Reenactors or what?

[Story]

You're assuming he had all his teeth to start with.

Gotta have enuf teef to bite cartridges iffen you're infantry

 

[Robert Gray]

The original image was tinted and reversed as shown. It was for sale on the Old South Military Antiques website and described as Confederate. It appeared in the book Confederate Faces In Color, by Shannon Pritchard and Shane Kisner (2013). It is listed as being from the Shannon Pritchard Collection.

 

[Story]

It is listed as being from the Shannon Pritchard Collection.

NICE! How did you run that down???

 

[Robert Gray]

NICE! How did you run that down???

A facebook friend has that book and recognized the image. The photo source was listed therein.

 

[mkyzzzrdet]

The original image was tinted and reversed as shown. It was for sale on the Old South Military Antiques website and described as Confederate. It appeared in the book Confederate Faces In Color, by Shannon Pritchard and Shane Kisner (2013). It is listed as being from the Shannon Pritchard Collection.

View attachment 467646

The original image was tinted and reversed as shown. It was for sale on the Old South Military Antiques website and described as Confederate. It appeared in the book Confederate Faces In Color, by Shannon Pritchard and Shane Kisner (2013). It is listed as being from the Shannon Pritchard Collection.

View attachment 467646

Is THIS supposed to be the correct (non-reversed) image? I think the other one is correct, because I can make out "US" on the cartridge box.

 

[captaindrew]

Those to me clearly look like Federal boys. They are wearing Federal issue shirts, the lighter colored ones should be white, the darker grey. They are wearing Federal forage caps and one guy still has his fatigue blouse on. As said above you can clearly see the US box plate on the cartridge box. And Confederates weren't typically issued hardtack unless they acquired it from Federal supplies. There's nothing there that would make me think they were Confederate faces.

 

[Ed Zeppelin]

I understand that they're on the young side, but did anyone else notice that none of them had facial hair?



Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windows 95

 

[captaindrew]

I understand that they're on the young side, but did anyone else notice that none of them had facial hair?



Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windows 95

If you look at pictures of the grunts actually in the field on both sides for the most part you'll see them fairly well groomed. They learned quickly that long hair and beards made perfect homes for lice.

 

[Ed Zeppelin]

While we're on the subject of hardtack, does anyone know of any chain stores that carry it (or the equivalent)? I've never tried it and was wondering what it was really like. I have seen it available online and it seems cheap enuf, but then to pay 10-15 dollars to ship the stuff just doesn't seem worth it. Any ideas? Thanx.



Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windows 95

 

[captaindrew]

While we're on the subject of hardtack, does anyone know of any chain stores that carry it (or the equivalent)? I've never tried it and was wondering what it was really like. I have seen it available online and it seems cheap enuf, but then to pay 10-15 dollars to ship the stuff just doesn't seem worth it. Any ideas? Thanx.



Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windows 95

Some of the reenacting supply vendors (sutlers) sell it. I can tell you they don't call it hard tack for nothing. I can't eat it unless I smash it up. It's really nothing more than a tasteless very hard cracker.

 

[captaindrew]

While we're on the subject of hardtack, does anyone know of any chain stores that carry it (or the equivalent)? I've never tried it and was wondering what it was really like. I have seen it available online and it seems cheap enuf, but then to pay 10-15 dollars to ship the stuff just doesn't seem worth it. Any ideas? Thanx.



Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windows 95

You can try your hand at making some yourself

 

[Marse Bob]

Those to me clearly look like Federal boys. They are wearing Federal issue shirts, the lighter colored ones should be white, the darker grey. They are wearing Federal forage caps and one guy still has his fatigue blouse on. As said above you can clearly see the US box plate on the cartridge box. And Confederates weren't typically issued hardtack unless they acquired it from Federal supplies. There's nothing there that would make me think they were Confederate faces.

You are mistaken, Confederates were issued hardtack, they called them crackers.
There are many interesting things to note, and I am sure each viewer will find others. Since I do not know their names, I am going to call them Johnny 1-6 from left to right. Johnny 1 is sitting on the higher log. There is good reason for this; it is because if you look carefully you will see that the lower log is heavily charred on that end. He's resting his cavalry boot on the charred part. His pants are too long and he has them turned back about four inches. He has a Federal Model 1851 haversack hanging from his knee. He wears a red checked shirt, suspenders and a Federal Forage Cap and holds a 5 to 6 inch square hardtack in one hand and a Confederate tin drum canteen in the other. The canteen has a leather strap with a roller buckle.
Johnny 2 is standing behind the logs and looks like he just relieved himself as the top buttons on his grey trousers are undone and his pants are held up by his suspenders. He wears a Confederate made cap and a blue shirt with the collar rolled inside and under the shirt. He is holding his hardtack also. Notice all of the boys have the brim of their caps turned back.
Johnny 3 wears a civilian style coat with lapels, holds a Yankee canteen in one hand and hardtack in the other. His mess gear is on the log in front of him, as well as his cap, with some type of emblem on the front. If you follow his dark pants down to his feet, you will find that he is barefooted.
Johnny number 4 wears a Federal Forage cap and a blue shirt with suspenders and grey pants. In his hands he holds a tapered cup and a hardtack. His top pants button is also undone.
Johnny 5 wears a blue shirt and suspenders with grey pants and like the other two, holds a hardtack. His is the only hat not on or directly in front of him, so the woven straw hat sitting on top of the stacked Enfield rifles belongs to him. He too is barefooted. Johnny 6 wears a Federal Forage Cap and a red checked shirt with suspenders. His pants are darker, like Johnny number 1 with the red shirt. The viewer cannot see his hardtack, but can see his tin plate a tapered cup. It is presumed his hardtack is lying in the plate. If you follow his leg down to the middle Enfield's butt stock you will see that he too is barefooted. Hanging on the stack of arms is a US cartridge box with the waist belt, cap box, bayonet and canteen all attached together. All he has to do is grab it, sling it over his shoulder and he is ready to fight. Notice how well curled the corner of the cartridge box is, it has seen a lot of use to take on that shape.
None of these boys look old enough to grow a solid beard, early twenty's I would guess and all are lean and lanky. Except for number 1, all look to have about three weeks growth since the last haircut.

