Reenactor or Real?

[AUG]

3. Images of Confederate enlisted is almost unheard of. With the exception of ones taken by Northern photographers (i.e. 3 prisoners at Gettysburg) you just don't see them due to lack of photographic supplies in the South. If you did have supplies you would be using it to take a picture of Lee or Jackson, not an enlisted flag bearer.

So excluding all photographs of Confederate prisoners by Northern photographers or studio portraits, there are a number out there taken by Southern photographers of enlisted men in the field.

For example, there are these taken by J. D. Edwards of Confederate troops at Pensacola early in the war:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-9th-mississippi-infantry.94555/

Or these of the 1st Texas Infantry in winter quarters at Dumfries, Virginia:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/men-of-hoods-texas-brigade.92547/#post-760873

Coppens' Louisiana Zouaves, probably taken in Pensacola, ca. 1861:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/louisiana-tigers-in-new-orleans-1861.108825/

The Clinch Rifles, Company A of the 5th Georgia Infantry:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/clinch-rifles.77651/#post-547155

 

[civilwarincolor]

So excluding all photographs of Confederate prisoners by Northern photographers or studio portraits, there are a number out there taken by Southern photographers of enlisted men in the field.

For example, there are these taken by J. D. Edwards of Confederate troops at Pensacola early in the war:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-9th-mississippi-infantry.94555/

Or these of the 1st Texas Infantry in winter quarters at Dumfries, Virginia:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/men-of-hoods-texas-brigade.92547/#post-760873

Coppens' Louisiana Zouaves, probably taken in Pensacola, ca. 1861:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/louisiana-tigers-in-new-orleans-1861.108825/

The Clinch Rifles, Company A of the 5th Georgia Infantry:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/clinch-rifles.77651/#post-547155

Thanks so much for your message and the images you posted. I should have been a little more clear the Southern photographers exhausted their supplies within a year after the start of the war and that is evident by the images that you shared. Most have a date from 1861.

To be honest, I was not familiar with most of these, so I am glad to see new images, particularly of Confederates as they are very difficult to come by.

 

[AUG]

Thanks so much for your message and the images you posted. I should have been a little more clear the Southern photographers exhausted their supplies within a year after the start of the war and that is evident by the images that you shared. Most have a date from 1861.

To be honest, I was not familiar with most of these, so I am glad to see new images, particularly of Confederates as they are very difficult to come by.

Jay Dearborn Edwards was one of the most active photographers in the South at the beginning of the ACW. He was best known for documenting New Orleans in the 1850s, but after the war began he traveled to Pensacola to take the said photographs of Confederate troops stationed there. Edwards also photographed the Washington Artillery at Camp Lewis, New Orleans early in the war as well. I think he probably would have continued his work with what resources he could obtain, but unfortunately he was branded a Confederate spy for some of the images he had taken in Pensacola, which pretty much ended his career as a photographer for the rest of the war.

But as you said, most known images of Confederate troops in the field were taken very early in the war. There is however that one famous image that I'm sure you've seen before, of Confederate troops marching through Frederick, Maryland, either during the Maryland Campaign in '62 or when Jubal Early marched through Maryland in summer of '64. Of course the photographer is unknown, but it is one of the best images out there of Confederate troops in the field, while on campaign.

 

[civilwarincolor]

Jay Dearborn Edwards was one of the most active photographers in the South at the beginning of the ACW. He was best known for documenting New Orleans in the 1850s, but after the war began he traveled to Pensacola to take the said photographs of Confederate troops stationed there. Edwards also photographed the Washington Artillery at Camp Lewis, New Orleans early in the war as well. I think he probably would have continued his work with what resources he could obtain, but unfortunately he was branded a Confederate spy for some of the images he had taken in Pensacola, which pretty much ended his career as a photographer for the rest of the war.

But as you said, most known images of Confederate troops in the field were taken very early in the war. There is however that one famous image that I'm sure you've seen before, of Confederate troops marching through Frederick, Maryland, either during the Maryland Campaign in '62 or when Jubal Early marched through Maryland in summer of '64. Of course the photographer is unknown, but it is one of the best images out there of Confederate troops in the field, while on campaign.

I do love that image. @Zuzah and I have been asked a number of times to colorize that image, but the available digital quality is just too small and the original appears too dark to be able to have something that would look any good.

 

[Legion Para]

I don't know if it's been mentioned here yet but something else that gives this photo away as "reenactor" is the "clean sleeve" on the uniform. The man photographed with the flag would likely be the color sergeant, as in the case of this photo of William Smith, Color Sergeant of the 12th Virginia:

View attachment 84121

This is an actual period photo, which was hand-colored. I chose this one of it (I found a couple others online) because you can see the floor. The portrait is much more formal- Smith has removed his kepi; and he wears a sash, sword and gaiters.

It also struck me that there are, apparently, very few known photographs of Confederates posing with their flags. Just looking through the Liljenquist collection of the Library of Congress, I didn't find any photos of Southern soldiers with the flag. That is very interesting to me. Soldiers in these photographer's studio portrait photos frequently pose with weapons but typically not flags... as if the symbol were too sacred for a man to have his picture taken with. It actually makes me wonder how those men would feel about use of the flag as a pop culture symbol.

View attachment 84122

The following thread is about Confederate Flags in wartime photographs:

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/confederate-flags-in-wartime-photographs.115897/#post-1164228