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- The River: 1864
- ... Soldiers It never fails to amuse me to see the typical Civil War reenactor, authentic in every detail except for being 30 pounds overweight. ... Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 9:01pm -
- Nashville: 1864
- ... was completed only a few years before the beginning of the war in 1861. It still stands today.
Nashville fell to Union forces ... and engines were valuable for transportation during the Civil War. Far faster than horses capable of 40 to 50 MPH for long periods, the ... Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:26pm -
![1864. "Nashville, Tennessee. Rail yard and depot with locomotives." Wet-plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. View full size. Another view here.
This Railroad Terminalis not eligible for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
Less is MoorishWhat bizarre architecture! That sagging entry portal is being held up with that one flimsy pole? And the archways look Persian or Turkish or "Arabian" while the turrets look like an English castle. The whole thing looks like it's going to fall apart any minute. I'm afraid Nashville here looks like Atlanta post Sherman!
Where's Buster?Great RR view...but I kept looking for Buster Keaton peeking out of one of the locomotive cabs, or sitting on a connecting rod kissing his girlfriend!
Perspective is an odd thingThose huge chunks of wood make the engines look tiny, even though I know they aren't. I also like the ghostly image of the now long-dead man in the shack. It's a rare treat to look back 100+ years into the past and I'm still amazed at the clarity of these old photographs.
Music CityThis shot was taken where the bulk of downtown Nashville now resides. You can see the state capital off to the right. Even today Nashville is a pretty small city. Growing up not far from there, it always amazed me that such a smallish city could have such clout in the world of country music.
NashvilleThe building that you see in the upper right hand corner of the photo is the state capital. It was completed only a few years before the beginning of the war in 1861. It still stands today.
Nashville fell to Union forces without a fight in February of 1862. However, in the fall of 1864, in a last ditch effort to relieve the pressure on General Lee's forces in Virginia, confederate president Jefferson Davis ordered confederate General Hood to disengage from following Sherman to the sea and attack Nashville and after its capture move into Kentucky and then Ohio in hopes of the Union suing for peace. So, on December 15th and 16th of 1864 Union forces came out of their dug in positions and attacked Hood who had over the two proceeding weeks dug in and waited for the Union forces of General Thomas. Then over those two days Union forces soundly defeated the confederate forces.
WOW....What an incredible photo, and could be of great use to model railroaders doing that era. The wood clutter would be almost impossible to manage due to the amount of engines and all burning wood....I guess there was no forest management in those days either. As a Canadian I must ask what USMRR stands for.
CrenelatedThe "crenelated" appearance could easily be a Moorish or Spanish-Moorish influence. They weren't just "English castle" style but really pretty universal.
Telegraph linesThe timbers on the the crenelated corner towers (chimneys?) do look like rail ties, but they have been fitted with prong-like pieces of wood and ceramic insulators for telegraph lines. Some of the lines themselves can be seen running from the insulators on the front corner tower to the insulators on the scaffolding at the center back roof parapet, and to another timber with three insulators on the tower at the far back corner of the building. All of this looks like an ad hoc arrangement, perhaps the result of a wartime need for more telegraph lines than were needed for a peacetime rail depot, or to quickly replace lines that were downed when the brickwork was damaged.
Up thereOkay, I've got to ask. What are those things sticking out of the "turrets"?
[They look like sections of track, complete with ties. - Dave]
Nashville DepotThis depot was on McLemore Street. This Google view is pretty close. Those might be the same bricks in the 1864 photo.
View Larger Map
USMRR>> As a Canadian I must ask what USMRR stands for.
The answer can be found here.
CamouflageI looked at the full-size picture for quite a while before I realized that there are two workers sitting in front of the woodpile.
Pony truck journalsPlease note the external journals on the pony truck of the lead engine nearest the camera. That's something you did not normally see on steam engines until the the twentieth century and then not until the "twenties" and then it was unusual. C&NW 4-8-4s had 'em. A few others too. Interesting! In 1864.
USMRR I am sure the meaning of USMRR means United States Military Rail Road. Rolling stock and engines were valuable for transportation during the Civil War. Far faster than horses capable of 40 to 50 MPH for long periods, the US government during this time depended on rail transportation. Nashville was a hub for the South plus it's Cumberland River traffic, hence the gathering of so much here.
Nashville Railroad Yard in 1864 by BernardThe State capitol building in the upper right orients you pretty well as to where Bernard took the Photo. Although the depot buildings are long gone, the RR yard is still there, although probably not for very long--the neighborhood is getting very posh now and CSX Railroad is sitting on valuable real estate.
It is called the Kaine Avenue Yard and the rsilroad still uses it, mainly for trains passing through the city (the ones staying go on to the huge Radnor yards). In the 1890's they built Union Station adjacent to the tracks--approximately where the lower right of the photo would be. The center of the Yard lies just below the Demumbreun Street Bridge on Eleventh Avenue; Bernard probably took the photo a little ways up the hill, around Twelfth, likely across the street from where a strip club now exists. The photo was probably taken sometime around the battle of Nashville, but there are only a couple of shots of the Union battle lines and none of any action. Bernard preferred buildings to people. FYI
(The Gallery, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Nashville, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/02112a.thumbnail.jpg "Nashville: 1864")
- Military R.R.: 1865
- ... Railroad. From views of the main Eastern theater of war, the siege of Petersburg, June 1864-April 1865. Wet plate glass negative. ... tent at the time. His books have photos taken during the Civil War and then the same scene in modern times.
Ironclad In regard to ... Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 8:53pm -
![City Point, Virginia, circa 1865. "Gen. J.C. Robinson" and other locomotives of the U.S. Military Railroad. From views of the main Eastern theater of war, the siege of Petersburg, June 1864-April 1865. Wet plate glass negative. View full size.
Robinson ahead by a nose Seems that the Lt. Genl. Grant is running a close second. The named locomotives are from the Wm. Mason Machine Works in Taunton, Mass. The engine ahead of both seems unnamed. Might be an "American" locomotive or a Wm. Mason.
LocationThe terrain and the enormity of the facilities in place makes me almost certain that this was taken at City Point, Virginia, the Union's main supply depot for the area at the time.
[Another clue would be the first three words of the caption. - Dave]
Who's DrivingThe engineer is definitely not Buster Keaton.
Any ideawhat the black things are in the upper right hand portion of the picture? When I looked at the blown up picture it looked a little bit like a lot of black socks hanging on a clothesline but that's obviously incorrect.
[It's a scratch in the emulsion. - Dave]
A bigger nameHard for me to see, but appears to be "Lt Gen. US Grant" on loco behind the Robinson machine. I am amazed at the hillside, ships and living conditions of the period.
Grant's Iron HorseSaturday we saw Grant's horse "Cincinnati;" today we see Grant's Iron Horse, "Lt. Genl. Grant," on the left.
Union IroncladA turret of a Union ironclad can be seen in the background over the top of the pier-side warehouse. This could be the USS Onondaga, which was stationed at City Point to prevent Confederate ironclads from breaking out of the James River and attacking the supply base. The problem is that the USS Onondaga had two turrets and I only see one.
Grant and Lee There is a photo so similar to this one in the book "Grant and Lee" by William A. Frassanito that it must have been taken about the same time. It is in the City Point chapter view 8. The tents and buildings on top of the bluff were part of the Railroad Hospital. The wharf shown is a replacement for one that was blown up by saboteurs on August 9,1864. The explosion killed 43 laborers and according to Mr. Frassanito narrowly missed General Grant who was in front of his headquarters tent at the time. His books have photos taken during the Civil War and then the same scene in modern times.
IroncladIn regard to the comment by Excel08 about the ironclad. Also according to Mr. Frassanito there would be about 200 vessels anchored off of City Point on any given day by the fall of 1864 including the ironclad ram "Atlanta" with one stack.
Poor LightingAmazing that all the headlights on these locomotives were a kerosene lamp in a box with a magnifying lens.
Spectre-visionNifty ghost in front of main tent!
Hillside erosionAttention troopers!
Gen. Grant has authorized the issuing of hazard pay due to the hillside erosion and the location of the outhouse.
It is further recommended that only those soldiers who know how to swim should make use of the facilitiesafter dark.
Buster Isn't ThereI'll bet he is out visiting Annabelle Lee.
InterestingAlmost as interesting as the locomotives are the view of the ships in the harbor.
OopsHow did I not see that? Boy, is that embarrassing.
Hey youget back to work.
25 years of progressIt amazes me to think that these beautifully turned out engines are only one generation away from the dawn of American railroading (think Tom Thumb and iron-plated wooden tracks). A person born in 1820 grew up with horse, foot or canal-boat travel, when 50 miles was a good day's journey. During their adult years, they saw the rise of well-established railroads that could travel fifty miles per hour. This, together with the telegraph, was the dawn of the "shrinking world."
The Third LocomotiveThe locomotive moving forward between the "Lt. Genl. Grant" and the "Genl. J.C. Robinson" is the "Governor Nye." This 4-4-0 was built by the Richard Norris & Son locomotive works in Philadelphia, and was acquired new by the USMRR on February 18, 1863. Sent to North Carolina in 1865 to work on the USMRR, it was still in the USMRR inventory in April 1866. Another photo taken within minutes of this one shows it in the yard.
Watch that last step...I don't think that cliff-side staircase meets any imaginable safety regulation.
Bridge Of Beanpoples & Cornstalks General J.C. Robinson 4-4-0 (Construction # 124) Formerly known as the USMRR locomotive General Haupt and acquired new by USMRR on January 17, 1863. Renamed General J.C. Robinson. Sold to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1865.
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/csiegel/USMRR%20Locomotives.htm
"That Man Haupt has built a bridge over Potomac Creek, about 400 feet long and nearly 100 feet high, over which loaded trains are running every hour, and upon my word gentlemen, there is nothing in it but beanpoles and cornstalks."
Monitor identityThe monitor noted by others is most likely a Passaic-class ship and probably the Lehigh. The primary assumption is that the ship is perpendicular to the line of sight (as are the other ships). In that case comparing the monitor's funnel (tall thin light-colored tube to the left of the turret) to the turret, they are signifiicantly closer spaced than would be the funnel-turret distance for a Canonicus-class ship, the only other type which fits what is visible. This marks it as a Passaic. To identify it as the Lehigh is the stretch. At least three Passaics were known to have been in the City Point area at this time; the Lehigh, Patapsco, and Sangamon. The Patapsco and Sangamon were both confusingly identified as having a white ring at the top of the turret/base of the rifle shield. There is no ring visible on the turret of this monitor. The Lehigh was all black.
O Scale model Civil War model railroadBernie Kempenski is building a model railroad with these kinds of locomotives, etc. His is dated 1862. http://usmrr.blogspot.com
(The Gallery, Civil War, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/01859a_0.thumbnail.jpg "Military R.R.: 1865")
- Ambulance Camp: 1864
- ... Virginia." Albumen print, photographer unknown. Civil War Glass Negatives and Prints collection, Library of Congress. View full ... but maybe also after the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, which was more successful. I can't even imagine what these men had ... Posted by Dave - 02/07/2019 - 8:09pm -
![August 1864. "Camp of Chief Ambulance Officer, 9th Army Corps, in front of Petersburg, Virginia." Albumen print, photographer unknown. Civil War Glass Negatives and Prints collection, Library of Congress. View full size.
