What The Heck Is This?

[Woods-walker]

This LoC photo was taken of Union soldiers bathing in the North Anna River in May 1864. The destroyed train bridge over the river is in the background and if you look closely, wagons can be seen on the hill behind the soldiers. I have no idea what the "squiggly" thing to the left might be. Any thoughts?

 

[LoyaltyOfDogs]

I think it's a handwritten notation of some kind. Here's a detail from what appears to be another version of the same picture in the LOC. In this one, some numbers appear slightly above and to the right of the strange notation. No idea what the numbers or the notation might mean.

 

[Story]

Imagine how hard it must have been to leave the comfort of the water and put on a grimy wool uniform once more.

 

[bankerpapaw]

Imagine how hard it must have been to leave the comfort of the water and put on a grimy wool uniform once more.

And all those lice waiting for your return.

 

[Robert Gray]

A print from the original stereo negative (Library of Congress) and a 3-D anaglyph.

 

[JackADriscoll]

This got me to thinking. After a long mission after we showered we had to throw our uniforms away because of the smell. I could smell them after I got out. I can only imagine what that smell was like for those lads

 

[Story]

And all those lice waiting for your return.

- and rejoin the reality of the war.

 

[R. Porter]

Imagine how hard it must have been to leave the comfort of the water and put on a grimy wool uniform once more.

That comment about the comfort of the water reminded me of when I was in Boy Scouts and we used to camp next to a Confederate fort that guarded a railroad bridge over the Appomattox River. We would camp there in the spring and go swimming in the river. The water was very cold and the current was so swift that we had to string a rope across the river in case we got swept off our feet. I just looked up the location on a Google map of the area. It was about 20 miles as the crow flies, west of Richmond as its boundaries were then, as in the city was north of the James River and had not annexed the city of Manchester on the south side of the river. That happened in 1910. I didn't realize how close our campsite was to Richmond back then. The river was about 20 feet or more wide at that point. I also see that someone has labeled the fort as Fort Mattox. The saddest thing I see is that someone has sold the property and there is now a housing development on the land. That was such a neat place and now it only exists in my memory. I think I'll be crying myself to sleep tonight.

 

[Story]

Took another look at this pic and wondered who among them survived the war.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Took another look at this pic and wondered who among them survived the war.

Thought it quite likely that some of these bathing soldiers became casualties in the ensuing weeks.

If the photograph shows the railroad trestle burnt by Confederates in the background, and judging by unit field locations on the battlefield map of May 24 (when Grant crossed the North Anna), these men could have belonged to units in either Barlow's or Gibbon's Division.

Shortly afterwards, at Cold Harbor (during May 31 to June 12), both these Divisions suffered heavy casualties (II Corps losses were 3,510), with the other Division (Birney's) in II Corps only being slightly engaged there. These units again experienced large casualty lists soon after, when they fought in the assault on Petersburg (June 15 -18).

 

[Story]

Thought it quite likely that some of these bathing soldiers became casualties in the ensuing weeks.

If the photograph shows the railroad trestle burnt by Confederates in the background, and judging by unit field locations on the battlefield map of May 24 (when Grant crossed the North Anna), these men could have belonged to units in either Barlow's or Gibbon's Division.

Shortly afterwards, at Cold Harbor (during May 31 to June 12), both these Divisions suffered heavy casualties (II Corps losses were 3,510), with the other Division (Birney's) in II Corps only being slightly engaged there. These units again experienced large casualty lists soon after, when they fought in the assault on Petersburg (June 15 -18).

That's some good photo forensics detective work.

Award yourself another breakfast donut.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

That's some good photo forensics detective work.

Award yourself another breakfast donut.

Ha! Ha! Might pass on the breakfast donut award. Your compliment sounds good enough.

Further. If one examines the photo closely, there appears in the distance to be two or three figures standing on what might be a narrow floating wooden object (like a tree trunk) placed across the river, at the base of the burnt railroad trestle. These might be soldiers of the 8th Ohio who apparently cut down a large tree to enable men to cross the waterway in single file.

 

[Story]

Thought it quite likely that some of these bathing soldiers became casualties in the ensuing weeks.

If the photograph shows the railroad trestle burnt by Confederates in the background, and judging by unit field locations on the battlefield map of May 24 (when Grant crossed the North Anna), these men could have belonged to units in either Barlow's or Gibbon's Division.

Shortly afterwards, at Cold Harbor (during May 31 to June 12), both these Divisions suffered heavy casualties (II Corps losses were 3,510), with the other Division (Birney's) in II Corps only being slightly engaged there. These units again experienced large casualty lists soon after, when they fought in the assault on Petersburg (June 15 -18).

Thought about this some. If those guys thought it was a good bathing spot, so did others. Makes you wonder what got dropped on the banks where they dressed/undressed.

You, working with local relic hunters, could probably narrow this spot down to an 10 +/- yard error probability on digital and paper maps to the point of a 12 digit grid coordinate.

