WAITING FOR THE BOATS

[Robert Gray]

WAITING FOR THE BOATS

Army supply wagons at Belle Plain Landing. (National Archives)

 

[EJ Zander]

Havent seen this one before. Plenty of mules. Wagons staged in groups. Flat tops in center background look to ambulances.
Got a feeling the ones grouped just infront of them are marked baggage. Cant make out how heavy the running gear is for the group in the back right.
Here is another of the same area with more flat tops.

 

[EJ Zander]

 

[jackt62]

I'm always amazed at the massive logistics that were involved in the CW. You get a sense from these and similar photos of the enormity of the transportation and infrastructure that was needed in moving large amounts of supplies and equipment.

 

[JohnW.]

Havent seen this one before. Plenty of mules. Wagons staged in groups. Flat tops in center background look to ambulances.
Got a feeling the ones grouped just infront of them are marked baggage. Cant make out how heavy the running gear is for the group in the back right.
Here is another of the same area with more flat tops.
View attachment 162229

Great photo!!!

 

[JohnW.]

WAITING FOR THE BOATS

Army supply wagons at Belle Plain Landing. (National Archives)

View attachment 162081

Haven't seen this one either...Thanks for the share!!!

 

[mofederal]

Those are some great images, ones I had never seen before. I like the steamboats loaded and ready to unload their cargo. It is a great scene captured forever. A lot to see in every image. Thank you!

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Belle Plain, thank you! One of my favorites- just found ( like 2 days ago ) a cluster of hospital tents and ambulance in one of the photos. All-time Belle Plain photo is this one, maybe because it seems a little haunting? Maybe. Can' put my finger on it.

2nd Corp mail, steamers at the landing, horses being watered by bareback riders, the ' Punch Bowl ' prison camp, far distance.

Sorry to be a little over the top- Belle Plain landing is a huge favorite. Between pontoons landings, hospitals, the Christian Commission, some ships, Sibley's, wagons, that incredible spread holding Confederate prisoners and camps, it's bottomless.

This was titled ' First Landing ', but can't be since the prisoners already occupy the Punch Bowl, pontoon landing, army camp, etc, is in place. Maybe troops landing?

Some are snips, from blow-ups, just favorites, Sitting on my hands not to post more.

Close up from one, hospital department

Hospital wagon, bottom left

Little fascinated by daily life, so tend to ' wander around ' in camps, thanks to LoC's massive photo size downloads.Ambulances, so must be medical staff.

Confederate prisoners, in camp above the landing. Very cool series because we have prisoners and guards conversing.

Larger, hospital dept.,one of the pontoon landings, left

 

[GS]

Thank you, Annie, for these additional photos. Two major thoughts arise:

1) How organized, and well-stocked, the Union camps were! Those tee-pee style tents must have been made just for the War.

2) Compared to the Confederate soldiers descriptions of their living conditions, the "punch bowl" POW camp offered more shelter than the men were used to having.

And a question:
Were the horses taken into the deeper stream to drink cleaner water? I imagine the runoff from latrines, horse dung, etc. gathered near the shoreline.

 

[EJ Zander]

Wow some great pics there with alot to look at. Lots of heavy wagons running teams of six. The ground must be hard/ sandy with that amount of traffic in an out of water and it doesnt become a muddy mess. Looking at modern aerial of Potomac creek the area does look sandy.
The area is tidal but only about 6 inches in fluctuation between high and low. So there would be some tidal related water movement but not much and the creek is only about 4 miles long.
Here is a aerial showing the locations of the docks I found.

Here is the google aerial so you can manipulate the view to see exactly where it is.
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3416628,-77.3015336,3310m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

[EJ Zander]

My wife and I sea kayak a different area of the Bay every weekend. Will have to put this on the list and take some pics from the water.
Found an aerial of the area taken in 1963 during winter. Water level is really low and bottom was def sandy at least at that time.
Looked at one from 1952 and area just has couple fields being farmed not much else going on.
Topo from 1931 shows same, not much there. Though at one of the landings there is "Winter Tree Hollow Club House" noted in bold letters. It disappears in 1944 when the next topo was done.

 

[Kip124thNY]

Great photo's thanks for posting.

 

[Arioch]

"...Angel Eyes....I bet he's got himself a cushy job...."

 

[chubachus]

Here is my animation of photos of the wagons on the move in case you missed it:

 

[Seduzal]

Great photos of history! I have seen some of these photos before and some never. Thanks for sharing.

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

I suppose everyone here knows this picture, ain't it the same place with a different point of vue ?

 

[AUG]

I suppose everyone here knows this picture, ain't it the same place with a different point of vue ? View attachment 162438

Yes, in the "Punch Bowl" at Belle Plain.

Here are a couple other photos of Confederate prisoners at Belle Plain, just captured at Spotsylvania.