Which Steamer? Photographic Puzzles From War's Wharf

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
steamer city point monhasasetts.JPG

City Point, a treasure trove of an image. Beyond the soldier's tent, there's a flat boat, a horse tied up next to an open door, a supply wagon and steamers, tugs, schooners and gunboats. It's a little awesome seeing a gunboat crew dangling feet above the water, savoring City Point's relative peace. The steamer closest to the camera is easy, steamer Monohanset. In May, 1865 Captain McIntyre, 20th New York arrested Seccesionist R.M.T. Hunter, transporting him to his fate aboard the Monohanset.

city point steamer monahassetts.jpg


Best ever entertainment ( yes, I'm boring ) is poking around the massive tif images from LoC. You feel a little toooo nosy, like when some nice guy who was just trying to get a bath in the North Anna was caught. Oops. The thing is, we were left some incredibly good images of various ' landings ', Bell Plain, White House, City Point and a few others. Busy place, wounded and supplies, troops and prisoners flowed through all of them.

city point men on gunboats.JPG

Same image, crew caught enjoying the peace prevailing at City Point.

A LOT of history there. Ships mostly, fascinating close ups of barges to tugs to steamers and schooners- an odd dory once in awhile. Every ship has a story, some of them had several incarnations through those years. Like Planter, the uberfamous ex-Confederate steamer. Captained to freedom by Robert Smalls, Planter spent time as a hospital transport, troop ship and supply vessel. They all have stories- sometimes it's all tantalizingly out of sight.

Ships at wharfs can drive you a little crazy- zooming in on names could tell us that ship's story but some are maddeningly obscured- like a game, be very cool to figure out which on earth ships we're seeing.

So, naval buffs, anyone have an idea which ships we're almost allowed to see? It's not a trick question, I have no idea. Some are easier then others- finally tracked down Ocean Queen with only a few letters in one image.

Steamer XXXXDEXXXEXXX at Belle Plain. ?

which steamer xxxdexxxexxx.jpg

I'm always, always smitten by the general mess on a wharf. This pile looks like supplies, maybe some gear then just a general collection of mess.

Hang on, there are more mystery steamers.

White House Landing, probably a transport, may be so obscure it's impossible to trace. " R. XXXXSHOP " ?

which white house landing.JPG


I'm such a beginner with ships, this one took me awhile Duh, Ocean Wave at Belle Plain. With too many stories behind that blurred image for this thread.
steamer ocean wave.JPG


There are more although if I'm the only geek who thinks this interesting it's a pointless thread.... and I could be. It's the stories behind where this went and what was her war, can't get enough.
 
View attachment 304028
City Point, a treasure trove of an image. Beyond the soldier's tent, there's a flat boat, a horse tied up next to an open door, a supply wagon and steamers, tugs, schooners and gunboats. It's a little awesome seeing a gunboat crew dangling feet above the water, savoring City Point's relative peace. The steamer closest to the camera is easy, steamer Monohanset. In May, 1865 Captain McIntyre, 20th New York arrested Seccesionist R.M.T. Hunter, transporting him to his fate aboard the Monohanset.

View attachment 304030

Best ever entertainment ( yes, I'm boring ) is poking around the massive tif images from LoC. You feel a little toooo nosy, like when some nice guy who was just trying to get a bath in the North Anna was caught. Oops. The thing is, we were left some incredibly good images of various ' landings ', Bell Plain, White House, City Point and a few others. Busy place, wounded and supplies, troops and prisoners flowed through all of them.

View attachment 304034
Same image, crew caught enjoying the peace prevailing at City Point.

A LOT of history there. Ships mostly, fascinating close ups of barges to tugs to steamers and schooners- an odd dory once in awhile. Every ship has a story, some of them had several incarnations through those years. Like Planter, the uberfamous ex-Confederate steamer. Captained to freedom by Robert Smalls, Planter spent time as a hospital transport, troop ship and supply vessel. They all have stories- sometimes it's all tantalizingly out of sight.

Ships at wharfs can drive you a little crazy- zooming in on names could tell us that ship's story but some are maddeningly obscured- like a game, be very cool to figure out which on earth ships we're seeing.

So, naval buffs, anyone have an idea which ships we're almost allowed to see? It's not a trick question, I have no idea. Some are easier then others- finally tracked down Ocean Queen with only a few letters in one image.

Steamer XXXXDEXXXEXXX at Belle Plain. ?

View attachment 304036
I'm always, always smitten by the general mess on a wharf. This pile looks like supplies, maybe some gear then just a general collection of mess.

Hang on, there are more mystery steamers.

White House Landing, probably a transport, may be so obscure it's impossible to trace. " R. XXXXSHOP " ?

View attachment 304037

I'm such a beginner with ships, this one took me awhile Duh, Ocean Wave at Belle Plain. With too many stories behind that blurred image for this thread.
View attachment 304038

There are more although if I'm the only geek who thinks this interesting it's a pointless thread.... and I could be. It's the stories behind where this went and what was her war, can't get enough.

Looks like a square radar or radio array on top of the Ocean Wave. Just kidding. But what might it be? I'm also a boat no-nothing.
 
Looks like a square radar or radio array on top of the Ocean Wave. Just kidding. But what might it be? I'm also a boat no-nothing.

If you're referring to the rhomboid/lozenge-shaped structure, that's the walking beam. Very noticeable in this image (it's where my eye went first as well). In motion, it went up and down like a teeter-totter, transferring the power stroke from a vertical cylinder engine to a drive shaft.. the term is thought to have been derived from "working beam," if I recall correctly, but got slurred to "walking" somewhere along the way.
 
