. The photographic history of the Civil War : thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities . GRANTS SOLDIERS DIGGING POTATOES—ON THE MARCH TO COLD HARBOR, MAY 28, 1864 These boys of the Sixth Corps have cast aside their heavy accouterments, blankets, pieces of shelter-tent, and rubber blankets, and setcheerfully to digging potatoes from a roadside garden patch. One week later their corps will form part of the blue line that willrush toward the Confederate works—then stagger to cover, with ten thousand men killed, wounded, or missing in a period com-puted less
. The photographic history of the Civil War : thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities . GRANTS SOLDIERS DIGGING POTATOES—ON THE MARCH TO COLD HARBOR, MAY 28, 1864 These boys of the Sixth Corps have cast aside their heavy accouterments, blankets, pieces of shelter-tent, and rubber blankets, and setcheerfully to digging potatoes from a roadside garden patch. One week later their corps will form part of the blue line that willrush toward the Confederate works—then stagger to cover, with ten thousand men killed, wounded, or missing in a period com-puted less than fifteen minutes. When Grant found that he had been out-generaled by Lee on the North Anna River, he immediatelyexecuted a flank movement past Lees right, his weakest point. The Sixth Corps and the Second Corps, together with Sheridans cavalry,were used in the flank movement and secured a more favorable position thirty-five miles nearer Richmond. It was while Sedgwicks[198]. or pub CO FORAGING A WEEK BEFORE THE BLOODIEST ASSAULT OF THE WAR Sixth Corps was passing over the canvas pontoon-bridges across the Pamunkey at Hanovertown, May 28, 18C4, that this photographwas taken. When the foragers in the foreground have exhausted this particular potato-field, one of the wagons of the quartermasterstrain now crossing on the pontoon will halt and take aboard the prize, carrying it forward to the next regular halt, when the potatoeswill be duly distributed. Not alone potatoes, but wheat and melons and turnips, or any other class of eatables apparent to the soldierseye above ground, were thus ruthlessly appropriated. This incongruous episode formed one of the many anomalies of the life of thesoldier on the march. Especially when he was approaching an enemy, he relaxed and endeavored to secure as much comfort as possible.
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Keywords: ., bookauthormillerfrancistrevelya, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910