Photoshop not around in 1864The fellow standing at the left leaning on the cabinet seems to be missing his lower torso and legs, and has a tree where they should be.
[That's his stump. - Dave]
Pine pergolaThat's a clever structure they've put together of pine logs and boughs. I'll bet it smelled sweet and made a swishy sound in the hot summer breeze. In other news, the young man seated on the far right looks like he was about fourteen years old. I hope he made it home after the war.
Function of an ambulance campBoy, that's an interesting photo. Is there any identification of the men
in the picture? Does the "ambulance officer" have to do with evacuation
of the wounded, as it would seem from today's idea of an ambulance?
The camp appears to include a sorting station for mail and messages.
Post Office?Fascinating photo. I know the caption says Ambulance Officer, but this looks more like the camp post office. Two of the standing men are holding almost identical packages. Maybe some Civil War buff can guess what would be in them.
[The caption says this is *the camp* of the Chief Ambulance Officer. The larger camps having their own telegraph offices, messengers, letter carriers, etc. - Dave]
Legs like a treeIf he was missing both legs, why would he still be in the military? Why wasn't he sent home? Or to a soldiers home? This picture is going to disturb me all day.
[He's standing behind the stump. - Dave]
Battle of the CraterThis must have been taken shortly after the fiasco of the Battle of the Crater, but maybe also after the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, which was more successful. I can't even imagine what these men had just seen.
Multiple usage of equipmentLooks like the bone saw served double duty as the pine limb trimmer for the camp.
Civil War CelebThat’s got to be a relative of Ed Norton, second from right. In a director’s chair no doubt!
Eyes have itIntense imagery. Everyone, even the kid on the right, has the same look in their eyes. The black man is the only one with anything resembling a smile.
What are they hiding from? The infamous Confederate Air Force? Or at least the Viginia Balloon Corps?
Unhappy lotGrumpy bunch of guys, but Dave's response to the post by FixIt gave me a belly laugh to make up for the gloom!
Fancy folding chair Seated second from the left.
(The Gallery, Civil War, Medicine)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-33624u.thumbnail.jpg "Ambulance Camp: 1864")
- Winnipesaukee Cannonball: 1906
- ... the period, though not always as fancy. -tterrace]
Civil War monument Spent many happy days at the Weirs as a child. The 19th ct Mt. ... Posted by Dave - 05/04/2015 - 10:32am -
![Circa 1906. "Railway station at Weirs -- Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire." 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Still there!The station is still in use, selling tickets for cruises on the lake and for the scenic railroad trips that use these same tracks.
Now with ample parking:
A statue in the street?Is that a statue of a soldier leaning on his rifle directly in front of the speeding buggy, or a gas lamp hanging from the pole in the foreground?
[Looks like a water fountain with provision for horses. A common kind of street furniture of the period, though not always as fancy. -tterrace]
Civil War monumentSpent many happy days at the Weirs as a child. The 19th ct Mt. Washington still plies the lake. The Civil War monument and horse trough was located in front of the NH veterans home in the 1880s and was unfortunately struck by lightning and destroyed in the 30s.
WaterThe name Winnipeg (the city where I was born) comes from both Cree and Ojibwe words for dirty or murky or muddy (wini) and water (nipi). Winnipesaukee is from the Abenaki language and is translated as the Smile of the Great Spirit but also Beautiful Water in a High Place or Good Smooth Water at Outlet. I favor the water option. And I suppose one person's murky is another person's beautiful.
Shorpy's Guide to NH tourist traps continues!First Market Square, now The Weirs. Is Monadnock next?
To clarify a previous post by nhman, the "19th ct" Mt Washington burned in 1939. The current Mt Washington II started life in 1888 on Lake Champlain. They chopped it up, put it on rail cars, and welded it back together at Lakeport to replace the burned out Mt Washington. Still pretty neat.
And now that I'm fact checking it... The train station burned down at the same time. So I'm not so sure Hillary's street view is the same building.
Still there but notThis is not the same building as the original picture. When the Mount burned at the dock the Depot building of that time was lost where the fire consumed the dock leading from the depot. This building that replaced that building was removed some time in the last 20 years.
ID'ing the locomotiveI'm guessing that this is a Boston & Maine class C-17 4-6-0, based on the side view seen partway down this page.
Lovely engine. My favorite locos by far are the high-wheeled passenger 4-6-0s and 4-4-2s from the early 20th century.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-4a27253a.thumbnail.jpg "Winnipesaukee Cannonball: 1906")
- Railroad Bank: 1903
- ... business proved to be the more profitable and survived the Civil War and the Depression before eventually being absorbed in a series of mergers ... Posted by Dave - 08/28/2021 - 3:25pm -
![Augusta, Georgia, 1903. "Georgia Railroad Bank, Seventh and Broad Streets." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
My hometownIn "downtown" Augusta, there was a bank on the corner of Seventh and Broad Street from the 1830s until 2015! In 1967, sadly a large (sky scraper) building was erected to replace the beautifully designed bank pictured above. In 2015, Wells Fargo closed its branch (which was housed in the "skyscraper" built in '67).
In 1916, Augusta had a horrible fire that burned much of the town. However, the bank pictured in 1903 survived. My great grandfather took several photographs of the aftermath of the fire and floods through the years. He was a pediatrician in Augusta. His doctor's office was in the Lamar building on Broad Street. The Lamar building still stands today. I wish we still had the old glass plate negatives from the photographs he took.
Long historyThe Georgia Railroad and Banking Company (it did both) was chartered way back in the 1830s, making it one of the earliest railroads in the US. Over time the banking side of the business proved to be the more profitable and survived the Civil War and the Depression before eventually being absorbed in a series of mergers beginning in 1986. Today the parent company is Wells Fargo. The railroad also has disappeared in the usual run of corporate mergers, with CSX now controlling what is left of their old lines.
Homeless bank person?Is that a pioneer homeless fellow between the columns at the corner? Must be one of the first! He has a hat, and bundles, but no shopping cart or tent.
Wonder what his story really is.
[Um, that's a nursemaid with two baby carriages. - Dave]
History of the Bank and Buildingshttps://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/georgia-ra...
I'll Huff and I'll PuffBut it's gonna take more than a gust a wind to blow that august Augusta building down!
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-4a10903a.thumbnail.jpg "Railroad Bank: 1903")
- Hanover Junction: 1863
- ... at depot." From photographs of the main Eastern theater of war, Gettysburg, June-July 1863. Wet plate glass negative by Mathew Brady or ... Railroad construction was still in its infancy during the Civil War. Most if not all rail was imported from Great Britian during this ... Posted by Dave - 05/02/2009 - 8:28pm -
![1863. "Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania. Passenger train at depot." From photographs of the main Eastern theater of war, Gettysburg, June-July 1863. Wet plate glass negative by Mathew Brady or his assistant. View full size.
Look closerThere is a man in a stovepipe hat just to the right of the passenger train.
A Beat-Up WorldIt always interests me to see how hammered and dilapidated everything looks in photos from this era. The train itself looks sharp and new, but man, those tracks! Imagine the ride. It's a wonder they didn't derail more than they did. The buildings look like they're barely holding together too. I know it's wartime and they had contstraints, but still, it's a harsh, dirty looking world. Wouldn't want to live there.
Mr. LincolnSurely the recognition point for Mr. Lincoln at this period is not the hat but rather the beard. I'd have to say that this photo offers inconclusive proof if only because I can't tell if the man in the stovepipe hat has a beard or a black cravat.
Maybe, maybe not.Another shot of the train, "purportedly showing Lincoln." In any case he does have that Lincolnesque hat.
NovemberSummer? There are no leaves on the trees. The Gettysburg Daily (http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=1121) says the picture was taken on November 17, 1863 and shows Abraham Lincoln's train en route to the Gettysburg.
Close to homeI think Lincoln stopped here on his way to Gettysburg.
Hanover Junction Station todayhttp://www.yorkcountyparks.org/parkpages/Museum.htm
Hanover Junction is about 10 miles east of Hanover.
En RouteThis photo has been debated for years. Is it Lincoln in the photo, on his way to Gettysburg?
[There's another photo of the station, minus the train, that shows half a dozen gents in Lincolnesque headgear. - Dave]
Track GaugePerhaps it's just the angle of the camera or distortion of the lens, but is the gauge of the track on the left the same as the gauge of the track that the passenger train is on? I believe in 1863 there were still several gauges in use even in Pennsylvania. Perhaps someone could verify based on the location of the photo.
Making tracksThe gauge is the same on all of the tracks at this location. Though narrow gauge was used extensively, it did not appear until 1870. There were some wide gauge lines in use and their gauge varied quite at bit from RR to RR.
Railroad construction was still in its infancy during the Civil War. Most if not all rail was imported from Great Britian during this period. Typical weight in those days was about 35 pounds per yard, pretty flimsy by today's standards.
Ties were hand hewn; flattened on two sides with an ax. Difficult work at best.
Speaking of a beat up world ...I think if I was on the Junction Hotel balcony, I would be more than a little worried about the obvious sag in the middle. I wonder if you could feel it sink a bit as you walked across it?
All smilesThe woman on the balcony in the light colored dress has the biggest smile I've ever seen in a photo this old.
A rare Civil War smile!As already noted, there is a smile here you just have to see. Bless her!
Beard or not to beard.Lincoln cultivated beards off and on his entire adulthood. He was without one when he was shot, by the way.
(The Gallery, Civil War, Mathew Brady, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/01534a.thumbnail.jpg "Hanover Junction: 1863")
- War Effort: 1865
- ... Virginia. Unloading Federal supplies from transports." Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size.
... Posted by Dave - 02/18/2014 - 8:22pm -
- Cadillac: 1908
- ... Those are solid frame types that you saw mostly during the Civil War. Given the condition of the car, I'd bet that it's an old link and pin ... Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 1:01pm -
- Harpers Ferry: 1862
- ... the state drove by a number of bridge ruins from the Civil War. That always brought home to me the nearness and reality of the War. ... Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 5:22pm -
- Atlanta: 1864
- ... was the center of the railroad traffic, at least after the war...
Atlanta Union Station According to Rail Georgia that building ... Street (next to today's Underground Atlanta). Designed by civil engineer E. A. Vincent, it was initially known as the "passenger depot" ... Posted by Dave - 12/14/2012 - 11:35am -
![Atlanta, 1864. "Federal Army wagons at railroad depot." And maybe Scarlett O'Hara in the distance. Wet plate negative by George N. Barnard. View full size.
PoleWhat's the very tall pole at the back left of the photo? Lightning rod? Flagpole? TV antenna?