From one history geek to another, thank you ma'am! I really enjoy seeing the little details that make up the mosaic of the big picture. Please find and post some more of these gems.
Regards
David
 
steamer-city-point-monhasasetts-jpg.jpg

City Point, a treasure trove of an image. Beyond the soldier's tent, there's a flat boat, a horse tied up next to an open door, a supply wagon and steamers, tugs, schooners and gunboats. It's a little awesome seeing a gunboat crew dangling feet above the water, savoring City Point's relative peace. The steamer closest to the camera is easy, steamer Monohanset. In May, 1865 Captain McIntyre, 20th New York arrested Seccesionist R.M.T. Hunter, transporting him to his fate aboard the Monohanset.

Looks like a coupla guys fishing from the flat boat.
 
Looks like a coupla guys fishing from the flat boat.


Missed them, thank you!! Got nosy over a few weeks and went looking for moments when a photographer happened to include fishermen. Love those! There's a thread somewhere although poking around a photo inclusive of fishermen at Jericho Mills intruded on some poor guy taking a bath... . Felt like a voyeur.

From one history geek to another, thank you ma'am! I really enjoy seeing the little details that make up the mosaic of the big picture. Please find and post some more of these gems.
Regards
David


Why is it all so interesting?? No idea but I'm thinking of having GEEK badges made and will send one. CWT is the only place we can say HEY LOOK AT THIS and it's just fine. My poor husband nods and smiles but he's a very polite person who'd rather not hurt my feelings. Post more? Don't feed the beast. You know those city scapes of DC? I probably know each block's gossip and the name of their dogs by now.

I play with photographs like this all the time and have done so for many years.


Best fun there is on a computer. Yes, have files cluttered beyond belief by ' finds ' from years of the same thing. I just had to nominate threads for the Photo Forum, as in ' best '. Took forever because there are a 100 ' best '- @wilber6150 brought a gazillion of these here making it even harder.
 
Last edited:
Missed them, thank you!! Got nosy over a few weeks and went looking for moments when a photographer happened to include fishermen. Love those! There's a thread somewhere although poking around a photo inclusive of fishermen at Jericho Mills intruded on some poor guy taking a bath... . Felt like a voyeur.




Why is it all so interesting?? No idea but I'm thinking of having GEEK badges made and will send one. CWT is the only place we can say HEY LOOK AT THIS and it's just fine. My poor husband nods and smiles but he's a very polite person who'd rather not hurt my feelings. Post more? Don't feed the beast. You know those city scapes of DC? I probably know each block's gossip and the name of their dogs by now.




Best fun there is on a computer. Yes, have files cluttered beyond belief by ' finds ' from years of the same thing. I just had to nominate threads for the Photo Forum, as in ' best '. Took forever because there are a 100 ' best '- @wilber6150 brought a gazillion of these here making it even harder.
Then my job is done here lol
 
Then my job is done here lol


Wilbur! Gee whiz, when I just lurked here your threads were a highlight in the day. In those days ( like we're all 112 ), I just had no confidence to join threads where everyone knew what they talking about. There's a lot of discussion on uniforms and equipment so I'll still be lost. Those threads are exactly why I got smitten with looking at these old treasures using tif crops.

OK question. In one of your old threads you talk about another thread inclusive of 200 pages? Where is the darn thing, I can NOT find it. What was the topic? I'll regret asking because it sounds like several hours worth of interesting.
 
Wilbur! Gee whiz, when I just lurked here your threads were a highlight in the day. In those days ( like we're all 112 ), I just had no confidence to join threads where everyone knew what they talking about. There's a lot of discussion on uniforms and equipment so I'll still be lost. Those threads are exactly why I got smitten with looking at these old treasures using tif crops.

OK question. In one of your old threads you talk about another thread inclusive of 200 pages? Where is the darn thing, I can NOT find it. What was the topic? I'll regret asking because it sounds like several hours worth of interesting.
Let me try to find it, it's the original thread in which I was posting pics..We had to end it as it got to big.. I wonder if it still exists lol
 
Wilbur! Gee whiz, when I just lurked here your threads were a highlight in the day. In those days ( like we're all 112 ), I just had no confidence to join threads where everyone knew what they talking about. There's a lot of discussion on uniforms and equipment so I'll still be lost. Those threads are exactly why I got smitten with looking at these old treasures using tif crops.

OK question. In one of your old threads you talk about another thread inclusive of 200 pages? Where is the darn thing, I can NOT find it. What was the topic? I'll regret asking because it sounds like several hours worth of interesting.
Looks like it might have got broken up and some parts put on their own threads
 
Looks like it might have got broken up and some parts put on their own threads


Thanks for looking! Since seeing it mentioned in yet another thread of yours I've been on a CWT mission to find it! Were the topics all over the place? At 200 pages it probably seemed a shame to miss the ones between say, page 50 and 150! :angel: I never have time to get into a committed search for these minute inspections threads, love to see how many and of what- there's always so many gee-whiz close ups, moments and objects that get to you.
 
Thanks for looking! Since seeing it mentioned in yet another thread of yours I've been on a CWT mission to find it! Were the topics all over the place? At 200 pages it probably seemed a shame to miss the ones between say, page 50 and 150! :angel: I never have time to get into a committed search for these minute inspections threads, love to see how many and of what- there's always so many gee-whiz close ups, moments and objects that get to you.
Yeah, there was a mix of everything in that thread lol I've been redoing them and posting them on my civil war fb page if interested
 
Back
Top