Seeking Possible Identification? : Graphic!

[Johnny_Reb_1865]

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the famous photo of dead Confederates who were photographed along the Hagerstown Pike at Sharpsburg.

These men were members of Starke's Louisiana Brigade who were made up of the following units.

10th Louisiana Infantry
15th Louisiana Infantry
1st Louisiana (Zouaves) Infantry Battalion
1st Louisiana Volunteer Infantry
2nd Louisiana Infantry
9th Louisiana Infantry

In the photograph there is the body of a Confederate sergeant. So I did some research and narrowed it down to the following men.

Antietam: Sgt A. B. C. Davis

antietam.aotw.org

Antietam: Sgt Samuel Kearney

antietam.aotw.org

Antietam: Pvt Philip Georges

antietam.aotw.org

Antietam: Sgt George F. Richardson

antietam.aotw.org

Antietam: Sgt John Ryan

antietam.aotw.org

Antietam: Sgt Charles Henry Clay Trabue

antietam.aotw.org

Antietam: Sgt William T. Clack

antietam.aotw.org

Antietam: Sgt Alexander Feuga

antietam.aotw.org

Any thoughts on which soldier the unfortunate could be?

 

[Nathan Stuart]

William Frassanito in 'Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day' (p.137) thought the chances were high that many of the Confederate dead photographed beside the rail fence along the Hagerstown Road belonged to the 10th. LA Infantry. (The 10th LA suffered heavily at the rail fence on the morning of Sep. 17). One of the recorded dead of the 10th. LA was Sgt. Alexander Feuga, aged 21 years, a cook who was born in France. (If the picture is rotated, it can be readily seen that the dead subject's face has a youthful look). Sgt. Feuga is the only soldier on the OP list provided who was a member of the 10th. LA, so he might be a candidate here (if possibles are confined to this given list of names only).

 

[lupaglupa]

I almost hate to name the man. It would be a distress to any descendants.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

I almost hate to name the man. It would be a distress to any descendants.

Agree - that's an extra dimension to consider when appreciating such an historical record.

The shock and distress impact of a sight would usually be far more overwhelming to the senses than any read written descriptions, no matter how graphic are the written details.

If one conducts their own introspection, it could be thought to be even more difficult/uncomfortable to bear if the pictured person is a known relative or intimate.

But identifying photographed subjects becomes necessary to complete (and understand) the historical records of these past events.

 

[Johnny_Reb_1865]

I almost hate to name the man. It would be a distress to any descendants.

To be honest I'm doing this out of principle.

 

[Johnny_Reb_1865]

William Frassanito in 'Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day' (p.137) thought the chances were high that many of the Confederate dead photographed beside the rail fence along the Hagerstown Road belonged to the 10th. LA Infantry. (The 10th LA suffered heavily at the rail fence on the morning of Sep. 17). One of the recorded dead of the 10th. LA was Sgt. Alexander Feuga, aged 21 years, a cook who was born in France. (If the picture is rotated, it can be readily seen that the dead subject's face has a youthful look). Sgt. Feuga is the only soldier on the OP list provided who was a member of the 10th. LA, so he might be a candidate here (if possibles are confined to this given list of names only).

Does a map showing the individual placement of units exist?

Also does this look like an exit wound?

(You can see his sergeant's stripes pretty well here.)

He doesn't appear to have been looted. His pocket isn't inside out on his trousers.

It's my theory that he was shot in the back and the bullet exited through his heart killing him instantly and causing him to fall backwards and onto his side in a sort of twisting motion.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Does a map showing the individual placement of units exist?

Realize you probably require a map showing the deployment of each LA regiment in Starke's brigade line along the Hagerstown Pike.

At this stage, closest I can find is the below authorized battlefield map at the LOC showing the deployment of Starke's whole line along the Hagerstown Pike, in relation to the positions of individual Union regiments at the same time, between 6.45 and 7.00 a.m..

Map of the Battlefield of Antietam, Sept. 17th - 6:45-7:00AM

Relief shown by contour lines. Indicates roads and streets, houses, names of residents, fences, vegetation, drainage, bridges, and fords. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Phillips, 10685 LC Civil War maps (2nd ed.), 248

www.loc.gov

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Also does this look like an exit wound?

Although am no expert, can see no evidence of a body wounding at the location of this hole in the front of the sergeant's jacket (there are no blood marks/stains visible).

Could this clothing hole have been made by a spent fired shell fragment/projectile that did not penetrate the body?

 

[Johnny_Reb_1865]

Sgt Alexander Feuga (1841-1862) - Find a Grave...

•*¨*••*¨*••*¨*••*¨*••*¨*••*¨*• Sgt. Feuga was in Co. I. 10th Louisiana INF C.S.A. he was 21 years old when he was killed in action at the battle of Antietam, MD. on Sept 17,1862 his unit was along the Haggerstown Turnpike fence when he was killed while repulsing a Federal counterattack from the...

www.findagrave.com

Realize you probably require a map showing the deployment of each LA regiment in Starke's brigade line along the Hagerstown Pike.

At this stage, closest I can find is the below authorized battlefield map at the LOC showing the deployment of Starke's whole line along the Hagerstown Pike, in relation to the positions of individual Union regiments at the same time, between 6.45 and 7.00 a.m..