Relic Hunting & Collecting

A place to discuss everything from field uniforms, and proper undergarments, and insignia, to recently dug artifacts to newly discovered museum pieces. If you are a Civil War Relic Hunter, feel free to show off your finds here!

civilwartalk.com

 

[Woods-walker]

Thought about this some. If those guys thought it was a good bathing spot, so did others. Makes you wonder what got dropped on the banks where they dressed/undressed.

You, working with local relic hunters, could probably narrow this spot down to an 10 +/- yard error probability on digital and paper maps to the point of a 12 digit grid coordinate.

Relic Hunting & Collecting

A place to discuss everything from field uniforms, and proper undergarments, and insignia, to recently dug artifacts to newly discovered museum pieces. If you are a Civil War Relic Hunter, feel free to show off your finds here!

civilwartalk.com

I am a bit ahead of you. I found this spot in 1964 and hunted it until there was nothing left. It took me and two buddies 8 months to clean it out

 

[Story]

I am a bit ahead of you. I found this spot in 1964 and hunted it until there was nothing left. It took me and two buddies 8 months to clean it out

Not surprise that folks have had the same notion before.

Think that nearly 60 years might have revealed more, or more has been deposited.

Rhetorical question.

 

[R. Porter]

My guess would be that it was near where the current railroad bridge crosses the North Anna between Rt. 1 and I-95. I wasn't old enough to drive in 1964 so I don't feel so bad about it being hunted out. I would like to know what was found and where. It would give you a picture of what got left behind on a trip to the river, or were they just taking a break from rebuilding the railroad bridge?

 

[Woods-walker]

My guess would be that it was near where the current railroad bridge crosses the North Anna between Rt. 1 and I-95. I wasn't old enough to drive in 1964 so I don't feel so bad about it being hunted out. I would like to know what was found and where. It would give you a picture of what got left behind on a trip to the river, or were they just taking a break from rebuilding the railroad bridge?

View attachment 460083

My brother found the place after we saw the photo that started this thread. It was in a book in our high school library ( I wish I could find a copy of that book or remember it's name). He and I hunted it first and after several weeks I took a close friend. After that the three of us hunted it until we weren't able to find anything of value.
That was so long ago, but I definitely recall standard breast plates (ie Eagle plates), cartridge box plates (US) and US belt buckles , eagle buttons, bullets and such. Traditional items they left.
I do recall in particular several Pennsylvania buttons I found. It was the first and only time I was able to add that state (commonwealth) to my collection. I traded and sold several but still have three in my collection. I probably found a few NY buttons, but the were pretty common finds.

 

[R. Porter]

My brother found the place after we saw the photo that started this thread. It was in a book in our high school library ( I wish I could find a copy of that book or remember it's name). He and I hunted it first and after several weeks I took a close friend. After that the three of us hunted it until we weren't able to find anything of value.
That was so long ago, but I definitely recall standard breast plates (ie Eagle plates), cartridge box plates (US) and US belt buckles , eagle buttons, bullets and such. Traditional items they left.
I do recall in particular several Pennsylvania buttons I found. It was the first and only time I was able to add that state (commonwealth) to my collection. I traded and sold several but still have three in my collection. I probably found a few NY buttons, but the were pretty common finds.

I like stories like this, it's like the story of the finding of Troy. There is a story, someone tries to find out where and when it actually happened. They search for the site. They find a site and discover artifacts that support the story and further embelish it. The story can then be placed in a better context and there's an adventure story to go with it. Of course my inner archaeologist groans that more might have been learned with a careful, detailed analysis of the finds in situ, but these sites never have the kind of priority to be allocated the funds needed to do the work. I wish I could have been there with you!

 

[Woods-walker]

I agree totally. But to truly understand it you would have to put your mind in 1960s mode….. no interest to help with research; merely kids that are looking to dig stuff they can sell to get a few bucks; no cell phones.
We had to do our research in local libraries ( mostly at school) and so were limited to what a small town library had.
But you are right about architectural digs telling more.
I have a diary of a soldier in the 2nd Maryland artillery- in it he described exactly where their 62-63 winter camp was located. I know the area well and there is no doubt I understand the directions. He wrote about a certain named creek entering a certain named river with a ford at the sight. I found that within 30 minutes Yet, several years of researching- I ve not found the camp!

 

[SgtDarby8OVI]

Ha! Ha! Might pass on the breakfast donut award. Your compliment sounds good enough.

Further. If one examines the photo closely, there appears in the distance to be two or three figures standing on what might be a narrow floating wooden object (like a tree trunk) placed across the river, at the base of the burnt railroad trestle. These might be soldiers of the 8th Ohio who apparently cut down a large tree to enable men to cross the waterway in single file.

Fascinated by the 8th Ohio reference, since I have been reenacting those guys for 35 years. I find no mention of this in the Sawyer and Galway memoirs, so curious about where this river crossing account comes from. Thanks in advance.