the other photos is wearing glasses.
View attachment 468661

Look at his vest. Is it a match for Wiard's vest?
View attachment 468662
My thought is Wiard is against the tree and Stuart is in the other photos.

I believe those are the exact same clothes worn at the Arsenal.

 

[Belfoured]

Good analysis. We know Dastardly Dan is in the photo because in the background one of the battery wagons is labeled "Excelsior Brigade". (There's another photo of Dan standing by two of the guns with the river in the background). Sickles entered into a direct contract with Wiard in 1861 for 18 guns that ultimately became the subject of a prolonged collection battle between the War Department and Wiard (fueled in part by Wiard's poor relationship with Ordnance Chief Ripley). The guns never left the Arsenal IIRC. The Sickles contract eventually resulted in payment to Wiard in 1863. Wiard had another contract with Fremont that was not paid.

 

[Mike Serpa]

I believe those are the exact same clothes worn at the Arsenal.

I just piggy-backed off your post and added the photos.

 

[Robert Gray]

Here is an update. Based on what several people have observed, I believe Wiard is only in one photo, leaning against the tree. The two men with Sickles are H.L. Stuart (with glasses) and Nathaniel P. Willis. Willis reported on the Civil War in his magazine, the Home Journal, and met Mrs. Lincoln in 1861 on a visit to Washington. He died in 1867.

 

[Mike Serpa]

What is Stuart leaning on in the third photo? It looks like it was leaning against the wheel in the second photo.

 

[Package4]

What is Stuart leaning on in the third photo? It looks like it was leaning against the wheel in the second photo.

It is called a hand spike, there were two, one on each cheek of the piece, they are used to help move the cannon, left or right to aim. There is a lunette at the end of the trail where you would attach to the limber. Just ahead of the lunette are two aiming rings, which accept the hand spike.

 

[Mike Serpa]

It is called a hand spike, there were two, one on each cheek of the piece, they are used to help move the cannon, left or right to aim. There is a lunette at the end of the trail where you would attach to the limber. Just ahead of the lunette are two aiming rings, which accept the hand spike.

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I see. Thank you.