Gettysburg Photos

[con20or]

Has anyone ever come across photographs of regiments in battle? I mean a full battle line, maybe numerous regiments.

I know there were pics of dead bodies after the battle, and some artillery positions etc during battles, but I thought there might have been one picture out there of infantry fighting in line. Maybe some posted it on twitter during a lull in the fighting :silly:

[Little Powell]

I have asked this same question before and the consensus is that unfortunately ground combat photos do not exist. The closest we have to combat is a photo of Union troops entrenched just prior to the battle of Chancellorsville (one of my favorite acw photos):

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media/images/5325.jpg

There's a photo of a Naval combat (can't remember if it's gunboats shelling a city or shelling enemy gunboats) but I can't remember where I saw it.. I'll see if I can find it and I'll post a link if I do.

[con20or]

great photo.

if you see the gunboat one then please do forward it!

[SiliconMagician]

I'll have to dig it up, but I saw one time that there was one photo taken during a battle of a union regiment or two crossing a field under fire of Confederate artillery but it's the only one and it's not real good, taken from a hilltop some miles away but I know I saw it somewhere online.

[con20or]

would love to see that one. Ive had a look on google, and lots are reenactment groups who have photoshopped their images to look old.

Another image that came up for american civil war photos was a girl in a confederate bikini...

[Little Powell]

I know this isn't a photo but it's a really cool painting and a great representation of the length of a ACW regiment and brigade:



Description from Gettysburg Daily:

The painting, PRIDE OF ERIN, depicts the Irish Brigade about to engage the 7th and 3rd South Carolina Regiments of Brigadier General Kershaw’s Brigade on the Stony Hill after the Irish marched in the open across the Wheatfield. To their left is Cross’s Brigade, to their right [not in the painting] in western Rose’s Woods is Zook’s Brigade and to their rear is the Division reserve, Brooke’s Brigade. On the far right flank of the Irish Brigade’s line are the flags of the 116th PA [because it was comprised of Irish and German immigrants, Major Mulholland acceded to the request that the “normal” blue regimental flag be carried]. Next is the 28th Massachusetts with their “First” Green Flag, the one they carried at Fredericksburg, and then the 69th, 88th and 63rd NY (the left flank) Regiments with their “Second” Green Flags. Pride of Erin, Painting by Dale Gallon, permission from Ms. Anne Gallon of Gallon Historical Art, Gettysburg, PA, www.Gallon.com

You can see the flags that separate the regiments, and in the background the long line of regiments in the two brigades.

[con20or]

nice painting! wonder what sprite ratio he used

[SouthernSteel]

really, the curious thing is that the regiment is in formation only 1 man deep, I always thought that 2 was the norm (unless the unit was severely depleted during combat).

In terms of the game, that union unit wouldn't last but a couple of minutes in that formation versus rebs in the woods. Terrain bonus ftw!

Edit: Ah, and yes, I've never seen any combat photos, really. The camera shutter speed at the time was far too slow to capture something like that (you can see the problems even in the stills used for the loading screens in this game, a fellow would turn his head or something and you're left with a blur). However, there were artists who would sit and observe and sketch as the battle went along, and that's the next best thing.

[Little Powell]

really, the curious thing is that the regiment is in formation only 1 man deep, I always thought that 2 was the norm (unless the unit was severely depleted during combat).

In terms of the game, that union unit wouldn't last but a couple of minutes in that formation versus rebs in the woods. Terrain bonus ftw!

Indeed the Irish Brigade was severely depleted by that point in the war. They were only 500+ strong, about the size of a regiment.

[con20or]

i understand why this was moved, but the historical discussion section is a ghost town (although not as bad as the 'off topic' abyss where posts dissappear never to return)- if I had posted originally there i would neevr have gotten any replies!