[My guess would be signal mast. - Dave]
The Pole AgainLooks like smoke from a chimney and/or a scratch on the negative.
[Nope. We are talking about the articulated mast seen below. - Dave]
Where is this?I wonder where this is? I'm assuming it's close to contemporary downtown Atlanta (the Underground Atlanta houses the "zero-mile" marker) and it was the center of the railroad traffic, at least after the war...
Atlanta Union StationAccording to Rail Georgia that building on the right is Atlanta's first Union Station.
Atlanta's first union station, constructed in 1853, stood in the block now bounded by Central Avenue, Wall Street, Pryor Street, and Alabama Street (next to today's Underground Atlanta). Designed by civil engineer E. A. Vincent, it was initially known as the "passenger depot" but came to be better known as the "car shed."
Wagon DriverThe guy on the wagon in the foreground only seems to be half there. His head is not articulated and the ground behind it is visible. Strange.
[This is how people look when they move during a time exposure. - Dave]
The building behind the mastThe building behind the mast is Atlanta's first Fire Station HQ, located alongside what was then called Broad Street. The lens Barnard used to photograph these scenes greatly flattened the perspective, so that some objects appear closer than they really are.
AtlantaThe street that runs between the building marked as "Concert Hall" and the white stone building is Peachtree Street, so this is that part of town slightly west of what is known as Five Points. The railroad "gulch" in the picture was covered up in the 1920s by a system of viaducts. Directly across from Peachtree Street ran Whitehall Street. There is a very famous Barnard photo showing a building marked "Negro Sales" which was on Whitehall Street, directly across from the signal mast you can see over the building next to the car shed, which was the depot for one of the four rail lines that ran through Atlanta in 1864.
(The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Horses, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_02233a_0.thumbnail.jpg "Atlanta: 1864")
- Harpers Ferry: 1865
- ... Wet plate glass negative (detail) by James Gardner. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size.
... Posted by Dave - 05/19/2008 - 11:37pm -
![1865. "Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. View of Maryland Heights at confluence of Shenandoah and Potomac rivers." Wet plate glass negative (detail) by James Gardner. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size.
Bridge and BoatThat bridge is lovely! And it looks like there's a boat being drawn by horses in the canal on the left.
Harpers FerryFirst saw a picture of Harpers Ferry in a 1950s National Geographic. Took the family to see it in 1958 and we climbed to the top of mountain where early pictures showed Union Troops. Now the National Park Service runs everything.
Maryland HeightsThis view looks downstream; the rocks on the far side are Maryland Heights. The bridge in the center is still represented by a line of piers adjacent to the present bridges.
Anniversary of the RaidNext year marks the 150th anniversary of the raid on Harpers Ferry. More info, including some very nice photos, here: http://www.harpersferryhistory.org/johnbrown/index.htm
Harpers FerryThey've done a lot of restoration in the town over the past few years. It's always breezy because of the two rivers, so even on the hottest days it's usually pleasant. Plenty to see and learn, and the restaurants provide rest and excellent provender! Beautiful spot that we revisit often.
Harpers Ferry BridgeThe bridge spans are some of the earliest examples of the Bollman truss, a hybrid truss/suspension design which originated on the B&O. The only surviving example is in Savage, Maryland.
Harpers Bridge Recent ViewsAnyone interested in "current" views? 1974 from very roughly same location:
and 12/6/07 opposite direction,
Bollman bridge piers remain in river at left, 1893 replacement bridge in center, 1930's replacement bridge at right as the railroad addressed the horrid original alignment here (look at those curves at span ends in the 1865 version).
The predecessors to the Bollman were blown up over and over again as the Civil War surged back and forth here.
Harpers FerryAnd Amtrak can take you right there on the spot. There's the train station on the west side of the rivers, which provides a great view as well. Amtrak train the Cardinal from NY to Chicago through Washington DC will take you there. It's a beautiful trip through the Adirondack mountains going west, been through there myself more than once.
Harpers Ferry TodayThe C&O Canal Towpath, a national park, follows the Potomac River from Cumberland, Maryland, to Georgetown (D.C.). That makes it a 185-mile park, and the stretch through Harpers Ferry is among the most beautiful parts. Strongly recommended for anyone who can walk, bicycle or roll for a mile or two.
[There's also a nice footpath through the woods to Maryland Heights -- the top of the cliff to the left. The view is spectacular. - Dave]
One of my favorite places on Earth!I can remember stopping there on my way back to live in Kansas after graduating from high school and college in Maryland. I foolishly stood in the middle of the street and stared across the river at the tunnel. A horn honked and I turned and saw a beautiful long-haired blonde driving a huge red convertible. The world seemed rife with possiblities at that moment in a way that was different from anything that followed in later years!
Harpers Ferry by TrainIt's the Amtrak Capital Limited, train No. 29 west, and 30 east. Of course before Amtrak this town was served by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the original Capital Limited.
That House!!Having visited Harper's Ferry several times, I started to search my photos to see if I had a modern comparable shot... but the thing that stood out most to me was that tiny white house on the left edge of the photo!! The structure is still there and people always stop to explore it!
There's also an old ad that seems to be painted into the side of the mountain, which I've never been able to figure out what it says... I see "powder"...
Last Trip TogetherMy husband Steve and his brother-in-law Jack visited Harpers Ferry in March of 1995. Steve, the shutterbug of the family, took along his camcorder and we have lots of footage. I've never been there and now, thanks to this photo, I'm going to "revisit" the area by viewing this footage again.
Steve and Jack will never know how poignant their vacation was. Jack passed away the very next month and Steve less than four years later. Both died in their 40's--both lives cut way too short.
Powder SignAccording to the FAQ page on the NPS website for Harpers Ferry, the sign reads (or read) Mennen's Borated Talcum Toilet Powder, and it was painted some time between 1903 and 1906.
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/faqs.htm
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Civil War, James Gardner)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/03871u11_0.thumbnail.jpg "Harpers Ferry: 1865")
- Mysterious Tunnel: 1924
- ... a government building, probably dating to the time of the Civil War.
Beyond Repair The remains of the auto in the upper right have me ... Posted by Dave - 04/08/2021 - 12:49pm -
![September 26, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Mysterious tunnel." A strong Hardy Boys vibe here. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
UPDATE: While initial speculation (bootlegging, espionage) was soon dispelled by an eccentric insect expert's explanation that he had dug the passages "for exercise," historical evidence suggests that this was a tunnel of love. Or at the very least, bigamy.
Old BasementIt's probably an old basement from a burnt building. Burnt building debris falls into the basement and leaves voids to be discovered later.
[A plausible theory, but incorrect. - Dave]
That's probablyjust an forgotten old septic tank.
[What it is is what the caption says. - Dave]
It's da cops, boys!The men in suits look like they may be detectives. Am I even warm?
RemainsNext to the laundry, the bones of a Model T.
The interesting case of Allen v. AllenIt seems that tunnel building wasn't the only hobby of Dr. Dyar. According to the interesting case of Allen v. Allen, 193 Pacific Reporter 539, Dr. Dyar was also a practicing bigamist. He apparently married his second wife using the name of Wilfred Allen. His second family seemed to have lived nearby his first in Washington, DC. The question is was he digging his tunnels to connect the homes of his two families? (The reporter who broke the first story of Dr. Dyar being the source of the tunnels also found a second set of tunnels at his house on B Street.) At some point, his first wife had had enough and wanted out. This would seem to have left wide open his relationship with his second wife except that they had concocted a fictional husband who they now needed to remove from the scene. So, they loaded the kids up in a ship and went west for a quickie divorce in Reno. Unfortunately for the Allens/Dyars the judge in Reno didn't buy their story. Not sure how it all sorted itself out in the end, but I do know that the good doctor suddenly died five years after the story of his tunnels made the local papers.
DetourThe alleyway has been blocked with a board nailed to the trees; the lantern (red, maybe) will serve as a warning at night. Also note the camera tripod.
Two guesses.Underground railroad, or, secret distillery.
RumrunnersMight this have had something to do with Prohibition? The man standing over the hole is holding a broken bottle neck, and some of the participants are grinning like they've figured it out. In recent years out here in San Diego, the DEA and INS have found several "mysterious tunnels" running under the international boundary between Tijuana and San Diego. Somehow those tunnel discoveries never seem to inspire the kind of jollity seen here.
Make a sharp leftAre you sure that rabbit said this was the way to Albuquerque?
Calling Dan BrownA mysterious tunnel discovered in our nation's capital! Those pesky Freemasons are at it again.
"Upon closer inspection ...""This is clearly a mystery tunnel," said D.C. Police Inspector Sherman T. Ransom, second from right in photo.
AlsoA strong hat vibe.
If you dig a hole that's deep enoughEveryone will want to jump in.
-- Firesign Theatre
What's so funny?Could the man bent over the hole be holding the key?
Who wants to crawl in the dirt?Hey, I know! Let's get the the skinny kid with the newsie cap and light colored jacket! It'll be a hoot!
Call for Elliott NessThe twenties, an alley, a tunnel. I suspect something to do with the Volstead Act.
Spider HoleIt's where Saddam Hussein's great grandfather hid out.
It's the heat!Prohibition was in full swing at this point. The official looking men, the camera tripod, a broken bottle in the hand of the bull leaning over the hole. The happy expression on the face of the young man coming out of the hole. Perhaps a distillery raid?
Very suspiciousIt looks like the piece of sheet metal was used to hide the mysterious tunnel.
Prohibition?Caould it be a cellar to hide illegal liquor? Looks like the fellow leaning down towards the hole is holding part of a broken bottle out towards the fellow coming up from the hle.
Escape Route?Given that 1924 is during Prohibition, I'd bet it was an escape tunnel from a basement "speakeasy" in one of the background buildings.
Root cellar!Someone's smugglin' turnips!
Well dressed gopherEvery kid should wear a light colored jacket and cap when going into a hole in the ground. I'm wondering what the man is handing the boy. It almost looks like money?
Illicit booze pipelineIf it's connected to the garage in the background, I would guess it's an escape route from a speakeasy.
Before Groundhog DayBack in the day if Jimmy came out of his underground lair and saw his shadow, it meant 6 more weeks of winter.
ClewsThe man bending over the hole looks to be holding a broken bottle. Could this perhaps have something to do with prohibition? Maybe it was an escape tunnel from a speakeasy?
The Underground exposedSo much for the Trilateral Commission's secret tunnel to sneak up on the Masons and take over their plan for world domination.
ProhibitionCould the mysterious tunnel have anything to do with bootlegging?
My Guess Is:Considering the year of the photo. That what they have found is either the location of a still or some bootlegger's stashing place.
Rabbit HoleAlice's favorite tea parties take place here.
Scram It's the G-men!Must be an escape tunnel from a speakeasy.
Where's Geraldo when you need him?The fellow with the pocket watch and no jacket doesn't look like he is having a good time. Perhaps, since this is the height of prohibition, that is because these hardy boys have found where he stores the hooch.