 

[captaindrew]

You are mistaken, Confederates were issued hardtack, they called them crackers.
There are many interesting things to note, and I am sure each viewer will find others. Since I do not know their names, I am going to call them Johnny 1-6 from left to right. Johnny 1 is sitting on the higher log. There is good reason for this; it is because if you look carefully you will see that the lower log is heavily charred on that end. He's resting his cavalry boot on the charred part. His pants are too long and he has them turned back about four inches. He has a Federal Model 1851 haversack hanging from his knee. He wears a red checked shirt, suspenders and a Federal Forage Cap and holds a 5 to 6 inch square hardtack in one hand and a Confederate tin drum canteen in the other. The canteen has a leather strap with a roller buckle.
Johnny 2 is standing behind the logs and looks like he just relieved himself as the top buttons on his grey trousers are undone and his pants are held up by his suspenders. He wears a Confederate made cap and a blue shirt with the collar rolled inside and under the shirt. He is holding his hardtack also. Notice all of the boys have the brim of their caps turned back.
Johnny 3 wears a civilian style coat with lapels, holds a Yankee canteen in one hand and hardtack in the other. His mess gear is on the log in front of him, as well as his cap, with some type of emblem on the front. If you follow his dark pants down to his feet, you will find that he is barefooted.
Johnny number 4 wears a Federal Forage cap and a blue shirt with suspenders and grey pants. In his hands he holds a tapered cup and a hardtack. His top pants button is also undone.
Johnny 5 wears a blue shirt and suspenders with grey pants and like the other two, holds a hardtack. His is the only hat not on or directly in front of him, so the woven straw hat sitting on top of the stacked Enfield rifles belongs to him. He too is barefooted. Johnny 6 wears a Federal Forage Cap and a red checked shirt with suspenders. His pants are darker, like Johnny number 1 with the red shirt. The viewer cannot see his hardtack, but can see his tin plate a tapered cup. It is presumed his hardtack is lying in the plate. If you follow his leg down to the middle Enfield's butt stock you will see that he too is barefooted. Hanging on the stack of arms is a US cartridge box with the waist belt, cap box, bayonet and canteen all attached together. All he has to do is grab it, sling it over his shoulder and he is ready to fight. Notice how well curled the corner of the cartridge box is, it has seen a lot of use to take on that shape.
None of these boys look old enough to grow a solid beard, early twenty's I would guess and all are lean and lanky. Except for number 1, all look to have about three weeks growth since the last haircut.

Nope, not mistaken, they are without a doubt Federal Boys. They are all wearing the same Federal issue shirts which have been very badly colorized. All wearing Federal forage caps, the one visible jacket is a fatigue blouse. Every bit of equipment is Federal issue with the acception of one canteen which resembles to me a known pre war model. It IS NOT a CS tin drum. And no Confederates DID NOT regularly issue hard tack. Of course they had it at times and boys on both sides called them crackers. I stand by my first post.

 

[iron bender]

Very random, but looking at the cartridge box hanging on the rifle stack, I noticed something peculiar about the outer flap lower corner being folded. This is my Jarnagin cartridge box I got in 1987 at Shiloh 125th. It probably has close to 400 days in the field on it. It never dawned on me this happened/was happening, but it did. I guess repetition of lifting the flap?

 

[RedRover]

Those to me clearly look like Federal boys. They are wearing Federal issue shirts, the lighter colored ones should be white, the darker grey. They are wearing Federal forage caps and one guy still has his fatigue blouse on. As said above you can clearly see the US box plate on the cartridge box. And Confederates weren't typically issued hardtack unless they acquired it from Federal supplies. There's nothing there that would make me think they were Confederate faces.

The guy in the center has a vented coat cuff, like on a US Army sack coat...

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Group of unidentified yanks displaying their hardtack. Or are they reenactors? What do you think?
Unknown source.

View attachment 467491

That's not Leonardo Di Capri on the left?
Looks like the real thing…

 

[iron bender]

I'd also like to point out the lack of rifle slings. I've been keeping track of this in original field photography. Not sure slings were up to snuff for field use or the guys using the rifles simply didn't want them. Please, dig through original 'in the field' pics.

 

[captaindrew]

I'd also like to point out the lack of rifle slings. I've been keeping track of this in original field photography. Not sure slings were up to snuff for field use or the guys using the rifles simply didn't want them. Please, dig through original 'in the field' pics.

Not uncommon at all on either side

 

[BCS1973]

Are those definitively all Enfield Rifles? That might narrow down the unit somewhat if Federal. I don't know what all the regiments that were issued Enfields, but the 86 Indiana, the 115th PA, and 22nd NYSM come to mind. It also appears to me that the three in the middle could be brothers or close kin (Two on the log and one between them in the back).

 

[R. Porter]

Very random, but looking at the cartridge box hanging on the rifle stack, I noticed something peculiar about the outer flap lower corner being folded. This is my Jarnagin cartridge box I got in 1987 at Shiloh 125th. It probably has close to 400 days in the field on it. It never dawned on me this happened/was happening, but it did. I guess repetition of lifting the flap?

View attachment 497887

View attachment 497888

It looks like your box was slung over the right hip for a right-handed draw while the one in the photo was slung over the left hip for a left-handed draw.