Old Pics

[Will Ketchum]

I have seen the picture many times and have often wondered about his outfit.

I doubt if we will ever know.

Will Ketchum

[Frenchie]

I doubt if we will ever know.

By which you mean, "Frenchie, this isn't something worth biting someone's head off." You're right, and I apologize.

[River City John]

Second Lieutenant Read, Third Infantry ["The Old Guard"] and Chief of Scouts John O. Austin examine the body of hunter Ralph Morrison, who had been killed and scalped near Fort Dodge, Kansas, 7 December 1868, less than an hour before.
(Smithsonian Institution National Anthropological Archives, Bureau of American Ethnology Collection)

Apparently scouts didn't always dress in rough-and-ready field gear. Chief of Scouts Austin would be quite at home in a fancy gambling parlor. Or maybe he'd been in one when he got the word that he was needed quickly. In any case, he cuts quite a dashing figure.

Now it wouldn't be that one of the pastimes of the 19th century seemed to be photographing death. Or better yet, having yourself in the picture with said dead body. Think of all the death photos of the Daltons, 'Bloody Bill' Anderson, Wes Hardin. . .countless others either in situ or propped up on a board or on the mortician's slab. Or still dangling from the hanging tree.

Considering the photography equipment that needed to be carried around and the process, any picture like this is 'staged' in a sense. The chemicals used had to be mixed and used fresh, so it's not like it was a quick snapshot.

I can just see someone running into Fort Dodge squawking that they'd found a scalped body just over the hill, and the good people, including the local 'likeness artist', scurrying out to see it.
"Here, Lieutenant, you and , oh. . YOU!- Yes, you Sir,. . . kneel behind the body as if discovering it just now. Yes, yes! Put on the gauntlets."

Even in the Civil War neither Matthew Brady or his peers were above 'rearranging' elements, including bodies or parts of bodies, for effect.
No way of knowing what the Lt. or Scout were actually doing prior to this photo, but both of them seem a bit too fresh to have been out in the field on duty. I feel too it's convenient that the victim seems to be nicely laid out, with his head turned just so. And not looking like a pin cushion with arrows? Maybe not that particular tribe's way of doing things.
Oh well.    

[Boot]

Frenchie,
            I was not critasing your post in any way, I think it's a great picture and one that should be viewed, unfortunatley it's one of those that can be misleading, particully for those new to the scene and I was only attempting to address that point.

I think River City John has summed it up pretty well in his post.


Boot.

[Henry4440]

Second Lieutenant Read, Third Infantry ["The Old Guard"] and Chief of Scouts John O. Austin examine the body of hunter Ralph Morrison, who had been killed and scalped near Fort Dodge, Kansas, 7 December 1868, less than an hour before.
(Smithsonian Institution National Anthropological Archives, Bureau of American Ethnology Collection)

Apparently scouts didn't always dress in rough-and-ready field gear. Chief of Scouts Austin would be quite at home in a fancy gambling parlor. Or maybe he'd been in one when he got the word that he was needed quickly. In any case, he cuts quite a dashing figure.

Great pic!!!!!!

[River City John]

One subtle detail you see on quite a few images of Civil War dead on the battlefield, . . .someone has rifled through the dead man's pockets leaving them partially turned out.

Corpse robbing, the second oldest profession.

[Henry4440]

Williiam 'Medicine Bill' Comstock.
At the age of 26, Comstock, because of his great knowledge of Indian languages, was chief of scouts and interpreter at Fort Wallace, Kansas. He was the favorite scout of General Phil Sheridan and General Armstrong Cuter. He was nationally known as the "Ace of Scouts." His  great uncle was James Fenimore Cooper.
Charles E. Chase, an old Indian fighter, who knew both Cody and Comstock quite well, said in published comments. "Cody was a good man, but Comstock - and I am not alone in this - was a better man."



Lt.Frederick H. Beecher ( with his Henry rifle) and some officers of the 7th Cavalry at Fort Wallace,1867

[Books OToole]

Notice:  Comstock's vest has no lapels.  And he died in 1868.

Books

[Fox Creek Kid]

No way of knowing what the Lt. or Scout were actually doing prior to this photo, but both of them seem a bit too fresh to have been out in the field on duty.

The man was killed just outside the fort walls and the photo was fresh.  I have the whole description of the event in an old "Man At Arms" article on the Spencer in the Frontier. However at present the article is buried in my garage. Lt. Reade's Spencer sporting rifle recently sold for $67,500.00 Here is the link:  http://www.gmartin-auctions.com/gma/toplots/spring2005toplots.html


In the group photo the officer in the slouch hat is Capt. Albert Barnitz, 7th Cav. Lt. James Bell, 7th Cav. is the one sitting with the Spencer and of course, Fred Beecher holding the Henry rifle, 3rd Inf. & acting post adjutant at the time of the photo in 1867 at Ft. Wallace.

Note the "luxuorious" quarters behind the men. Nothing like a John Wayne movie is it?