Map of the Battlefield of Antietam, Sept. 17th - 6:45-7:00AM

Relief shown by contour lines. Indicates roads and streets, houses, names of residents, fences, vegetation, drainage, bridges, and fords. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Phillips, 10685 LC Civil War maps (2nd ed.), 248

www.loc.gov

That map is good enough I think. It shows the placement of Starke's Louisiana Brigade as well as the advancing Federals who seem to really have had the drop on.

It appears that Starke's Brigade was under fire from the 2nd United States Sharpshooters. They would've been targeting officers like the sergeant who I believe was Alexander Feuga of the 10th Louisiana.

 

[Old Soldier]

A lot of these old photos were taken some time after the battle. The 'cleanup' was not done for days afterwards. Note that there are no rifles or swords anywhere and there is a distinct lack of equipment or ammunition - removed by those taking over the position. They would have been stacked locally and then removed. (Many of the rifles seen in some photos are, yes, props brought in by the photographer) and, whether you like the idea or not, seaching for gold or hidden items - souvenirs even. Medics would also have been checking for signs of life too.

If there is no blood/darkening on clothing ripped or cut, it was probably done after death. The bodies will have been searched at some point as equipment has been removed too. Trouser flies are undone and pockets often seen turned inside out.

Rigor mortis is setting in - or leaving - so it is at least 12 hours after death and possibly as much as 36 hours after. Just to make the point, it is unlikely the photographer was right behind the front line - or even near the battlefield.

** I looked up the other photos of this scene and all are similar - no weapons anywhere and signs of rigor mortis.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

A lot of these old photos were taken some time after the battle.

Believe the photograph was taken by Alexander Gardner on Sep. 19 (according to William Frassanito in 'Antietam', at p. 126).

 

[Nathan Stuart]

If there is no blood/darkening on clothing ripped or cut, it was probably done after death. The bodies will have been searched at some point as equipment has been removed too. Trouser flies are undone and pockets often seen turned inside out.

Don't think the particular clothing hole in question here can be explained by someone's rough handling in a post-action quest searching for valuables or other items on the body.

Thought the location of the hole on the soldier's thick jacket does not support this finding. (There are no pockets visible in this part of the clothing.) Also thought the large size and roughly spherical shape of this clothing hole (in a thick jacket) does not support the finding that it was physically made by someone's hand in looting the corpse.

 

[Old Soldier]

Don't think the particular clothing hole in question here can be explained by someone's rough handling in a post-action quest searching for valuables or other items on the body.

Thought the location of the hole on the soldier's thick jacket does not support this finding. (There are no pockets visible in this part of the clothing.) Also thought the large size and roughly spherical shape of this clothing hole (in a thick jacket) does not support the finding that it was physically made by someone's hand in looting the corpse.

It wasn't a decision, a definite, unarguable statement or quote, but to get people thinking. It cannot be a wound while living or there would be blood there, for example.

 

[Johnny_Reb_1865]

Don't think the particular clothing hole in question here can be explained by someone's rough handling in a post-action quest searching for valuables or other items on the body.

Thought the location of the hole on the soldier's thick jacket does not support this finding. (There are no pockets visible in this part of the clothing.) Also thought the large size and roughly spherical shape of this clothing hole (in a thick jacket) does not support the finding that it was physically made by someone's hand in looting the corpse.

That's why I was thinking it was possibly an exit wound. But one thing that's bugging me is that his trouser pocket isn't inside out.

Although his jacket is slightly open.

Does anyone know what kind of jacket it is?

Maybe there's a pocket there where the hole is and somebody cut into it with a knife rather than opening the jacket?

 

[captaindrew]

Looks like an early Richmond Depot jacket, I see a trimmed epaulet on his shoulder in the full picture. That is where the inside pocket is that is blown out.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

I almost hate to name the man. It would be a distress to any descendants.

Interesting thought, @lupaglupa.

 

[Johnny_Reb_1865]

Looks like an early Richmond Depot jacket, I see a trimmed epaulet on his shoulder in the full picture. That is where the inside pocket is that is blown out.

Could also be a Camp Moore jacket I think.

Confederate Uniforms of the Lower South, Part I: Tennessee, East Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama

The Lower South, roughly speaking, was the region that comprised South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. This study will describe how the region clothed Confederate...

www.adolphusconfederateuniforms.com

I'm pretty sure Starke's Brigade still had them at Sharpsburg.

 

[captaindrew]

Could also be a Camp Moore jacket I think.

View attachment 533782

Confederate Uniforms of the Lower South, Part I: Tennessee, East Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama

The Lower South, roughly speaking, was the region that comprised South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. This study will describe how the region clothed Confederate...

www.adolphusconfederateuniforms.com

I'm pretty sure Starke's Brigade still had them at Sharpsburg.

Don't see any cuff trim or down the front

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Looks like an early Richmond Depot jacket, I see a trimmed epaulet on his shoulder in the full picture. That is where the inside pocket is that is blown out.

That's well spotted.

There is a detailed coverage of the various types of 'Richmond Depot Style Shell Jackets' worn throughout the war at the below link:-

Richmond Depot

The following extract from the above source describes the relevant features of the 'Type 1 Richmond Depot Shell Jacket' worn earlier in the war.

...'The linings of the jackets were usually made of a coarse common weave unbleached cotton osnaburg. These jackets were also likely to have an inside breast pocket sewn into the lining. Most jackets were made with a 9 button front, with cuff size buttons on the shoulder straps....'

 

[Johnny_Reb_1865]

Don't see any cuff trim or down the front

I'm thinking it's just not visible. Although I could be wrong. Still I'm pretty sure the body is of Sgt. Alexander Feuga.