Image: Capt. Henry Alanson Barnum, Co. I, 12th New York Infantry

Later Brig. Gen. Henry A. Barnum (Library of Congress)

Thrice wounded Henry A. Barnum demonstrates the cleaning of his Malvern Hill injury (https://www.gettysburgdaily.com/culps-hill-part-4-licensed-battlefield-guide-charlie-fennell/)

Tour Etched (Chemically) In Glass

We had a modest (15 people) turnout for our tour on June 9, but the small crowd allowed for a lot of back and forth with our guide John Cummings. John managed to convincingly upset a few apple carts full of interpretations of the locations of period photos on the battlefield. All in all, it was a good day.

One of the highlights of the day was a demonstration of the wet plate photography process by Robert Szabo, at the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society in Centreville. First he painstakingly demonstrated the whole process, out of his mobile darkroom right there in the parking lot:

Robert Szabo and his mobile darkroom

Then he set up the camera for a shot of the group:

Next, he posed the group near this reproduction winter quarters hut:

After the exposure (one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand), the magic happened:

The final product – click on the image twice and you get a super huge version:

Bull Runnings Tour 4/7/2018 Update – Reading List

Here’s a recommended reading list for the tour. Books and some blog posts. Download whatever you think you need. If you download to a mobile device (phone, tablet), I recommend you download to the device itself, as cell reception is spotty out on the field.

Stay tuned for more news on handouts prior to our deployment.

Books:

• Manassas Battlefield Then and Now, by Garry E. Adelman. This gives you a good basis on the historical photos of the field.
• Mathew Brady’s First Manassas: A Biography and Battlefield Tour, by Dennis Hogge. It’s all in there, and will serve you well when we get to Centreville.
• A Photographic Guide to The First Battle of Manassas, by John R. Smith. Good modern photos of the field, but I can’t find it on the web. I got mine at the Manassas NBP visitor’s center. Small pamphlet.
• The Battle of First Bull Run, Manassas Campaign – July 16-22, 1861: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide, by Blaikie Hines. Lots of good stuff.
• Gettysburg: A Journey in Time, by William A. Frassanito. Everything you’ll need to know about photograph forensics.

Posts

• Let’s start with this post from John Cummings. A primer, so to speak.
• This post and this post from John Hennessy, about the ubiquitous Thornberry kids.
• Here’s one from me – and it appears where I thought these photos were taken is not where they were taken at all.
• Another one from me – a rare photo which raises more questions than it answers.

Bull Runnings Battlefield Tour 2018

Bull Runnings tour attendees 2016

Ladies and gentlemen! The moment you’ve been waiting for… the pride of, well, something…the not-very-regular Bull Runnings tour at Manassas National Battlefield Park (and environs)!!!!

Our last tour, in 2016, was, I think, a success, so I’ve decided to try another. A little different take this time, but one I think you’ll dig.

On Saturday, April 7, we’ll meet at the battlefield for a unique experience touring the field (and environs) through photographs. Our guest guides:

John Cummings is a Visual Historian with a primary focus on Civil War era image analysis. He is the author of three books on the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania region. He has also written for several national and local magazines and newspapers, and provided historical research and commentary for four documentary films. He provides battlefield guide services, and research assistance to visitors. He served on the former Spotsylvania Courthouse Tourism and Special Events Commission, and is the chairperson for the Friends of the Fredericksburg Area Battlefields, (FoFAB). Originally from Fairfax, Virginia, where he spent a great deal of time on the Manassas battlefield, he now lives with his wife, Karen, in Spotsylvania County. He publishes a the Spotsylvania Civil War Blog.

Dennis Hogge is the author of Matthew Brady’s First Manassas: A Biography and Battlefield Tour. A lifelong resident of Northern Virginia, he is a member of the Bull Run Civil War Round Table, the Friends of Historic Centreville, the Historic Centreville Society, the Lane-Armistead Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the Williamsburg Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

John describes the tour thus:

We will discuss wartime photo documentation of the battlefield, examine camera locations, true and false, and place late 19th century images used to illustrate memoirs published by the Century Magazine in their “Battles and Leaders” series. From the battlefield we can regroup at Centreville, site of Confederate winter camps and fortifications.

I can make no promises, but if last time is any indication there should be plenty of very experienced and knowledgeable Civil War scholars in attendance. That will leave lots of opportunity for back and forth between not only attendees and guides, but between attendees themselves. Remember though that this tour is for folks with all levels of experience.

Caravan tour. Consolidation of passengers and vehicles is vital. No charge, but everything is on your own.

More details to follow. But for now, save the date, April 7, 2018. I’ll need to get a feel for how many folks are planning to attend, so I’ll set up an event page on Facebook. Facebook is free. If you’re reading this, you have access to a computer. Don’t be a curmudgeon.

Just for giggles, who thinks they’re in for this? Comment here.

 

 

Image: Corp. William Pittenger, Co. G, 2nd Ohio Infantry

Corp. William Pittenger, 2nd Ohio Infantry (from this site)

Image: 2nd Lt. George Armstrong Custer, Co. G, 2nd U. S. Cavalry

Cadet George Armstrong Custer, USMA Class of 1861 Album (Buffalo Bill Center of the West)

Image: Lt. James P. Drouillard, Aide to Major George Sykes, U. S. Regulars

Lt. James Pierre Drouillard, Aide to Major George Sykes, as a West Point Cadet (see this site)