Sherman Some of Sherman's Boys

I'm not sure whether these guys are the 44th Indiana or 21st Michigan Infantry. I've noticed that the same men appear in two photographs, one with 21st Michigan written on the image and the other with 44th Indiana.

Photo labeled as the 21st Michigan.
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Photo labeled as the 44th Indiana.
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I'm struck by how many of these men are wearing broad brimmed hats--and not all slouch hats or Hardee hats, either.
 
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Although I've posted this tintype from my photo collection numerous times before, I'd neglected to put it here: Sergeant David C. Yakey (seen here as a corporal around the time of his enlistment in 1862 wearing a strange piece of headgear known as Whipple's Patent Cap) was a member of the 25th Wisconsin Vol. Inf. which mustered in at Eau Claire and supposedly served at Vicksburg, in the Atlanta Campaign, and Sherman's March through Georgia and the Carolinas. Yakey mustered out in 1865 as a sergeant, living into the Twentieth Century until his death in 1908, and is buried in a small country cemetery near La Crosse, Wisc.
 
Looking at pictures of Union troops in the West, I wonder what percentage of troops wore slouch/felt hats opposed to the kepi.
That depends on what you mean by Union troops in the West. Supposedly, soldiers in Grant's/Sherman's/McPherson's Army of the Tennessee preferred slouch hats; whereas Buell's/Schofield's Army of the Ohio and Rosecrans'/Thomas's Army of the Cumberland were more like the Eastern soldiers and wore a high percentage of kepis and forage caps. Yakey and his silly Whipple cap in my above post was in the Army of the Tennessee but that photo was taken early in his enlistment in 1862 before such things were discarded and replaced by something more practical.
 
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That depends on what you mean by Union troops in the West. Supposedly, soldiers in Grant's/Sherman's/McPherson's Army of the Tennessee preferred slouch hats; whereas Buell's/Schofield's Army of the Ohio and Rosecrans'/Thomas's Army of the Cumberland were more like the Eastern soldiers and wore a high percentage of kepis and forage caps. Yakey and his silly Whipple cap in my above post was in the Army of the Tennessee but that photo was taken early in his enlistment in 1862 before such things were discarded and replaced by something more practical.
Maybe Hooker's XX Corps, transferring from East to West, but in most images of Army of the Cumberland troops I have seen, they are primarily wearing Hardee hats and slouch hats. The first images posted in this thread, whether the 21st Michigan or 44th Indiana, both served in the Army of the Cumberland.

Here's a series of photos of the 125th Ohio Vol. Inf. "Odycke's Tigers" taken at Nashville, June 1865. From The Photographic History of the Civil War, vol. 3. The 125th Ohio served in the Army of the Cumberland from 1863-65.

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Company H. Captain Anthony Vallender at center.

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Company C

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Company B

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The Tiger Band. Musicians of the 125th Ohio regimental band. Principal Musician Samuel Sidlinger at far left.

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Also had this one saved, from Echoes of Battle: The Atlanta Campaign. Color Guard of the 10th Kentucky Vol. Inf., which primarily served in the Army of the Cumberland.

This one has been posted here before, but there's some more to it. Color Bearer at center is Cpl. Orville B. Young.

In Col. William H. Hays' official report of the battle of Jonesborough, Sept. 1, 1864, he says: "Corpl. Orville B. Young, the color bearer, deserves special mention for the manner in which he discharged his duty when the regiment was checked by a murderous fire within twenty yards of the enemy's works. He ran forward with the flag, calling on his comrades to rally to it. It was the first flag placed on the enemy's works."
 
Looking at pictures of Union troops in the West, I wonder what percentage of troops wore slouch/felt hats opposed to the kepi.

I’m going off the top of my head here (pun intended) but as I recall an Osprey book I once had on western Yankees stated that a study of photos of western Yankees showed over 80% wearing hats.
 
Sidney Kendall of the 36th Illinois Infantry. The 36th served under Sherman at Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, and Atlanta. The regiment suffered 11 officers and 193 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officer and 127 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 332 fatalities.

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Sidney Kendall of the 36th Illinois Infantry. The 36th served under Sherman at Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, and Atlanta. The regiment suffered 11 officers and 193 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officer and 127 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 332 fatalities.

