Sepia Saturday – Strange in a Strange Uniform

Posted on October 26, 2012 by kathy

Okay – I know this isn’t the prompt for this week, but I spent too much time on it to just let it sit here. If I find the time, I’ll work on the one I’m supposed to do for this week. 🙂

The Sepia Saturday prompt for Oct. 13th brought to mind a photograph of my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, John Sylvester Strange. I had a terrible time pulling the post together, and finally went with something completely different. I was making it too hard. Allow me to begin again….

John Sylvester Strange served in Company K of the 49th Indiana Infantry during the Civil War. The unit mustered in on November 21, 1861 and mustered out on November 28, 1864. As an infantry unit, they traveled 8,000 miles during those three years.

But this post is not about the details of John Sylvester Strange’s military service. This post is about his uniform.

John Sylvester Strange

One of my cousins has this picture hanging in her home (hopefully a better copy). A painter, working in her home, took an interest in it because he is a Civil War re-enactor. He thought the unusual design on the jacket indicated that J. S. Strange was a musician. We had heard that our ancestor was a chaplain, but never that he was a musician.

I scoured lots of Civil War images online and finally found a clue on a website (now inactive) about the 12th Indiana Regiment.

Man in 12th IN Zouave uniform

The unidentified man pictured left had the same trefoil design on his uniform jacket. The picture was listed under the heading “2nd Issue, or Zouave uniform“.

“Manufactured by tailor Jacob Staub, on [sic] Indianapolis, Indiana and purchased by the men of the 12th IN in December 1863. They wore their veteran zouave jackets with their false-vests for the duration of their enlistments. Officers and enlisted men both wore the zouave jackets. Officer’s jackets had 3 small brass buttons on the cuffs Some men wore dark blue trowsers with their jackets, but this is a large minority of the regiment. The men wore plan [sic] forage caps with the uniform, as per a standing order from their Brigade commander.”

John Sylvester Strange

The 1st Issue, or Regulation Uniform, it continued, “was issued by the Federal government and consisted of the Army-issued sack coat or frock-coat and a forage hat.”

In the picture on the right, J. S. Strange is wearing his Regulation Uniform frock coat. Before muster, many men had studio pictures taken in their uniforms. It is interesting to me that J. S. Strange was not photographed with any of the accoutrements of a soldier. No hat, no gun – just the coat and pants.

Union Musician on left

Rather than indicating status as a musician, J. S. Stange’s jacket in the first photograph was part of a Zouave uniform. The soldier pictured at left is wearing the uniform of a musician and carrying a musician’s sword (and forage cap).

So what is a Zouave? And why were North American Civil War soldiers wearing Zouave uniforms?

French Zouave, Crimean War

The New York 5th Infantry is one of the more famous Zouave units. As explained on their website: “The Zouave movement began in Algiers, North Africa, which French forces captured in 1830. Indigenous troops from the Zouaoua tribe who offered to serve in the occupying army were accepted into two battalions under French officers in order to protect the city and maintain peace. By 1831, King Louis Philippe of France sanctioned the use of these special Algerian Arab regiments which became known as Zouaves. The

Jules Marie Deluen, Papal Zouave uniform, Nantes, France

French Zouave corps adopted the military tactics and non-western clothing of the North African troops which featured baggy trousers, short open jackets and Arab headgear – the dress of the local Turkish and African population. The ranks filled quickly with soldiers who were attracted to the adventurous life of the Zouaves, their unique esprit de corps which bound them together like a family, and relative freedom compared to the garrison life in France.”

“Of all the Civil War soldiers, the ZOUAVES (zoo’-ahvs) stand out as the most colorful and distinctive. The picturesque stye of the Zouave soldiers’ dress, their unique drill tactics and fearless demeanor in battle earned the original French Zouaves and their American counterparts the reputation of being 19th-century models of dashing gallantry and military discipline.”

Some Civil War units drilled and practiced quick-step marching and other Zouave tactics. Others simply adopted the uniform style.

