Great Photographs #1
This page is dedicated to great Spanish-American War and
Indian War photographs. Items appropriate for this page are: battle
pictures, close-ups of soldiers with accouterments such as belts,
canteens, satchels, saddles, carbine boots, encampments, tents, parades,
etc. If you have a photograph appropriate for this page, contact:
afrasca@erinet.com. Please leave an e-mail address or telephone
number so
that interested people will be able to contact you.
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Photo of New Almaden California Shooters with Ballards and a Springfield
rifle. This area of California supplied mercury for the gold miners and
now is prime wine country (I hope the mercury is gone!!). Note the
yardage markers or targets mounted on rods as well as the leather like
covers for the smaller targets (yardage markers). The fellow on the
ground has an Army/Navy Union badge. This organization was for enlisted
men in the service. The other badge is unknown. One has to wonder how
the "hole" was generated in the one fellow's hat. Is it a bullet
hole????? On the back of the photograph is written: J.J. Miller/with
regards of/ Rob R. Bulmore/ New Almanden, Cal./February 1885.
There is one word missing that I cannot read. Photograph and
information from Tom Trevor at
t405govt@aol.com. Click on
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The photograph is of the Department of the Platte Rifle Team in 1888.
The firing range is in the background as well as tents. The men are
in dress uniforms and have on a number of marksmanship medals. None of
the rifles have pistol grips and from the visible muzzles, there are no
front sight covers on the guns. I believe
that all the guns have Buffington rear sights.
Photograph from Merle Olmsted at
oldsarge@c-zone.net. Click on
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John W. Comfort, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, from
Philadelphia, PA enlisted in Co. I, 29th Regiment PA
Volunteers on June 20 1861, discharged as a sergeant on July 26, 1865.
On Nov. 28, 1865 he re-enlisted in the Regulars, and was assigned to light
Battery K, 1st Artillery, then stationed at Brownsville, TX. He was
discharged at Greenville, LA on Nov. 28, 1868. Click on the image for
"the rest of the story". Photograph from Merle Olmsted at
oldsarge@c-zone.net. Click on
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John W. Comfort, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient in dress uniform.
Unfortunately, Merle could not find the original and only had a Xerox
of the image. However, the medal is clearly seen.
Photograph from Merle Olmsted at
oldsarge@c-zone.net. Click on
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The photograph depicts a
U.S. Marine gun crew and their Colt "Potato Digger". The uniforms appear
to be
post Spanish American War vintage. The Marines
are wearing M1885 Stetson Hats, which the Marine Corps first adopted in
the Spanish American War in 1898, and which were replaced by the Montana
campaign hats in 1912. Originally, a nickel Marine emblem was worn on
the side of the Stetson, but it was moved to the front of the cover in
1904-1905. I think it is safe to assume this picture was taken between
1904 and 1912, and the other details in the picture are consistent with
that. From: S.P. Callahan, callahansp@comcast.net.
Photograph from Merle Olmsted at oldsarge@c-zone.net. Click on
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This is a photograph of Harry S. Hoopes. He was Joe Stuby's great
grandfather. Hoopes was a private in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, Company L
during the Spanish American War. His company remained stateside and saw
no hostile action. Joe is presently trying to get copies of the
Spanish American War military records of
the 2nd U.S.Cavalry and hopefully records relating to his great
grandfather. Photograph from Joe Stuby
at j98mustang@aol.com. Click on
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Les Hopper supplied the photograph of two Maine militia men in full
uniform dress. You can read two of the three initials on the buckle
of one soldier. The uniforms were obviously very bright in color.
the two rifles have Model
1879 rear sights, and the one stock seems to have the number 23 or
33 stamped near the cartouche area. The photo was taken by the Vose
Studio in Waterville, Main.
Photograph from Les Hopper
at leshopper@home.com. Click on
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Tom Trevor has the original of this print. There is a copy hanging in
the Custer Battlefield Museum.
Tom feels the Army Shooting Team photo dates around 1884 or earlier due to
the fact that none of the soldiers are wearing marksman bars
or sharpshooter crosses which came out in 1884.
There is a lot of detail in the picture.
Some of the more obvious features are: the
rifles have Model 1879 rear
sights, and the stocks are the short wrist long comb style.
Photograph from Tom Trevor
and digitized by Don Harpold at Dwharpold@yahoo.com. Click on
Image to enlarge. Click on the
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before
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Tom Trevor has the original of this print. There is a copy hanging in
the Custer Battlefield Museum.
The photo is probably from 1883 or 1884, there are no marksman bars or
sharpshooter crosses which did not come out until 1884. There are many
soldiers wearing 1st style marksman collar buttons that came out in
1881. One
soldier, third row from bottom center has 3 pairs, hence the 1883 date,
one
pair per year. There is the cartridge box on the far left, two soldiers
with "white" cartridge belts, cartridge belt over the leg of one of the
front soldiers, about eleven Black Americans, and the trigger pull testers
at the
front center of the picture. Most of the rifles
have slings, many have barracks cleaning rods capped with the round ball,
a
couple have turned handles. There is a telephone (telegraph), held by
trooper laying
on the
ground in the front row, center. Note several rifles have solid front
sight covers.
The more you look the more you find.
Photograph from Tom Trevor
and digitized by Don Harpold at Dwharpold@yahoo.com. Click on
Image to enlarge. Click on the
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before
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The photo of the family was probably taken before the soldier left for the
Spanish American War. Photograph
from Bill Chachula
at usmilcol@adelphia.net.
Click on
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