German Spies!Washington got its first inkling of this subterranean network when a truck sank a wheel into one of the tunnels in an alleyway behind the Pelham Courts apartments on P Street, making the hole shown in our photo. Initial speculation centered on German spies and rum-runners. The truth turned out to be more prosaic, yet still bizarre.
They were the work of a millionaire Smithsonian entomologist named Harrison Dyar, who said he had dug them between 1908 and 1916 "for the exercise," although he clearly seemed to have a fixation on underground passages. After his newspaper interview in 1924 (below), he was found to have dug another network of tunnels around his current home on B Street (Independence Avenue). He died in 1929, though parts of his underground labyrinth were still being stumbled upon (and into) as late as 1958.
Inside the tunnelClick to enlarge.
Could that bea broken bottle the one guy is holding in his hand? Hard to tell, but this being 1924, it's a good chance that the tunnel has something to do with Prohibition. Ask Al Capone. Or, maybe, Geraldo Rivera.
Harrison Gray Dyar, Jr.Could this be one of Dr. Dyar's creations?
I GuessThis is some sort of forgotten security/escape tunnel leading from a government building, probably dating to the time of the Civil War.
Beyond RepairThe remains of the auto in the upper right have me wondering what model year it is. Must have been one of the first Model T's from '08.
AmazingInteresting hobby. Some people collect stamps; some build model aeroplanes. He wanted something different.
That's a swell pictureBut I can't see Stan or Ollie.
T timeThe Model T has a brass-era radiator piled on the frame that was last used in 1916. The headlight are mounted in a style that started in the summer of 1915.
Mr. Dyar Explains
Washington Post, Sep 27, 1924
Mr. Dyar at first was reluctant to discuss his strange handiwork which, when uncovered, created such a mystery that theories that the tunnels had been used as a meeting place for German spies in war days were given as much attention as the police theory that they were the rendezvous of bootleggers. It had been suggested even that they labyrinth was the workshop of a gang of counterfeiters.
"No." chuckled Mr. Dyar. "The theories are all wrong. You have solved the mystery all right. I dug the tunnels. I did it for exercise. My son, Otis Dyar, who is now a man and married out in California, was a little boy when I began to dig. He used to play in the tunnels.
"In fact," he continued, "other boys played in the tunnels and while they didn't annoy me they became a nuisance to some of the neighbors. Complaints were made and I recall on one occasion Detective O'Brien investigated.
"Another time, I recall, a policeman came snooping around to look into the tunnels. I played a little joke on him. I put a clock back in the tunnel and when the policeman heard it ticking he must have thought it a time clock on an infernal machine or a smuggler's den or something."
Contractors and engineers who have viewed that part of the labyrinth which has been opened declare the bricklaying and construction of the passages generally the work of an expert artisan.
"I'm not a bricklayer," Mr. Dyar said with a laugh. "My business is with mosquitoes, moths and butterflies. I just laid the bricks on evenly; that's all."
…
Mr. Dyar said he knew nothing of the German newspapers which were found in the tunnel and which gave rise to the rumor that perhaps German spies had occupied the underground place. He pointed out that they were dated in 1917, two years after he had moved from the Twenty-first street house.
aka Wilfred AllenBut wait - there's more. In 1906 (one year after he started tunneling for exercise), Dyar secretly married Wellesca Pollack using the alias Wilfred Allen while remaining married to his first wife, Zella Peabody. The two of them had three sons, and he deeded $100,000 in property to her. Unfortunately for him, he had another hobby - writing and publishing autobiographical short stories about a character named Mr. French. In one such story, Mr. French deeded a substantial amount of property to "Flossie," until Mrs. French discovered it. That story was used against him in two highly-publicized divorce suits, Dyar's Reno suit to divorce Zella (which failed on jurisdictional grounds), and Zella's California suit to divorce Dyer (which apparently succeeded). Then, as Harrison Dyar, he legally married Wellesca, and adopted their three sons.
[Wow. Amazing. - Dave]
Electric torchI'd like to have that flashlight he's holding.
(I collect flashlights, old ones are especially cool)
The CarThe car is indeed a Ford. It has obviously been disassembled, and the fuel tank is out of place, and the steering column is lying much lower than it would be in use. It has a brass radiator so is pre 1917, but has electric headlights so is post 1914, so is only about ten years old at the time of the photograph.
One of the mudguards (fenders) is at the base of the tree hiding the feet of the smiling man in the greatcoat.
Joel and Ethan - are you watching?If this isn't a perfect vehicle for the Coen Brothers, I don't know what is.
(The Gallery, Bizarre, Curiosities, D.C., Natl Photo)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/26186u.thumbnail.jpg "Mysterious Tunnel: 1924")
- Ghosts of Atlanta: 1864
- "The War in the West." 1864 photo (half of a stereograph) by George N. Barnard. Atlanta Intelligencer newspaper office by the railroad depot. Exposure times were so long that anyone walking appears only as ... Here is a site with several images of Georgia during the Civil War...scroll down to 1864, and you will see the listing for this picture. ... Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 7:20pm -
!["The War in the West." 1864 photo (half of a stereograph) by George N. Barnard. Atlanta Intelligencer newspaper office by the railroad depot. Exposure times were so long that anyone walking appears only as an ectoplasmic blur. View full size. Note tents in background and troop train with soldiers atop the boxcars.
where was this in Atlanta?Anyone know where this was in Atlanta? Looking for an approximate street address.
Masonic lodgePerhaps the large masonic lodge in the background is still standing ... might be a clue.
Try the main PeachtreeTry the main Peachtree Street / locate the address of the Atlanta terminal at the time / try Five Points area / could it be near Kennesaw? good luck--former Atlanta area resident and interested in knowing as well.
Masonic Lodge (1864) in AtlantaI have been researching, and it appears that the Masonic Lodge, and another building called The Trout House were on Decatur St. in Atlanta.
Click on this link http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/03300/03304v.jpg (Trout house beside Masonic lodge.)
Here is a site with several images of Georgia during the Civil War...scroll down to 1864, and you will see the listing for this picture.
http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/cwphotos.htm
Now I am off to find out if this Masonic Lodge is still standing.
Where was this in Atlanta? (answer)I have been checking around and asking around about where this area in this photo might be, and a new friend on an Atlanta school site gave me this information...
Quote:
"Decatur Street is one of the main 5 roads that leads to Five Points, which basically is the center of downtown Atlanta, and was the center of town at that time. I think, but not sure, based on that picture and some of the other photos of the Union troop encampments, etc, that the Masonic Hall and Trout House were pretty close to what is now 5 Points. Most of that area of Decatur Street now has been renovated over the last 25 years and is where Georgia State University is located. I am fairly certain that neither of these structures is there any longer. When I went to GSU in the 1960's, I travelled almost the length of Decatur Street to get there. I do not recall ever seeing either of them, even back then, at that time, and to date, much of that area was torn down with Urban Renewal funds from the feds. It was mainly run down buildings and older businesses. It is possible that one of those run down buildings may have been one of the structures. However, Decatur Street runs east for a few miles, and they may have been futher east than I think. During the Civil War era, though, most of that area was rural. The actual Battle of Atlanta that is depicted in the Cyclorama painting took place away from the center of town out in the rural area of Decatur St/Road & what is now Dekalb Ave.(same road).
At least this clears up a little bit for us all.
sherri
Underground AtlantaMy guess is that this was taken near the corner of Peachtree SW (then Whitehall) and Wall St. That would put it in what is now Underground Atlanta, I think.
Whitehall StreetWAR-TIME CAMP IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, IN THE OLD CITY PARK
At the extreme left is the old Trout House, the principal hotel at the time; tracks of three of the chief railroads here crossed Whitehall Street, on which the "Intelligencer" office fronted.
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/gordon/ill5.html
Whitehall & AlabamaMy guess is the corner of Whitehall and Alabama Streets looking northeast. Currently Peachtree Street. Back then Peachtree changed to Whitehall south of Five Point.
Atlanta DepotNoticed that the same photographer walked a block or so to the right after taking this one. Does that help narrow the location down?
Masonic LodgeBy the Masons' own records, the Lodge in the background stood on the corner of Lloyd (now Central Avenue) and Alabama Street, at south angle. So I would guess that if we're one block west it's on what is now Pryor Street or if two blocks Peachtree.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Alabama+Street+Atlanta&oe=&ie=UTF8&hl=en&h...
Ref: http://www.ap59.org/html/atlanta_59.html
HandbillIf you look on the corner of the building, you can just make out the word "frolic." Can't quite tell what comes before.
[Cobblers? Gobblers? - Dave]
Atlanta Intelligencer office I have mapped many of Barnard's photographs on this interactive map. This picture is marked as Pushpin 10.
The playbill pasted to the building in the foreground advertises a stage show by Union troops to raise money for Mrs. Rebecca S. Welch, whose husband and son (Confederates) were both killed in Virginia.
The Bottom of the Playbill Reads:
Benefit Night / Maj(?) I. Smith / Leader of the Band / of the 33rd / Mass. / The Laughable Pantomime / The Cobbler’s Frolic / at the Atheneum / tonight / Saturday /Nov. 5th
Location of this buildingThis building was located close to where the Peach Drop tower currently is, at Underground Atlanta. Because of the viaduct that created Underground Atlanta, it would have stood below the current street level. It was on Whitehall Street (now Peachtree).
(The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/03359u.thumbnail.jpg "Ghosts of Atlanta: 1864")
- Ghost Coach: 1930
- ... train crash -- at Quintinshill during the first World War -- I believe more died in the fire afterward than in the impact.
4928 ... other cars would be removed first.
In the American Civil War, cars from other railroads were often borrowed to move troops. This ... Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 7:02pm -
![Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1915-1930. One of three H&E glass negatives labeled "Car exterior. Washington & Old Dominion R.R." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The others are here and here.
Mail CarThat was a mail car, usually the first car behind the tender car.
All Aboard for Petticoat Junction!But where's the rest of the Hooterville Cannonball?
Combination CoachThis old gal carried passengers as well as mail and parcels between cities. One great picture and she was probably on her way to the scrap yard.
Good EngineeringThis is obviously an OLD car by 1930, built maybe at the turn of the century, yet look at its excellent construction. 6-wheel bogies with elaborate suspension for a smooth ride, the long chassis still straight as an arrow despite its age, lots of elbow room inside with elegant clerestory windows and lots of ventilators. This was the product of a thriving American transportation industry at the top of its game.
Pretty butOld coaches are the same this side of the water; lovely to look at and deadly dangerous if there's a crash. There's breakable, splintering, flammable wood, gas lighting in some cases, paraffin or kerosene in others. In Britain's worst train crash -- at Quintinshill during the first World War -- I believe more died in the fire afterward than in the impact.
4928Perhaps this was a mail car or a car with space for freight, but there is also obvious passenger seating in it as well. And if it typically traveled just behind a tender, why would it have that "porch" on its freight end?