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This is an outstanding image, but there are a couple of odd things about it: the uniform he is wearing was, I thought, a New York-style jacket, obvious from its attached shoulder tabs; also the brass-hilted sword bayonet is more common on short rifles like the M.1841 or Mississippi rather than what appears to be either a M.1822 percussion conversion or M.1842 musket, both of which used socket bayonets.
 
On the March to the Sea they were in the First Division of the 14th Corps, part of the left wing of the army under maj. gen. Henry Slocum. The regiment suffered 3 officers and 80 enlisted men who were killed in action or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 291 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 377 fatalities.

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Carlin's first Division of the 14th corp, they were the first to run the first day at Bentonville.
 
23rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry, unassigned to the Fourth Division - XXth Corps ( April, 1864 - July, 1864 ); 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 14th Army Corps, to July, 1865. They were present for the Battles of Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Bentonville, and for the March to the Sea. The regiment lost during service 2 officers and 57 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 officers and 173 enlisted men by disease. Total 236.

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Battery A of the 1st Illinois Light Artillery. Mustered in to service in Chicago on April 17, 1861 for three months state service. The battery was then reorganized for three years Federal service as Battery "A" on July 16, 1861. It participated in the Battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Vicksburg, Kennesaw Mountain, and Atlanta. The battery lost 15 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 22 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 37 fatalities. It was mustered out on July 3, 1865.

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Unknown private of the 54th Ohio Infantry.

The 54th OVI was organized near Cincinnati in October 1861 and mustered in for three years. The regiment was attached to the XV Corps from January 1863 to August 1865. It's long list of engagements consists of Shiloh, Corinth, Champions Hill, Vicksburg, Jackson, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, Allatoona Pass, Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy's Station, March to the Sea, the Carolina's Campaign, and Bentonville. The regiment lost a total of 233 men during service; 4 officers and 83 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 143 enlisted men died of disease.
 
Captain Marden Sabin of the 100th Indiana Infantry. Mustered in to service at Fort Wayne in Sept.1862, the 100th acquired the nickname the "Persimmon Regiment" while participating in the Vicksburg Campaign. On the first day of the march, the 100th disregarded their assignment as the rear guard when they stopped to harvest a persimmon orchard. They took so long to accomplish this that many were later arrested as stragglers. After the incident, Confederate forces successfully stopped Grant's forces from having their food resupplied, which caused the 100th Indiana to often have persimmons as their only food. At first the nickname was used disrespectively, but in time the regiment demonstrated great courage in battle so the name became a badge of honor. Among it's other engagements were Dallas, New Hope Church, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Jonesboro, Atlanta, the Savannah Campaign, and the Carolinas Campaign. The regiment lost during service 2 Officers and 56 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 173 Enlisted men by disease. Total 234.

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I've noticed that many of the western Yankees in these old photos wear pull on boots similar to those popular today with rural Midwesterners. In the building trades in Illinois hands from Chicago usually wear lace up work boots but pull on work boots are very popular with hands from rural areas---Ottawa, Peoria and such.

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While doing my service in the Navy I bought a pair of black boots...I believe they were wellingtons...much easier to shine and slip on/off
 
The 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry mustered into Federal service September 13, 1861 in Madison, Wisconsin. The 8th Wisconsin initially mustered 870 men and later recruited an additional 333 men, for a total of 1,203 men. It participated in the battles of Iuka, Corinth, Vicksburg, Nashville, and the Red River Campaign. The regiment was most famous for it's mascot, Old Abe the Battle Eagle, who accompanied the 8th into battle. https://civilwartalk.com/threads/old-abe-the-civil-war-battle-eagle.98148/#post-850227
The regiment lost 2 officers and 53 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 2 officers and 219 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 280 fatalities. The regiment was mustered out on September 5, 1865

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From left to right - private Richard Ogle, private William Gooch, and his brother private Thomas Gooch all of the 23rd Missouri Infantry. The regiment was mustered in for three years in Sept., 1861. They were present at Shiloh, the Siege of Atlanta, Battle of Jonesborough, the March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign. The regiment lost a total of 236 men during service; 2 officers and 57 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 173 enlisted men died of disease.

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