Bealeton, Va. Noncommissioned officers' mess of Co. D, 93d New York Infantry

As for me, I'm more interested in the background and what's on the table. What's the hat device on the 2nd feller from the right's cap?

Do I see shoulder boards on the man in the back far left?

I figured the gentleman reading the newspaper and the gentleman in shirt sleeves, who are sitting in front of the wall tent, were both officers.

The man sitting at the center of the table doesn't fit in. Everybody else is wearing sack coats; he has no rank on his frock coat, and his shoes are shined. I wonder if he might be a Chaplain?

Great camp furniture. I'd love to know how that table is constructed. Did anyone else notice the forage cap hanging on the joint of one of the legs on the table? Might belong to the man sitting on the far right.

Bill, if you look closer I think you can just make out subdued rank on that frock (can't quite make out if it's a sergeant or corporal). Also is that a cigar in his hand or a pencil or is he eating and that is his fork or knife?

The table is very interesting as it looks like the "legs" fold up accordion style front to rear and side to side. Quite an elaborate assembly.

Also note the sergeant on the far right is wearing boots instead of bootees.  

Finally, what is that beside the tree between the subdued rank fellow and the corporal?  

--Last edited by toptimlrd on 2007-04-02 00:40:01 --

The "rankless" man of which you speak is a Corporal. Look closely, his stripes are nearly black.

Ah yes,

I took that dark mark on the man's frock coat sleeve to be just a wrinkle.

Notice the buton placement on the sack coat worn by the second man from the right. It looks like he moved the top button for a better fit.

I love these photos. The more you look the more you see.  

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Finally, what is that beside the tree between the subdued rank fellow and the corporal?

Had to eyeball that contraption myself, and at first it appeared to be a gun rack (shades of the armory arms vault, Bill), but it may be another folding table not fully engaged.

The number of clean collars (paper or otherwise) in these images is astounding; however, many of them ARE fairly long term camp images.

Charles,

Did you happen to notice "Jonah" in the process of knocking down the "Dog" tent that's pitched in front of the wedge or wall tent in the right upper corner of the photo?

Grumpy was right, they are some rough looking tents, but the camp furniture is first rate. It looks like the table and the two chairs, you can see, came as a set.  

Jonah is just shaking out the Persian rug.  

I like those three dog tents in the "summer" or elevated mode. How come nobody has speculated on the endpieces, which appear to be blankets, save for that nice gum blanket (or poncho) on Jonah's digs.

Loads of nice stuff on that table. Pass the pickles, please.

Another image but the officers instead using the same type of table setup.

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Bill wrote : The man sitting at the center of the table doesn't fit in. Everybody else is wearing sack coats; he has no rank on his frock coat, and his shoes are shined. I wonder if he might be a Chaplain?

I know the answer has been given, and that his chevrons are darker than the others.  You can see a clearer picture of him in this thread: http://commonground.aceboard.com/249612-4922-2022-0-group-photos.htm

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GrumpyDave wrote : Bealeton, Va. Noncommissioned officers' mess of Co. D, 93d New York Infantry As for me, I'm more interested in the background and what's on the table. What's the hat device on the 2nd feller from the right's cap?

Dave

In looking at the uncompressed version of the photo, the item on his cap is the letter D inside what looks like a laurel wreath.

And the man in the middle is a Sgt, there are 3 stripes on his sleeve.

It looks like the officer in the background is using the other table as his footrest for the time being.

You know how reenactors love to hang accoutrements on their tent poles? Well, there is a nice example of that in the image. Along with the low contrast chevrons on Middle Table Boy, check out the faint trouser stripes on the Sarge-On-The-Far-Left. Years ago, when photographic paper was still used on a regular basis, different grades of contrast were available for developing, and I can't help but wonder if the photo glass mixtures of their (CW era) day didn't vary a enough to have high contrast, and in this instance, low contrast applications -- perhaps not intentionally.

Okay, more over analysis....

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Charles Heath wrote : You know how reenactors love to hang accoutrements on their tent poles? Well, there is a nice example of that in the image. Along with the low contrast chevrons on Middle Table Boy, check out the faint trouser stripes on the Sarge-On-The-Far-Left. Years ago, when photographic paper was still used on a regular basis, different grades of contrast were available for developing, and I can't help but wonder if the photo glass mixtures of their (CW era) day didn't vary a enough to have high contrast, and in this instance, low contrast applications -- perhaps not intentionally. Okay, more over analysis....

I saw the haversack on the one tent pole in the uncompressed image.  I missed the hat on the front of the table until I zoomed in and out of the image a couple of times.

The sergeant sitting on the left appears to have half-soled shoes.  

The corporal on the right facing the camera appears to have his stripes pinned on (actually, he's not the only one), and is wearing a collar stud on a shirt with a long front placket.  

The wreath on the cap may have something to do with the unit having been formed as sharpshooters:  http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/93rdInf/93rdInfMain.htm

I guess that would explain all the camp furniture.

Actually, after a lot of soft duty at HQ, they were pretty badly cut up on the Overland Campaign.

YOS
MAS
Brady Sharp Shooters