Co. G. 114th VA Zouaves

African American soldier in Union Zouave uniform

J.R. Sitter – J.K. Burnham Co. A 76th P.Y.

Life in Camp, Part 2

Godey’s lady’s book 1862

If you are interested in learning more about the Zouaves or Civil War uniforms, you might take a look here, here, here, here, or here.

Quick step on over to the Sepia Saturday blog and see what’s in store today.

Sepia Saturday – Charles’ and Abbie’s Place

Posted on September 14, 2012 by kathy

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

When I saw this prompt, there was no doubt about what I would be sharing today. My grandparents, Charles and Abbie Webber Smith, owned a truckstop/grocery store/cafe in southeastern Iowa during the 1950s and 60s.

I categorize some of my posts as “Life at The Hedrick Y” because my grandparents’ business and home and my Dad(Jerry)’s business and sometimes his home were all located at what the locals called the Hedrick Y. This old map shows the intersection of highways 63 and 149.

The Hedrick Y

You can see a portion of the “Y” created by the intersection in this photograph.

The Y created a nice little triangular park. My grandfather built the picnic tables you can see in the lower right. That little square patch near the picnic tables was a grill where we occasionally grilled hot dogs or hamburgers.

The house on the left was my Dad(Jerry)’s. The buildings in the middle were his motorcycle shop – storefront, mechanic’s garage, and warehouse. On the right is the truckstop/cafe/grocery store with my grandparent’s home attached on the far right. There was another little house hidden by the trees behind the truckstop. My great aunt and uncle, Norman and Irene Webber, lived there for several years. The oval track in the back is where my dad, a professional motorcycle competitor, practiced. Their property was surrounded on two sides by cornfields – not sure what’s growing on the other side.

The aerial photo above was taken after major rebuilding, so let’s look at a few older pictures….

I lived the first two years of my life at the Hedrick Y. That’s a trophy sitting on the counter in front of my mom. It must have been a good day for my dad.

I tried to zoom in on the signs by the door into the kitchen, but I never could read the small print on the one that says KEEP OUT OF THE KITCHEN. The one on the upper right of the door says: We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. And the sign above the cigarettes: LUCKIES TASTE BETTER!

Mom and me at the lunch counter 1953

When I was a month old, my mom, grandmother, grandfather, and great-grandmother all took a picture with me sitting in the same spot in front of a brick post. I won’t bore you with all 4 pictures – nor the one with Kay, the dog.

Grandpa Charles and Me

It looks like there was a grocery delivery that day – lots of boxes in the background. Abbie did a lot of handwork, including crochet. The large doily hanging on the post was probably one she made.

And here I am in my baby buggy right by the Conoco oil display…

What is that?

Those must be Grandpa’s Conoco overalls hanging by the door. Grandma’s sewing machine is in the background… guess she did some sewing when there were no customers.

And I’m trying to figure out what the contraption is on the wall by the door…

Unfortunately, I cut away part of the picture below when I was a kid. I wanted the picture to fit in my wallet. I wish I hadn’t done that. The rest of the sign might have been in the picture.

Me and Mom in hats

I’m guessing this was Easter 1954. Even after the original building was torn down, the water pump on the far left remained. I enjoyed pumping water. Of course, I was a kid, and we didn’t really need to pump water any more. A game to me that I am sure had been a chore to my elders.

Candy?

There were advantages to spending my days at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s. I believe I must be oohing and ahhing over some sweet treats.

Hugs from Grandpa… who might have a little grease on him sometimes. I’m including this unfortunately blurry picture because of the Joe Lewis poster which has replaced Grandma’s doily on the brick post.

Oh my – now that I’ve started I don’t know where to stop! I think I have at least another 3 posts worth of pictures and stories to go. I’ll just finish up briefly and try to do the rest on another day or three.

I don’t really have any memories of the place at this young age. And, although I only lived here for two years, the Hedrick Y remained a big part of my life for much longer. I spent every other Saturday at the Y as a little girl, and when Mom remarried and we moved away, I came back for a month every summer and alternate Christmases. I do have a lot of memories of those days.

So I’ll close with just a couple more pictures…