Cue the Ghostly OrchestraClang, Clang, Clang went the Scary Trolley!
Ding, Ding, Ding went the Bell of Death!
Zing, Zing, Zing went my heartstrings as we started for Spookington Dell!
And this car isA 1908 PRR roster shows this as a Class OK combine (baggage/coach) built in 1900 and owned by the PB&W (the subsidiary of the Pennsy that owned the tracks on the line from Philly to DC). These cars were rebuilt with full vestibules at some point, because there is a diagram for that configuration; obviously this one escaped. Apparently these cars always had steam heat. There were three different subclasses depending on the size of the baggage compartment; this is the smallest, with the 20-foot compartment.
The six-wheel trucks show that this is a "heavyweight" steel car. The interior appears to have walkover seats so the car doesn't have to be turned. Platforms (and later vestibules) were typical on baggage cars to allow train crews to pass through while in motion.
The Ghost CarI agree with the first description of this car's origins. The car was still on the PRR roster on 1-1-1914, but was gone by 3-1-1916. The lettering couldn't have lasted 14 years. My guess is the photos were taken shortly after sale to the W&OD. Moreover, the truss rods under the center of the car indicate that this was a fully wooden car both when it was constructed and when these photos were taken.
Further ResearchI've come across a classification guide which indicates that class O cars are wooden combines. Class PB steel combines in the same guide are only about 10 feet longer, but weigh 50 percent more (120,000 vs. 80,000 pounds).
Checking in Ames's book on the W&OD, I see absolutely no evidence that this car was ever used on that line. Passenger operations were electric, with the exception of several 1878/1887 coaches purchased from the Manhattan Electric Rwy which were considerably older in design than this car. The only combines on the roster were either electrics or doodlebugs. My guess is that this car was just passing through.
[I think there was probably another reason for taking these photos. - Dave]
PilotThis car seems to have a tube pilot on the far truck, which might indicate it was used behind an interurban or box motor in push/pull service.
Thoughts on the Mystery CoachChecking Herb Harwood Jr.'s "Rails to the Blue Ridge: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, 1847-1968" I find no reference to any ex-Pennsylvania railroad coaches in the company's roster. That being said, I have a couple of ideas.
As far as the location of the photograph, the coach appears to be sitting on one leg of a wye, used for turning locomotives or whole trains (given the length of the stub track, just locomotives in this case). According to Hardwood's track map, and assuming this is the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, that leaves four possible locations for this photograph: Bluemont Junction, Herndon, Leesburg, or Bluemont. Given the topography in the background, and having bicycled the W&OD quite a lot, I would suggest the likely location of this to be Bluemont Junction.
I have come up with one possible explanation for why this coach never appeared on the company rosters. It is possible that this coach was purchased by the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, but never operated over the line, and simply sat disused in its location pictured. The three-axle trucks indicate to me that the coach is possibly quite heavy, perhaps too heavy to operate on the W&OD's light rails. It certainly would not have been the only instance of a railroad purchasing equipment too heavy for its rails. (In my home province of Ontario, one of the two locomotives of the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway was found to be too heavy and remained stored during its 11-year career on the railroad).
One other possibility that has come to mind is that this is not the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad at all, but rather the Rosslyn Connecting Railroad which branched off the current rail line as it reached the Virginia side of the Potomac, and headed north to Rosslyn. This railroad was a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which would explain the coach. If the photograph was simply labeled (Washington DC area), it is possible that the railroad was misidentified. This, however, is complete conjecture, as I am not even sure whether passenger service was ever operated (or intended to be operated but wasn't) over the Rosslyn Connecting Railroad.
[The photos are labeled as indicated in the caption. - Dave]
One thing I can say for surethe number designations on the car are most definitely
"Pennsy".
That font is unmistakable.
#4928 Pennsylvania Combination carMy opinions are just that--pity the photographer isn't alive to comment. That said:
I disagree with the car going to scrap. The gas light globes are still inside the interior. If it is to be scrapped all the parts to keep for repairing/building other cars would be removed first.
In the American Civil War, cars from other railroads were often borrowed to move troops. This inter-rail cooperation worked well-- There are several military grounds near the W&OD RR. Fort Myer, Va. and Camp Auger, near Merrifield, Virginia - off the Dunn Loring RR stop on the W&OD line. Livestock pens were near the one W&OD RR's freight station for the Cavalry horses and or livestock being shipped to and from the more western towns, e.g. Herndon, etc.
Military grounds near railroad lines would be Camp A. A.Humphreys aka Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Quantico, Virginia which are off the Alexandria Railyard heading south on the Southern, Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac line. On the Mt. Vernon line, it could have gone by Fort Marcy.
It could have easily been sold to Virginia Central Rwy or the Fruit Grower's Express Rwy, for the use of the company's executives or for an occasional run for passengers; e.g. executive use, party, etc.
It may be entirely possible that this car never went past the railroad bridge into Virginia. It could have easily been sold to a short line (East Washington, Rwy)and or sitting in the more rural sections of Washington, DC around Ivy City--a connecting yard to Union Station.
If memory serves me correctly, Penn RR did invest in the W&OD briefly. This may be of that brief period.
A combine, but not for mailThese three pictures show a rail car that once ruled the main line but now has been modified for a lowly afterlife on a forgotten branchline. The car has a 20-foot compartment for freight and express at one end. The pigeonhole box near the roof line being for small packages and company mail moving from station to station. If it were a US Mail compartment, there would have been the mandatory fixtures for bags, pouches, sorting tables and sorting racks - plus there would have been a letter drop slot on the side of the car. The rear section offers walk-over coach seats.
We can see this was a mainline car account of the six wheeled trucks, walkway buffers and the three hoses next to the coupler. One hose was for airbrakes, one was a communication line to signal to the engineer by the train crew, and one was for steam heat. The pilot (or cowcatcher to some) on the far end of the car implies some type of push-pull service.
If this the W&OD, I believe they had some self-powered "doodlebug" cars and this car could have served as a trailer being pulled along by the power car, until it was time to return and the train was shoved back towards its origin. A procedure quite effective to give the engineer a cramped neck, and the flagman the worry of being on the cutting edge of any grade crossing incident with a car or truck. The flagman usually manned a little peanut whistle powered by the air line that he would signal with as the train approached crossings and stations.
The carHere is a link that refers to this car.
(The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/20626a.thumbnail.jpg "Ghost Coach: 1930")
- Atlanta Depot: 1864
- 1864. "Atlanta, Georgia, railroad yards." Wet plate collodion glass negative, left half of stereograph ... are called stub switches.
(The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Railroads) ... Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 2:44pm -
- The Roundhouse: 1864
- ... departure." Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size.
... Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 4:07pm -
![November 1864. "Railroad yards at Atlanta. The Roundhouse. Ruins of depot, blown up on Sherman's departure." Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size.
Switch DesignThey had a more obvious idea of how a switch had to work.
PeacefulA rather tranquil scene with the man taking his ease on the boxcar roof. The raw logs under the rails are in sharp contrast to the sleepers of today. But two years on all was to change.
[This isn't "two years on" -- both photos (which show different roundhouses) were made late in 1864. - Dave]
Oops!Sorry Dave - my picture source was dated wrong. My knowledge of your Civil War needs work. Guess the only thing I got right was both pictures have trains in them.
[Confusion probably stems from the fact that 1866 is the year the folio of photographs including the image below was published, not when the pictures were taken. - Dave]
Pre OSHA and NSFWPrior to the invention of the Westinghouse air brake in 1869 shortly after the Civil War, the brakeman's job was a miserable and dangerous one, while being constantly exposed to the elements when on duty.
Notice the long metal vertical rod operated by a handlebar on the back of the third car from the left which actuated the brake mechanisms on the trucks. Each car had to have its brakes adjusted manually by the brakeman sitting on the roof.
The third car clearly shows there's a footrest for the brakeman and directly to the right and slightly below is an open window where the foreman may shout orders at him.
Such luxuries!
Notice also the coupler system in this photo prior to the invention of the Janney spring-loaded coupler of 1874.
Look at those big square holes you had to load with big iron pins to tie the cars together.
Many opportunities to lose a limb or just get squished altogether, which happened often.
(The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/03474a.thumbnail.jpg "The Roundhouse: 1864")
- The Great Emancipators: 1863
- ... an oilcloth cover that was issued to the troops in the Civil War.
Looks like ... Looks like a load of coffins to me. I saw the same ... Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 8:32pm -
![Aquia Creek Landing, Virginia, circa 1863. "Federal Army. Clerks of the Commissary Depot by railroad car and packing cases." A somewhat unsettling scene. Wet plate glass negative by Alexander Gardner. View full size.
Cup HolderApparently it's like taking a picture with your tea on a table.
::cringe::
HatsHats seem to play a subtle role in this photo.
How is it that the gent on the far left has such a shiny hat? It looks like plastic. Is it oiled?
[Or maybe leather. - Dave]
HattageThe covering on the kepi is actually an oilcloth cover that was issued to the troops in the Civil War.
Looks like ...Looks like a load of coffins to me. I saw the same stacked in Vietnam.
[These are hardtack crates ("Army Bread"). As noted in the caption, this is the commissary depot. - Dave]
What were they really fighting for?I'll see your cringe and raise you a wince. It should be remembered, though, that at that time the Union states' attitude toward races other than white was rather uncharitable, albeit in (sometimes) more subtle ways. It is good that we are today disturbed by such insensitivity. Thank you, Dave, for reminding us of how far we've come.
They have the lookof bullies to me.
Boo HooeySensitivities? Didn't Janet Napolitano just ask a military officer to refill her glass? People had servants back in the day ... nothing in this picture shocks except the foreboding bureaucracy that would taint this "nation" for generations. Sic Semper Tyrannus!
[Always the cherry on the sundae when the poster's last word on the subject is amusingly misspelled. - Dave]
OuchI didn't understand your comment until I scrolled down. It is a very sad picture!!! Double cringe!
Unsettling indeedWhat makes it so is not servitude but servility.
That HatLooks more like an early conductor's hat to me than a kepi. No badge, though -- but then, no military insignia at all.
His LookI think what disturbs me more than anything is the serene look on the black gentleman's face. To me it suggests he may be conditioned to accept his lower position, or it could be that he's secretly donning a mask.
Either way, cheers to those who were similarly disturbed, and congrats on all of us moving far from the days portrayed in this picture.
UnfortunateI hate this picture, I really do. That man sitting on the ground had just as much potential, possibly more, than any of those men around him. Too bad he wasn't able to use any of it. So glad that it's not that way anymore!!
ProjectionThere appears to be an awful lot of it going on here. And I don't mean in the picture.
Looking on the bright sideWhile not happy with the way people were treated back then, I do wonder if he had a few good secrets stored away!
Freeze!I hate history. Why can't everything have been just like it is now and never, ever change?
Handsome People in Strange ClothesNothing about this picture offends me. It is of its time. I love the clarity - which is remarkable.
