Yankees On "Coffe Break"

They were "arrogant" in that they had coffee and Johnny had charred sweet taters and chicory.

It is fairly well established that Johnny wanted coffee and Billy wanted baccy. That is not one of those myths.
Wait; is this the guy you mean? This close-up below is courtesy of Wilber, who apparently found his visage singular as well! :wink: Actually he looks like he'd make a great Character Actor... his face really is distinctive!

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From the look on his face it might have been Wacky-Baccy

Nice Job ,,,Wilber
 
Old thread, but perhaps new info.
In 1911, the 10 volume Photographic History of the Civil War was published. William W. Silkworth recognized the men in the picture as his company, and wrote this letter to the editor.

"In looking the pictures over, you cannot appreciate or understand fully my amazement and joy in discovering that one was my old Company B, 170th Regt. N.Y. Vol. Why, I could scarcely believe my own eyes, so wonderful was it, that after forty-seven years, this picture should come to me. But there they were, some of them looking right at me, who had been dead for forty-six years- and there was no getting away from the picture.

Today I am a boy again, living once more with the boys, the old army life. There were about twenty-five of us, school friends, who enlisted together, at Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

There right in the front of the picture sits my brother playing cards (You will note that he is left-handed. We laid him away in front of Petersburg). With him is John Vandewater, Geo. Thomas and Wash. Keating. There is Charlie Thomas and all the rest as large as life. With the exception of two, I have not seen any of the boys for thirty years.

Some younger eyes then mine, say that they can see a figure in the background with a flag. If so, it must be me for I was Color Sergeant...

Very nice find. It must have been like suddenly going back in time for that old veteran. I know the feeling when I see an old picture of friends or family I haven't seen in a long time or maybe never seen before. It takes you back in a hurry. Again, great find cromagnondan.
 
Interesting sub-groupings. The officer and NCOs standing. The smokers (cigar and pipe) at the right. The card players (bet it's euchre) in the front. Several reading the paper to the left. Most of the others clustered around the drummer, while the remainder look like they perhaps didn't want to belong to any group but still wound up fairly close to each other in the center, just to be in the picture.
 
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This is just one example of Wilbers great photo studies. I wish he could find time to do more like it! (that's a hint there Wil!:smile: )
Between work, family, photography and trying to help start up a reencting unit my time is pretty well used up, besides being just a little burnt out lol But, I do feel the itch to dive into them again, are there any that you would like to see?
 
It seems you have been busier than I thought! I don't have any special photos in mind but perhaps the others may have. Winter will be here before you know it and that would be a good time to start. This one might wet your whistle though.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003004846/PP/

01806r.jpg


White House Landing, Virginia. Michigan and Pennsylvania Relief Association camp.
 
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