NARA Collection lc — Collection lc

Original caption: There is no necessity to tell the "boys" what this is; they all remember the old chorus of the old army song about "Hard Tack:" "Many days we have crunched you until our jaws are sore, Oh! "Soft Bread" come again once more."

Original caption: Each day a new guard is detailed, and before they relieve the old guard of the previous day, they are paraded and inspected by the "Officer of the Day." This view shows a "guard mounting" 1 of the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry at Headquarters Army of the Potomac, Brandy Station, Va., April 7, 1864.

Original caption: Old John Burns has been celebrated in song and history for the brave part he voluntarily took in the great fight. He was an old citizen of the town of Gettysburg, who, when the battle began, took his old flint-lock musket and went into the Union ranks to fight for his Country. He was wounded three times; this picture was taken after the battle as he sat in his old arm chair near his cottage door recovering from his wounds.

Original caption: Sometimes in order to give the enemy an idea that we had more cannon than we really possessed, our troops would make imitation cannon out of big logs, and mount them on such wheels as they could get hold of. At a distance these resembled a battery of artillery, and so served their purpose in deceiving the enemy. This mock battery was made by the 79th New York, at Seabrook Point, Port Royal Island, S. C., December, 1861.

Original caption: This Block House was erected for the protection of the Knoxville & Chattanooga Railroad. It is about four miles from Chattanooga.

Original caption: This is an exterior view of a Rebel redoubt on the south bank of the North Anna River. The guns of this redoubt commanded the Chesterfield bridge. The Second Corps crossed the river and captured this redoubt May 23, 1864. The artillery at the embrasure, the shelter tents, the groups of soldiers are all as natural as life.

Original caption: When the Rebel army were forced to evacuate their Capitol at Richmond, they set fire to the city, exploded the powder in their magazines and did their worst to entirely destroy the city. The Union troops came in as conquerers and immediately set to work with a will to extinguish the fires and save as much of the city as possible, but before the fires could be quenched, over 700 buildings were in ruins. This is a view of the depot of the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad. The ruined building and the ruined locomotive shows what destruction war brings.

Original caption: The negroes who ran away from slavery and came into the Union lines, were employed by the Government as teamsters, laborers, &c. They were happy, good-natured fellows, and made lots of fun for the soldiers. This is a characteristic group of the contrabands, as they were called, standing in front of their rough-built shanty to have their pictures taken.

Original caption: A characteristic view of a big load of "contrabands" coming into our lines.

Original caption: This view shows two of the boats (of which the army bridge is made) on wheels ready for the march. Each pontoon wagon is drawn by six mules. These pontoons were always getting stuck in the mud, and the soldiers, struggling along under their own burdens, were obliged to haul on the drag ropes, and raise the blockade. Probably no soldier will see this view without being reminded of the time when lie helped to pull these pontoons out of the mud, and comforted himself by swearing at the mules.

Original caption: The boats and timbers forming this bridge are carried on wheels. When the army needs a bridge, the boats are quickly launched, and anchored parallel with the current, the timbers are soon laid; a bridge is thus formed, strong enough to permit the army to cross with the cannon and trains. The boats are then taken up, replaced on the wheels and are carried with the army.

Original caption: The Sutler or army storekeeper was the fellow who got the most of the soldier's pay. Sardines, canned peaches, ginger cakes, condensed milk, plug tobacco, etc., etc., at extremely high prices, found ready sale on pay day and for the few days thereafter that the money lasted, but with condensed milk at a dollar per can, and other things in proportion, thirteen dollars per month did not prove sufficient to keep a fellow in cash more than one or two days per month. This is the tent of Johnson, the sutler of the 2d Division, 9th Corps.