ClerksIt is interesting that these men (except the man holding the cup and perhaps the one with the beard) are not wearing uniforms. The man with the cup is wearing a fatigue blouse and the army "brogans."
The man with the cup is most likely a freed slave. These 'contrabands' were often hired as servants. Higher ranking officers were issued a pay allowance, extra rations and uniforms for a servant. At least this man is a paid worker - far removed from slavery. Given the choice, I think the man would keep this station in life over his former state.
(The Gallery, Alexander Gardner, Civil War, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/03974a.thumbnail.jpg "The Great Emancipators: 1863")
- Belle Isle: 1865
- ... View full size. Glass plate negative from the Civil War collection compiled by Hirst D. Milhollen and Donald H. Mugridge.
Belle ... Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 6:24pm -
- Battle of Nashville: 1864
- ... Tennessee Capitol in the distance. From photographs of the War in the West: Hood before Nashville. Continuing his policy of the offensive ... through his eyes.
Battle of Nashville During the Civil War, an army was composed of Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry. The ... Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 7:59pm -
![1864. "Nashville. Railroad yard and depot with locomotives; Tennessee Capitol in the distance. From photographs of the War in the West: Hood before Nashville. Continuing his policy of the offensive at any cost, Gen. John B. Hood brought his reduced army before the defenses of Nashville, where it was overthrown by Gen. George H. Thomas on December 15-16, 1864, in the most complete victory of the war. If the date borne on this photograph is correct, it was taken in the course of the battle." Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. View full size.
War BonnetWow, nice image of the poke bonnet on the lady to the right.
Elegant EnginesThose locomotives are beautiful. Looks like the one that pulled Capt. James West and Artemus Gordon in the Wild Wild West.
Battle of NashvilleTo clarify, Hood was the Confederate general, attacking Nashville from the south. The Union defenders had larger numbers, and better leadership, and destroyed Hood's army.
In the middle of a war zone, many of the locos are immaculately maintained, in contrast to the track and buildings. The first engine out is interesting, bigger and fancier than the others, and with unusual outside bearing lead truck. Wonder if it was getting prepped for an official's (Gen. Thomas?) inspection train? The tenders are lettered "US Military RR."
Thomas CircleMajor General George H. Thomas, a native Virginian, remained true to his oath and became the most successful Union general during the war. His victory over Hood at Nashville did little to improve Grant's dislike of him. Thomas, though, was enormously popular with his soldiers in the Army of the Cumberland who called him "Old Pap". He is commemorated at Thomas Circle in Washington, D.C. (Connecting the Shorpy dots)
Holy Mogul!Those shiny American 4-4-0's are really beautiful, but the most interesting locomotive in the picture has to be the burned-out hulk right in the middle. It appears to be a 2-6-0 Mogul with a swiveling front "bogie" truck.
Considering that the first recorded locomotive of this type was built for the Louisville & Nashville in 1860, this could the remains of that historic engine, the first of thousands of a very successful locomotive type.
Sure would like to know how she ended up in such terrible shape. Fortunes of war?
Beat me to it, Code BasherAs many times as I've seen this image and focused on the brass and woodwork of the 4-4-0s by the engine house, this time the 2-6-0 jumped out at me like something from the future (how did that get there?!); the first comment in the column addressed my surprise perfectly.
Indexing filesIs there any that the pictures can be indexed? When perusing your files for long periods of time, as I do, I would like to be able to quit the site and return at some time and be able to locate the place where I was previously. However I find no way to accomplish this. Can you help?
[Bookmark the page. - Dave]
A part of my history was hereWhile recently tracing my ancestry, I found one of my great-great-great-great-grandfathers. Thanks to some wonderful 19th century person/group who understood the value in such things, I found a mini biography of him that says he served under General Thomas; enlisted in Company F, 64th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. in September of 1864. 145 years ago.
I can't wait to further comb through pictures like these. I figure it's the closest I'll ever get to seeing through his eyes.
Battle of NashvilleDuring the Civil War, an army was composed of Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry. The Cavalry were the eyes and ears of the army. Without a Calvary component, an army was simply not an effective fighting force.
Gen Hood commanded the Cavalry component of General Johnston's Confederate Army. Once Atlanta fell, in desperation, the Confederacy split up Johnston's Army and sent Hood to Tennessee to try to disrupt the supply lines to Sherman and to engage the Union forces occupying Tennessee and Kentucky.
For both Johnston and Hood, their mission objectives were simply impossible. Johnston stood no chance of stopping Sherman without a viable army. And Hood stood even less of a chance against a well fortified city. Hood's army were so starved that they actually ate pumpkins and walnuts on the march back to Tennessee.
For an excellent read on the civil war in the western front from a southern private's perspective I urge you to pick up "Company Aytch" by Samuel Watkins - 1882.
Of 3200 men who made up his regiment, 65 returned home - 4 days shy of 4 years from the day they marched off. General Hood sacrificed both legs and an arm in the war.
The story is not one of tactics and strategies, but of the daily life and struggles of the southern soldier.
Watkins tale is humorous and uplifting. I simply do not know how he found it within himself to keep such a positive spirit against such adversity & desperate circumstances. All of Tennessee should be proud of their native sons...
It is a great book! Shelby Foote's favorite on the topic.
Beautiful BuildingThe big building on the hill in the upper right corner is very beautiful. Does anyone know if that building still stands? Regardless of that what is the name of the building so I can search for more pictures.
Tennessee State CapitolAs noted in the caption, the building is the State Capitol. The street view, though an ugly parking lot now, seems an improvement to me over war nonetheless.
View Larger Map
View of the capital of Nashville I have lived in Nashville and scoured this area in modern times. The Capital building still stands today without much change! The rail yards shown here in the foreground are long gone but this is the present area of Union street and 10th avenue. Nearby Church street passes under a RR grade. This view looks to the North East and the camera focal length must shorten the distance.
(The Gallery, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Nashville, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/02111u1_0.thumbnail.jpg "Battle of Nashville: 1864")
- Manhattan: 102 Years Ago
- ... from this phenomenal site are the minimal changes from Civil War customs and architecture up through the 1910s. Regardless of incredible ... Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 6:55pm -
![Manhattan circa 1908. "New York skyline." Part of an eleven-section panorama. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
White FlierFrom the pre-aviation era when "flier" meant fast ship. The Bunker Hill is an example of first quality American shipbuilding circa 1908. While "modern" in terms of amenities, ships of this time were not required to carry sufficient numbers of lifeboats for all people aboard. The Bunker Hill appears to be carrying four.
Scheduled "White Flier" time for one-way passage between New York and Boston was 15 hours.
ABC Pathfinder Railway Guide, 1912
Eastern Steamship Corporation
All-the-Way-by-Water
The Great Express White Steel Fliers Massachusetts and Bunker Hill.
Splendid Steel Freight steamships are operated by the Metropolitan Line between Boston, Mass. and New York.
The Massachusetts and Bunker Hill are notable examples of Modern Marine Architecture. Many of their staterooms are en suite, with connecting bath and toilet facilities. All staterooms are most attractively furnished, and equipped with the most modern sanitary fixtures. Inside staterooms are provided with electric fans. They are provided with a most attractive outside dining-room on the Main Deck, a Hurricane Deck Cafe; are equipped for the burning of oil as fuel, with Automatic Sprinkling Appliances, Wireless Telegraphy, Submarine Signal Service, and all other modern facilities to insures the Security and Comfort of passengers. All outside two-berth rooms, $2.00; Inside, $1.00. Electric Fans in inside room.
More of the NYC navyIf you look to the left side of the picture, those boxy barges lettered for the New York Central are lighters used to service ships in other parts of the harbor besides at the railroad's own dock facilities. This page gives a nice overview of the kinds of facilities in the city including a map that shows an overall picture of where they were. Containerization finally killed this kind of transloading off in the early sixties when someone finally figured out that giving the stevedores two passes on the goods wasn't exactly labor-saving.
Manhattan, 1908 on ShorpyAre you going to put up the other 10 sections of the panorama - they would be of great interest to Rail Marine modellers along with many others.
[It's on Shorpy's to-do list! - Dave]
The Flatiron's diminutive brotherwas the German-American Insurance Building, on Liberty Street. It is now Louise Nevelson Plaza. Read all about it.
Re: Steampunk?Steampunk is fairly reasonable, but I see it more as "Metropolis" - and I don't mean Superman's version!
Steampunk CityThis image excellently represents the zenith of Steampunk USA -- look at all the plumes rising from the soaring skyscrapers, and the stalwarts of steam power on the mighty river.
A nation is coming into its own -- work is getting done.
Regard with awe the rising Manhattan silhouette –- all correct angles forming the canyons that will forever define the island, with just the right amount of added artistic flair that decorum & modesty would allow.
This is at the very moment prior to the time when noxious internal-combustion engine -- fueled by the devil's excrement -- began its century of degradation & domination.
[It was filthy, sooty coal that made the steam. The air over New York is a lot cleaner now. - Dave]
DazzlingThe former Bunker Hill in 1918.
City Investing BuildingStanding shoulder to shoulder with the Singer Tower is the picturesque City Investing Building, designed by Francis H. Kimball and built 1906-1908. This view, which I've never seen before, shows how close together they really were. Sadly both were demolished together in 1968 to make way for the US Steel Building (now known as 1 Liberty Plaza).
Had to happenThe day has finally arrived. I have been shorpyized, One look at this photo and I recognized the Singer building right away. Mother said there would be days like this.
NYC TugboatsThe New York Central boats are tugboats. The NYC along with Jersey Central and I believe the B&0, all operated tugboats which were used to move their RR barges to and from New York City.
South Street SeaportPier 16, along with the unseen Pier 17 out of the photo on the right, is now part of the South Street Seaport, so it's likely that many of the smaller buildings on the extreme right-hand side of the photo still survive! Pier 15 bit the dust at some point, though.
All Too HumanYes. So many wonderful buildings, of which few we see here survive. This, however, to me, seems to be a view of humanity of a past time. A photo taken from the same spot today probably wouldn't give you the same feel.
"Bizarre camouflage" on former Bunker HillThat type of ship camouflage was called a "dazzle pattern." It was widely used in WW I and also in WW II. Dazzle camouflage was meant to confuse attackers as to the ship's course and speed. It also confounded early range finders.
OK I wanna see the whole panoramaCan someone stitch it together?
[Have at it. - Dave]
Camo aheadSteamship Bunker Hill apparently became USS Aroostook, a mine laying ship, in WWI. The naval historical center has an interesting series of photos of her. Some of the photos show a pretty bizarre camouflage pattern, too.
S.S. Bunker HillNew England Steamship Co. was the New Haven Railroad's dominant marine operator and served the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from New Bedford. The Bunker Hill and others were overnight steamers to New England from New York.
More Singer!Thanks for yet another great photo of the old Manhattan skyline with the Singer Building in it.
What's that building?What's that Flatiron-looking building just to the left of Rogers & Pyatt Shellac? I wonder if it's still standing.
