Was looking for some images to post for discussion and found this one of the 8th NYI.  



Looking closely at it there is so much going on.  You have soldiers who appear to be going off to a work detail with a pick and shovel on the left.  A drummer with his drum, soldiers reading, soldiers posed as if to march or guard duty.. and others relaxed.  And then the servant off the far left with his broom.

On the soldiers with the pick and shovel it looks like they are wearing work shirt or maybe a sack coat which is different than the coats the majority of the boys are wearing..

The soldier between the 2 workers has epaulets (sp?) on his shoulders that look like the milita or regulars would wear.  

Any other observations?  Thoughts?

That's a really early war photo. They still have on their gray militia uniforms. How many of them do you think were carrying all of that stuff in '64 or, hanging around with their officers?

They all look so clean and shaven   .

this militia unit was required to purchase all of their own stuff before they joined. Notice there's both 2 and three bander rifles in the picture? What's the guys with the mattock and shovel doing, behind the rifle stack? The guy just to the left of the tree has one wide cartridge box sling. The guy on his right appears to be eating. The guy on the right end is in FMO. I see huge frilly shoulder epiulets(sp) on a private. These guys were just acting goofy for an obviously posed photo. I think Sambo on the left is waiting to clean up the mess. Looks like a lot of fun going on.  

--Last edited by grumpydave on 2007-08-23 22:07:58 --

Another image of the 8th NY from the LOC

A fine German regiment in Blenker's division.  See the Berckhoff paintings at:  http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/sketchbook/war_scenes.cfm

Apparently they wore those fine gray uniforms to DC, and during the short Bull Run campaign.

Blenker was the first colonel, then Stahel, then Wutschel, who demonstrated his status as a third-stringer by leading them into action at Cross Keys while drunk, and apparently losing track of where the rest of the army was.  They were shot to rags when they came over a hill and ran into about five times their number of Rebs.  

Despite this, they thought they handled themselves pretty well, and even celebrated the anniversary of their baptism of fire.  A descrïption of their advance in "Germans in the Civil War:  Their Letters Home" has them singing a Turner hiking song, "Hinaus in die Ferne" as they light-heartedly advance over the beautiful spring countryside.

See also:  http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/8thInf/8thInfMain.htm

Quote :

Michael Schaffner wrote : Blenker was the first colonel, then Stahel, then Wutschel, who demonstrated his status as a third-stringer by leading them into action at Cross Keys while drunk, and apparently losing track of where the rest of the army was.  They were shot to rags when they came over a hill and ran into about five times their number of Rebs.

When we recreated this at Shenandoah 62, it was impressive to be sitting there and then look up and there were the Federals who had just come over the crest of the hill.  It was like the appeared out of nowhere.
And after the vollies, they seemed to be gone just as fast.

I was on the far left as we came over the hill.  Brief as it was, it was one of the most moving moments I've had in reenacting.

Quote :

Michael Schaffner wrote : I was on the far left as we came over the hill.  Brief as it was, it was one of the most moving moments I've had in reenacting.

I, on the other hand, was putting out an unattended campfire at the time and missed the entire scenario.  

Maybe I should post my article "Who's watching the fire?" here. I don't know how many countless times, I hear from the Kubuki staff at an event, "we found fires in camp still burning." Canvas, straw and fires are serious business. Not to mention the reputation you'd get for burning up NPS or CWPT lands or historic buildings. Not to mention the dangers of having clothing, blankets and the like too close to a fire. Polyester bad, wool or cotton better in that case. I think I'll start a new thread on that exact subject one of these days.

I remember that brief encounter more for the hilarity of a certain electric fence than the battle itself. Mike Mantini's reading of a temperance tract afterwards while were resting in the shade of a barn was a scream.