Civil War Photos

[280plus]

Comments, not mine:

Truly fortunate that so many of these have survived. Probably a million wet plate photos were made during the civil war on glass plate. Popular during the war, they lost their appeal afterwards and so many were sold for the glass. Many used in green houses. Over the years the sun caused the images to disappear.
Whether you like history or not...
These are pretty amazing considering they were taken up to 145 years ago:  A compendium of photos from the Civil War era. Run the cursor over the photograph and the picture caption will pop up. Click photo to enlarge.
Use your 'Back Arrow' in upper left of screen to return to main page after viewing an enlarged picture. (It seems to work better than using the "BACK" button at the bottom of the page.

http://www.mikelynaugh.com/VirtualCivilWar/New/Originals2/index.html

[myrockfight]

Thanks for the post 280! I was very interested in the Civil War when I was younger. It was an interested passed down to me from my father. He had collected some Confederate money, a Cavalry sword, assorted Minie balls, some buttons, etc. A couple years ago he picked up a couple of muskets converted from flintlock to percussion cap along with their bayonets. They are both Springfield, but I don't recall their years of manufacture. I haven't seen them yet, but I'm excited.

Anywho. I saw this picture and googled the guys name. Dude was a tough ol' coot! Fought in the War of 1812!
"July 1863. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. "John L. Burns, the 'old hero of Gettysburg,' with gun and crutches." Burns, born ca. 1793, was a 70-year-old veteran of the War of 1812 when he was wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg, having volunteered his services as a sharpshooter to the Federal Army. He died of pneumonia in 1872. Wet-plate glass negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan."



Here is the story from a reporter at the time.

One week ago, seventy-two year old John L. Burns dropped everything to fight for his country in the battle of Gettysburg.

From his house, Burns could see the armies of the Union and the Confederacy locked in battle at Gettysburg. At first he stopped what he was doing and just watched. Then he grabbed his rifle and ran to fight when the 150th Pennsylvania came to reinforce the Union forces at the end of the first day.

Burns fought successfully on the second day, but he was wounded on the third, probably as he was defending the ridge against Pickett's charge. Even though wounded, he kept fighting until the battle was over. Since he was not a regular solider, he simply went home at the battle's end and resumed his normal life.

But his life soon became anything but "normal." The story of his bravery quickly got out among his friends and neighbors and then spread all over the nation as his cobbler shop was visited by many reporters, myself among them. Burns was now a national hero, "the old hero of Gettysburg," as the press calls him.

-- From the "Gettysburg Gazette," a student project posted on the Library of Congress Web site.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/4945

[280plus]

Interesting story, thanks! 

[Waitone]

I would love to crawl into Mr. Peabody's time machine and meet Mr. Burns.  I would also love to take with me a few examples of what passes for modern Americans and have something there to record the conversation.

[Lennyjoe]

Some good photo's there, thanks for posting.

I've walked the Antietam several times since I live 10 minutes from there but seeing this photo puts a different perspective on the actual site.  I say that because I've stood on that very site where the Confederates are laying dead.

[myrockfight]

Some good photo's there, thanks for posting.

I've walked the Antietam several times since I live 10 minutes from there but seeing this photo puts a different perspective on the actual site.  I say that because I've stood on that very site where the Confederates are laying dead.

I'm sure that is a very sobering picture in that case. The pictures are in general. But it certainly puts a different face on that war to see those boys covered in blood and mud. Everytime I see a picture of casualties of war I think about what their lives must have been like at home and how hard it must have been to live, fight, and die in such gruesome battles. God rest their souls. Lord knows there wasn't any peace for them before they died.

[French G.]

My current desktop background is a pic of wife and daughter on the sunken road about 100 yards from the observation tower, pretty, green spring day. Messes with your head a little to think of the pictures of the same spot from the battle.

[Waitone]

I like to walk Civil War battlefields.  It gives a perspective that no narrative can provide.  That said Antietam is special in a way I can not describe.  Standing in the sunken road looking at the cannon a short chip shot away convinces me these men were made of something that no longer exists.

[280plus]

I read a book on the aftermath of Gettysburg, can't recall the title unfortunately but some of the things that struck me were there were men that walked in the smoke to within point blank of cannon muzzles and were literally blown to bits with those bits flying up and resting in the trees. Then, at the bottom of one of the round tops the bodies had fallen down into the crevices amongst some large rocks to where they could not be reached for removal and remain there to this day. Gruesome just doesn't seem to even cover it. |Having never been in any form of combat I think about this and I think about the WWs and wonder how in hell they did it and would I have the fortitude to do it myself.