50 storiesThat Singer building dominated the skyline back in the day. Many buildings in NYC are 50 stories and over now, but it would be still be a very interesting landmark structure if it survived today.
1908 ShellackingFor best quality shellacking …
Stubbs Buyers Directory for the Wholesale Drug, Chemical, and Allied Trades, 1918
Rogers & Pyatt Shellac Co.
79 Water St., New York.
[Suppliers of:]
Gum Copal
Gum Kauei
Gum Sandarac
Horizontal vs verticalThe long white boat and its wake make a pleasing and flourishing contrast with all the vertical lines.
Where would those "New York Central" boats have been going to/coming from? Do they connect with the railroad? Were they taking passengers across the river?
Steampunk? Really?Hey I know the internet has to reuse the same old boring subculture buzzwords over and over again but stop misusing the term "steampunk."
The Industrial Revolution wasn't about form over function.
[So I suppose we could call you Anti Meme. - Dave]
For Tim DavidOk, it's not quite perfect, but HERE is the full panorama.
Aroostook ConversionBelow is a before/after image of the Bunker Hill/Aroostook refit. (Stitched from the above Shorpy post and the image at Wikipedia, flipped left-right.)
Old NYCI love drawing old NYC and I love Shorpy.
Check out my site for more.
www.erosner.com
ManhattaI bet Manahatta was given the nickname The Big Apple because of all the road apples on the streets. Come for the stunning architecture, run away gagging from the smell.
What I'm learning from this phenomenal site are the minimal changes from Civil War customs and architecture up through the 1910s. Regardless of incredible inventions, social norms hardly shifted at all till WW1.
Yes!I would also like to see the entire panorama. Even if bit by bit.
Someone say Panorama?Sorry for a bit of a screw-up where the Harbor starts on the left side because Photoshop has a bit of a malfunction, but here's the full panorama. Enjoy! 9528x960
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a10228a.thumbnail.jpg "Manhattan: 102 Years Ago")
- Military Family: 1865
- ... Pacific Railroad to Salt Lake City; served as Secretary of War, 13 March 1869–6 September 1869; died in office in Washington, D.C., on 6 ... Rawlins was U.S. Grant's closest associate during the Civil War and served as Secretary of War during Grant's presidency but only for ... Posted by Dave - 04/21/2009 - 10:28am -
![1865. "City Point, Virginia. Brig. Gen. John A. Rawlins, wife and child at Grant's headquarters." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size.
J.A.R.JOHN AARON RAWLINS was born in Galena, Illinois, on 13 February 1831; attended local schools followed by eighteen months at Rock River Seminary at Mount Morris, Illinois; studied law in the office of Isaac P. Stevens of Galena and was admitted to the bar in 1854; practiced law in partnership with Stevens and later with one of his own pupils, David Sheean; married his first wife, Emily Smith, 1856; was city attorney in 1857; was nominated a presidential elector on the Douglas ticket, 1860; helped organize the 45th Illinois Infantry and was designated a major in the regiment; was requested by Colonel Ulysses S. Grant of the 21st Illinois Infantry to accept a commission as lieutenant and assignment as Grant’s aide-de-camp; was appointed captain and assistant adjutant general of volunteers on Grant’s staff, 1861; lost his wife to tuberculosis; served as Grant’s principal adviser; was promoted to major in May 1862, lieutenant colonel in November 1862, and brigadier general of volunteers, August 1863; married Mary Hurlbut, 1863; was designated chief of staff of the Army, 1865; was brevetted major general of volunteers in February 1865 and of the regular army in April 1865; contracted tuberculosis; attempted to restore his health by accompanying Grenville Dodge on a survey of the proposed route of the Union Pacific Railroad to Salt Lake City; served as Secretary of War, 13 March 1869–6 September 1869; died in office in Washington, D.C., on 6 September 1869.
Hey, Mom, DadWhere's the rest of him?
WyomingIt should be noted that General Rawlins was U.S. Grant's closest associate during the Civil War and served as Secretary of War during Grant's presidency but only for a few months, dying of "consumption" in 1869. Rawlins, Wyoming, is named after him.
Press your pants?When was the crease in pant legs introduced? This senior officer, a brigadier general, does not sport one in the mid 1860s, as did most men in dress pants. To our modern eye the men look unkempt.
Hirsute legal eagleHe may not look like much, but Rawlins rose to the rank of brevet major general and bragidier general in the regular army by the end, or just after, the Civil War. His dates were 1831 to 1869.
He was an attorney in civilian life, served US Grant as an adjutant general, and became Grant's first Secretary of War.
Photos of men of this era often carry with them the effect that the gentlemen pictured are elderly. Here, in 1865, Rawlins is 33 or 34 years old.
US Grant was born in 1822. He was in his early 40s when he assumed the command of the Army of the Potomac.
To my eye, Robert E. Lee, who looks in his photos to have been in his 60s or 70s during the Civil War, was born in in 1807. He was really just in his 50s when he was commanding the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee was an age peer of President Lincoln (1809-1865), who was only 56 when he was assassinated. But Lincoln always appeared much older, in my view.
Must be the beards.
Rank has its privilegesIf this is the General's quarters, can you imagine the enlisted men's?
What's that thing What's that thing that looks bolted on to the right of the porch, by the chair?
[A boot scraper. - Dave]
Ubiquitous Boot ScraperThat boot scraper was the first thing I noticed! I can't help but think about the living conditions in what looks like a rough hut for a brig gen and his family. And yet, there is a boot scraper! Amazing. I wonder if just the officers got them and was that one of the distinctions between their quarters and the quarters of the enlisted men -- to maintain some bit of genteel civility by scraping one's boots?
General RawlinsThe General was not a combat soldier but served as the principal trusted adviser to Grant. He was present when Lincoln appointed Grant command of the Army of the Potomac.
SmokerI do believe that is Grant himself around the corner puffing a cigar. He did tend to sit with legs crossed.Those cigars ended up killing him.
(The Gallery, Civil War)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/03365a.thumbnail.jpg "Military Family: 1865")
- Lunch Among the Ruins: 1862
- Bull Run, Virginia, winter 1862-63. "Ruins of railroad bridge at Blackburn's Ford." From photographs of the main Eastern theater of the war, Second Battle of Bull Run (Battle of Second Manassas). Wet plate glass ... with a dam across the river.
(The Gallery, Civil War) ... Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 1:38pm -
![Bull Run, Virginia, winter 1862-63. "Ruins of railroad bridge at Blackburn's Ford." From photographs of the main Eastern theater of the war, Second Battle of Bull Run (Battle of Second Manassas). Wet plate glass negative. View full size.
150 Years agoI wonder if, 150 years from now, people will look back on our world and think it to be so primitive.
Maybe the two fellows in the photo had the same thought?
RR Bridge?Somebody want to make that read as a "railroad bridge" for me, or have I missed something? I do realize that's the original caption, but they've been wrong before. Then again, so have I.
[Do you not see the bridge? Or the rails? - Dave]
AnachronismSeems kinda early for a Ford dealership.
After lunchWell, after lunch was over, the men got down to brass tacks and rebuilt the durn thing.
Bindlestiffs!In the classic hobo style. Good thing they packed the fancy picnic basket, it'll be a while before a train comes along. Speaking of which, look at those tiny rails, and instead of ties, apparently they were nailed to planks, probably to facilitate use by wagons and pedestrians as well as trains.
Always time for lunchHunger happens, man. No matter the time or place. Fantastic photo. It might be fun to colorize this one.
Downright RomanticBottle of wine, picnic basket, babbling brook.
[Whiskey, according to the label. - Dave]
A hunk of cornbread, a bottle of hooch... and thou.
BreadcamI like the way that, in an impressive feat of technological prescience, the gent on the left has chewed his bread into the shape of a folding camera.
More photosAs we can see in Beachgirl's photo below, Federal troops rebuilt the bridge as a pontoon span. Some more pics by Mathew Brady here, both of the rail ford and the remains of a stone bridge.
[Interesting, although I'm not sure if any of those photos depict the location shown in the picnic photo. - Dave]
Manet, anyone?Without knowing the context, one could see this view as an unwitting adaptation of Édouard Manet’s "Déjeuner sur l’herbe" (Lunch on the Grass), painted in the very same year - 1862-1863 - minus the naked ladies, of course.
Centreville diningMidway between the world famous Yorkshire Diner and the now defunct Payne's Diner.
Bridge does look flimsyTrains were a lot lighter back then, but still probably at least as heavy as your typical 18-wheeler today. They also moved more slowly. Still, even with that taken into account, this bridge would probably not meet today's engineering standards.
The Picnic Is OverFrom the group of Brady pics mentioned earlier, same spot (White Oak Swamp) minus the picnic: Clicky here.
Misidentified Brady photosSeveral of Brady's Bull Run photos were misidentified. The lunch photo is of the ruins of the bridge that carried the track of the Confederate spur railroad from Manassas to Centreville. It crossed Bull run above Mitchell's ford, not Blackburn's. The pontoon bridge above crosses a river between Warrenton and Culpepper not far from Rt 29. There are several other photos of this bridge, including one from downstream with a dam across the river.
(The Gallery, Civil War)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/01546a.thumbnail.jpg "Lunch Among the Ruins: 1862")
- Prisoners of War: 1864
- ... poor rations most Confederates had in the last year of the war, so the Union rations must have been a relief. OTOH, they are may be en ... least you weren't getting shot at," may want to read up on Civil War prison camps. They were pretty horrific on both sides, and at Rock ... Posted by Dave - 11/05/2008 - 10:08pm -
- High Bridge: 1865
- ... From photographs of the main Eastern theater of war, the siege of Petersburg, June 1864-April 1865. Wet collodion glass plate ... half of stereograph pair, by Timothy H. O'Sullivan; from Civil War photographs compiled by Hirst Milhollen and Donald Mugridge. View ... Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:38pm -
- Ways of Going: 1865
- ... View full size.
Last Push You can really feel the war coming to an end in this picture. All the stops were pulled out with this ... laid around that bluff next to the river as seen in one civil war photograph. This was an important Union military center with trains ... Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 5:34pm -
- War and Peace: 1865
- ... days of parading and festivities marked the end of the Civil War. I've seen a picture of the official reviewing stand with President ... Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:14pm -
![May 1865. "Another artillery unit passing on Pennsylvania Avenue near the Treasury." Wet plate glass negative by Mathew Brady. View full size.
Victory ParadeThis is the victory parade of the Union Army. Three days of parading and festivities marked the end of the Civil War. I've seen a picture of the official reviewing stand with President Johnson, General Grant, and other notables. The stand was decorated with the names of battles.
It's so strangeto think my great-great grandpa could be in that crowd. I would love to find a picture of him during that time.
The RailsThose two sets of rails we see in the street...would some Shorpy history expert be able to say what ran on them? And it appears the rails themselves have an unusual design compared to a common railroad track. An no apparent rail ties underneath would indicate whatever rolled on those tracks couldn't have been too heavy.
