The Civil War Through the CameraElson, Henry W. (Henry William)
History
The Civil War Through the Camera
Elson, Henry W. (Henry William)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Pictorial works
WRECKED ORDNANCE. (Gun exploded by the Confederates on General Hill's
rampart, Yorktown.) Although the Confederates abandoned 200 pieces of
ordnance at Yorktown, they were able to render most of them useless before
leaving. Hill succeeded in terrorizing the Federals with grape-shot, and
some of this was left behind. After the evacuation the ramparts were
overrun by Union trophy seekers. The soldier resting his hands upon his
musket is one of the Zouaves whose bright and novel uniforms were so
conspicuous early in the war. This spot was directly on the line of the
British fortification of 1781.
[Illustration]
ANOTHER VOICELESS GUN. (Confederate ramparts southeast of Yorktown.) A
32-pounder Navy gun which had been burst, wrecking its embrasure. The
Federal soldier seated on the sand-bags is on guard-duty to prevent
camp-followers from looting the vacant fort.
[Illustration]
THE MISSING RIFLE. (Extensive sand-bag fortifications of the Confederates
at Yorktown.) The shells and carriage were left behind by the
Confederates, but the rifled gun to which they belonged was taken along in
the retreat. Such pieces as they could not remove they spiked.
[Illustration]
GUNS THE UNION LOST AND RECOVERED. (A two-gun Confederate battery in the
entrenchments south of Yorktown.) The near gun is a 32-pounder navy; the
far one, a 24-pounder siege-piece. More than 3,000 pieces of naval
ordnance fell into the hands of the Confederates early in the war, through
the ill-advised and hasty abandonment of Norfolk Navy Yard by the
Federals. Many of these guns did service at Yorktown and subsequently on
the James River against the Union.
[Illustration: COPYRIGHT BY PATRIOT PUB. CO.]
THE CONFEDERATE COMMAND OF THE RIVER. (Battery Magruder, Yorktown.)
Looking north up the river, four of the five 8-inch Columbiads composing
this section of the battery are visible. The grape-shot and spherical
shells, which had been gathered in quantities to prevent the Federal fleet
from passing up the river, were abandoned on the hasty retreat of the
Confederates, the guns being spiked. The vessels in the river are
transport ships, with the exception of the frigate just off shore.
[Illustration: THE GOAL--THE CONFEDERATE CAPITOL]
TWO KEEPERS OF THE GOAL
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