Civil War Weekend - Period Dress

I asked one of the women, in a big hoop skirt, was it comfortable and she laughed long and loud, before she said NO. She said there are 8 layers of clothes to being in that period dress. Yowsa from me in my t-shirt and Capri pants.

 I have my mother shawl in the closet, that is identical to this one.

Enlarge to see the whiskey bottle, this is the nurse for the Confederate hospital

 Harriet Tubman was a black woman and called The Union Spymaster. She was the first woman in our history to lead a military expedition when she lead a night raid to free slaves from rice plantations.
Read about here here at Women Spies of the Civil War

There were hundreds of lady spies for both sides in this war. If you are interested, go to
Secret Agents In Hoop Skirts

 Trivia Facts from Aha Military Jokes

BIGGEST MAN... The biggest man in the Union Army was Capt. David Van Buskirk of the 27th Indiana Regiment who stood 6 feet 11 inches and weighed 380 pounds. He was captured in 1862 and was sent to a Richmond Prison where a Confederate entrepreneur put him on exhibit. Even Confederate President Jeff Davis came to see him and was astounded when the impish Van Buskirk claimed that back home in Bloomington Indiana, "when I was at the train station with my company , my six sisters came to say goodbye. As I was standing there, with my company, they all came up to me, leaned down and kissed me on top of the head."

 BATHROOM... Although not listed in the rules of war, soldiers on both sides did not shoot at the enemy when he was going to the bathroom

You should have seen these hoops skirted ladies trying to sit down on the train.

Civil War Weekend # 7

 The train rolled into the station and the soldiers filed off

 Some were carried.

The 2n Florida Volunteer Infantry Field Hospital was set up and waiting for the wounded.

 Many doctors who saw service in the Civil War had never been to medical school, but had served an apprenticeship in the office of an established practitioner.

Eighty percent of all wounds during the Civil War were in the extremities. Civil War Facts

In the battle of Gettysburg, 1,100 ambulances were in use. The medical director of the Union army boasted that all the wounded were picked up from the field within 12 hours after the battle was over. This was a far cry from the second battle of Bull Run, when many of the wounded were left on the field in the rain, heat, and sun for three or four days.  Civil War Facts

Above is the surgeon and the nurse with the whiskey bottle ready. the nurse was working on a soldier on the ground, the surgeon tapped her on the shoulder, she said I am busy, he tapped again, she turned the Doctor said "It's your son" and the soldier fell into her arms.  (these guys were talented actors)

Enlarge the photo above and you can see the dead man under the blanket peaking out and smiling at me.

 Above is cropped and edited edition of below photo and was used to create the header.

Tomorrow " Period Costumes".........

Civil War Weekend # 6

 My favorite Confederate Soldier boarded with his wounds and preceded to bellow with pain, all the way back to the hospital tent.

30 % of all Southern men between the ages of 18 and 40, died in this war.

9 million people lived in America at the time of the war, 3.4 million of those were slaves. they were freed at the end of the war.  Kids Civil War Facts

 Confederate sitting, wounded, his guard standing, also wounded, the man yelling to the nurse to bring the whiskey.

 Above the surgeon and his assistant. SHE WAS IN PANTS!!!! and they proceeded to make the soldiers howl with their ministrations to them. see below.

The youngest Union soldier was carried on board, gut shot.....  to be continued... j
just two more, hang in there.

Civil War Weekend # 5

The train slowed, then stopped, I looked out the window. Rebel soldiers, hiding in the bushes

MadSnapper is madly clicking out the open window

One of the soldier spots me and gives me the SHHHHH sign. I smile and nod  (click on photo to see how handsome he is, I had spent time talking with this soldier in his camp,)

 Suddenly they stand and fire

I rush to the next car to see what they are firing at. It's those Union Solders, AGAIN

They Fire, then kneel to reload the long muskets.

On Union soldier is below me, firing from the ditch

 A Confederate soldier pops out of the water tower and fires at the Unions soldiers.

 NOOOO!!! he's hit!

 They advance and the soldiers on the train with us jump off the train run on the battle field

The Confederates were out numbered, both sides had soldiers fallen in the battle

 The General ordered the wounded on board the train to take them to the hospital tent at the train station.

To Be Continued.......

there were 100 men in a company and 10 companies in a Regiment. One New York regiment included 30 school masters.
Disease killed twice as many men as battle wounds did.  Civil War Facts

Civil War Weekend # 4

As we sat on the train, waiting for the train to pull out of the station, a lady yelled, "They're Comin!" 

 The Confederates fired, smoke rose.

 Unions Soldiers fired back, keeping the Rebels away from the train.

The Union soldiers ran for the train and boarded dragging the wounded with them

An Iowa regiment had a rule that any man who uttered an oath should read a chapter in the Bible. Several of them got nearly through the Old Testament. Civil War Facts

Union soldiers did not all wear the Dark Blue uniforms, there were other shades and different colors.

 There were more Northern-born Confederate generals than Southern-born Union generals.
Civil War Facts

The General boarded last and the train began to move...... to be continued