[Those are streetcar tracks. - Dave]
Glass PlatesDoes anyone know anything about developing glass plate negatives?
ApugYou can likely find more information than you ever thought possible at http://www.apug.org
That's the Analog Photography Users Group and there are a lot of people doing "old school" photography.
AhaStreetcars. Thanks for the info. Your knowledge is so helpful in understanding the contents of these amazing photos.
Glass Plate PhotographyPhotos of this era are all "wet plate", a lengthy process in which the plate is coated with a chemical called a colloid, then placed in a light-proof holder for use in the camera. After exposure it must be developed before drying. Lots of info online. Sounds like a fascinating craft for someone with time and an interest in exacting hobbies. After around 1880 "dry plate" came in (thanks partly to George Eastman) and you could buy your plates ready- made and develop at your leisure.
(The Gallery, Civil War, D.C., Horses, Mathew Brady, Streetcars)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/02803u1.thumbnail.jpg "War and Peace: 1865")
- None Shall Pass: 1864
- ... some 23 photographers in his project to photograph the Civil War. He did some photography himself (1st Bull Run, Fredericksburg ... ), but a ... Posted by Dave - 10/13/2020 - 4:43pm -
![1864. "Federal cavalry guarding the Orange & Alexandria R.R. near Union Mills, Virginia." Wet plate glass negative by Mathew Brady -- National Archives. View full size.
Steeled for battleLooks like they're ready for a swordfight and hand-to-hand combat since there's nary a gun in sight!
SidearmedThere is one firearm, the pistol carried by the officer (who looks like a young Dustin Hoffman).
Napoleon complexThe officer holding the saber seems to have a mild case of the Bonaparte hand-in-jacket affectation.
All that's missing is a banjo and fiddleThis would make a great album cover for a bluegrass group.
ObscurityThe poor fellows in back didn't get much exposure.
Thanks GodFor the backup on the bridge behind. I almost missed it.
Roughing ItThis looks like the epitome of misery.
Where are we?Is there any way to pinpoint this location??
Entering "Union Mills, Virginia" into Google Maps brings you to a very, very rural area near Lake Monticello, and Charlottesville is more than just a few miles away. I guess nothing, not even a single piece, remains of these structures in the background???
Twilight Zone?This immediately brought to mind Robert Enrico's film of Bierce's "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" that was broadcast on the original Twilight Zone.
HelloAt first I did not think that this photo was that old since the guy in the middle was giving us a thumbs up. I didn't realized he was hiding this fingers. Maybe the first thumbs up ever.
Different Union MillsThe Orange & Alexandria RR never got anywhere near the Union Mills that Google shows us now.
This Union Mills was on Bull Run, close to Manassas Junction, which makes more sense given the apparent strategic importance evidenced by all the guards.
It does show up on some old railroad maps, such as this one from the Library of Congress:
http://www.loc.gov/item/91686259/
Still no joy in terms of any surviving remnants however.
When Union Mills stood prominenthttp://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2003/jan/29/when-union-mills-st...
Mathew Brady and "company"Mathew Brady employed some 23 photographers in his project to photograph the Civil War. He did some photography himself (1st Bull Run, Fredericksburg ... ), but a large portion of the project was shot by others. The images were released by Brady's studio and as a result were very frequently credited to Brady himself rather than the photographer who actually shot the images. In recent years, many of the images that were originally credited to Brady have been re-attributed to the actual photographer.
That you A.J.?While trying to google the current location, I came across a couple of sites that attribute the photo to A. J. Russell (formerly to Matthew Brady.) For example:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/268069
[Mathew. Not "Matthew." - Dave]
StockadeThe roofless building rear left looks like a classic “army fort” building -- log construction and second story overhang.
(The Gallery, Civil War, Mathew Brady, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY-4166312779.thumbnail.jpg "None Shall Pass: 1864")
- Occupied Atlanta: 1864
- 1864. Atlanta, Georgia. "Atlanta railroad depot and yard; Trout House and Masonic Hall in background." From a series of photographs, "War in the West," made by George N. Barnard. Wet-plate glass negative. View ... House when traveling east.
(The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Railroads) ... Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 2:45pm -
![1864. Atlanta, Georgia. "Atlanta railroad depot and yard; Trout House and Masonic Hall in background." From a series of photographs, "War in the West," made by George N. Barnard. Wet-plate glass negative. View full size.
"Sherman in Atlanta, September-November 1864. After three and a half months of incessant maneuvering and much hard fighting, General Sherman forced Hood to abandon the munitions center of the Confederacy. Sherman remained there, resting his war-worn men and accumulating supplies, for nearly two and a half months. During the occupation, George N. Barnard, official photographer of the Chief Engineer's Office, made the best documentary record of the war in the West; but much of what he photographed was destroyed in the fire that spread from the military facilities blown up at Sherman's departure on November 15."
GWTWThis photo was obviously taken before Sherman destroyed Atlanta as his troops were leaving town. This photo of the open space in the yards might have been used as the inspiration for the panoramic scene in "Gone With the Wind" showing the multitudes of the dead and dying Confederate troops, no?
[This picture was taken after the Great Fire of September 2, which marked Sherman's arrival in the city. - Dave]
View from the skyHere is a bit of a painting of "Atlanta in 1864" by Wilbur G. Kurtz as reproduced in "Yesterday's Atlanta" by Franklin M. Garrett. Your photo appears to be taken from the City Hall (?) building in the top left. The Trout House can clearly be seen in your photo beyond the station and what the legend of the painting calls the City Park. It also says that the building with the sloping roof to the right of the Trout House is the Masonic Hall.
The photo and painting don't quite match. The photo shows clear ground in the foreground while the painting shows houses. At the right the photo also shows what appears to be a circular building (locomotive roundhouse?). This can also be seen right at the end of the street in a previous post.
This was taken from the right of the painting image looking left with the large Franklin Printing House building clearly visible on the right hand side of the street. The legend of the painting mentions a roundhouse, but doesn't actually seem to show it.
What's there now? I dread to think.
The Great Fire of Sept. 2, 1864This is an excerpt from "Atlanta and Environs," Vol. 1, by native Atlanta historian Franklin Garrett. More here.
By midnight of September 1st most of the troops had left the city. But a few cavalrymen lingered. They had a special assignment. Hood had no idea of leaving behind, in usable condition, ammunition and military stores for the use of his adversary.
Shortly after midnight the citizens who had remained in the city were startled by a series of violent explosions from down the Georgia Railroad opposite Oakland Cemetery and the rolling mill.
Hood's ammunition trains, consisting of seven locomotives and 81 loaded cars, had been set afire to deny them to the Federals. As the flames reached each car, it exploded with a terrific din. Five hours were occupied in this work of demolition, which also included the rolling mill. Flames shot to a tremendous height and the exploding missiles scattered their red-hot fragments right and left. The earth trembled. Nearby houses rocked like cradles, while on every hand was heard the shattering of window glass and the fall of plastering and loose bricks. Hundreds of people flocked to high places and watched with breathless excitement the volcanic scene on the Georgia Railroad.
Fortunately all the citizens in the vicinity of the explosions had been ordered to leave their houses before the work of blowing up the ammunition trains commenced. Every building, for a quarter of a mile around was either torn to pieces or perforated with hundreds of holes by shell fragments. A new day was dawning when the last car let loose, and the last Confederate cavalrymen galloped out McDonough Road (Capitol Avenue) to rejoin Hood's retreating army.
Blow-UpIs it possible to enlarge the sign on the rear of the wagon in the center of the photo? Appears to be in sharp focus, but can't quite make out what it says, might be something interesting!
HotlantaRemember there were two fires in Atlanta -
The Great Fire of Sept 2 - this is the fire in GWTW and was caused when Hood burned up his ammunition trains -
The second fire was when Sherman left to March to the Sea on Nov 15 and the Union Army burned 'anything of value' to the Confederates and, well, things got out of hand -
From Sherman's Memoirs - About 7 a.m. of November 16th we rode out of Atlanta by the Decatur road, filled by the marching troops and wagons of the Fourteenth Corps; and reaching the hill, just outside of the old rebel works, we naturally paused to look back upon the scenes of our past battles. We stood upon the very ground whereon was fought the bloody battle of July 22d, and could see the copse of wood where McPherson fell. Behind us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. Away off in the distance, on the McDonough road, was the rear of Howard's column, the gun-barrels glistening in the sun, the white-topped wagons stretching away to the south; and right before us the Fourteenth Corps, marching steadily and rapidly, with a cheery look and swinging pace, that made light of the thousand miles that lay between us and Richmond. Some band, by accident, struck up the anthem of "John Brown's soul goes marching on;" the men caught up the strain, and never before or since have I heard the chorus of "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" done with more spirit, or in better harmony of time and place.
That ConcertI am currently doing a lot of research on the history of theater in Atlanta. One of my sources states that Sherman attended 17 band concerts in the old Atheneum (noted in the photo) during the Federal occupation. Since the last info appears to be the date of Nov. 8, it seems to be a rough advertisement for one of those concerts. The Atheneum was on the north side of Decatur Street just before the Trout House when traveling east.
(The Gallery, Atlanta, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Railroads)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/03475a.thumbnail.jpg "Occupied Atlanta: 1864")
- Charleston: 1865
- ... the round church on the left would be a ringer for a railroad roundhouse.
I wonder if the woman is dressed in mourning, and if ... hand, was never rebuilt.
(The Gallery, Charleston, Civil War, Geo. Barnard) ... Posted by Dave - 09/23/2011 - 1:19pm -
![April 1865. Charleston, South Carolina. "St. Philip's Church with ruins of Circular Church and Secession Hall." Casualties of the Great Fire of 1861. Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. View full size.
+145Below is the same view from June of 2010.
Cross sectionInteresting "cutaway" or cross-section view of the brick chimney on the right, across the street. Without the low brick walls, the round church on the left would be a ringer for a railroad roundhouse.
I wonder if the woman is dressed in mourning, and if she is, is he mourning a recently deceased victim of the fire, or is she mourning a loved one previouly buried in the cemetery. I guess it could be a recent victim who was just buried.
[The fire was in 1861 -- four years before this photo was made. - Dave]
Shorpy returns to CharlestonWhat a great series of post-bombadment photos, beginning with those of several months ago! History is often painful, but far more so when we see how we can hurt our own.
[As noted in the caption, these building were destroyed by fire four years before the photo as taken. - Dave]
A different view todayMust be from the other side of the church from where timeandagainphoto's pic was taken.
Re: +145The guy sitting on the wall has moved.
New CircularityThe Circular Congregational Church was eventually rebuilt-- in the 1890s. Apparently the ruins were simply left there for several decades until they were scavenged for bricks used to construct the Richardsonian Romanesque hulk which replaced the old church. Secession Hall, on the other hand, was never rebuilt.
(The Gallery, Charleston, Civil War, Geo. Barnard)](https://www.shorpy.com/files/images/SHORPY_02351a.thumbnail.jpg "Charleston: 1865")
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