Which of these fine Union officers would you like to hang out with?

[janx]

Poll question: Which of these fine Union officers would you like to hang out with?

From left to right and then the guy sitting down:

[ET Awful]

1. I refuse to answer, because in that day and age, "hang with"

had an entirely different meaning. :scared:

[janx]

7. I hesitated, but ironically, I didn't want to make it sexual.

The idea is just to let people sit back and look at the pic--then imagine character. I discovered this pic tonight and am very taken with it.

[ET Awful]

12. I was thinking more along the lines of gallows humor

quite literally :)

[janx]

28. Sorry. I'm slow tonight. n/t

[clydefrand]

2. None of them! Where are the Confederate officers?

Jeb Stuart was kinda cute. :-) Now, Robert E. Lee, was a gentleman! I'll take him.

And hanging means? Literally? or hanging out with?

[janx]

10. No, I just meant someone you'd spend time with--

just an overall impression.

Edit: I'll edit the language for clarity.

[meganmonkey]

3. The guy with his arms crossed has a kind of saucy 'come hither' look

And the guy to his right is checking him out, too!

:P

[janx]

14. The guy with almost no beard is a young guy.

The guy with arms crossed came to North America from...FRANCE!

But more later. I just want to see the outcome of the poll. This is fun.

[Capn Sunshine]

33. I was going to mention his uniform is different

similar to a West Pointer.

[janx]

36. There were a lot of young kids who fought in the Civil War.

Maybe that guy is one of them. It might be a matter of rank. I'm not sure if he is an officer, but my knowledge of those things is not good.

[claudiajean]

51. He was assigned from the adjutant-general's corps of his home state...

...sort of the national guard unit of his home state at the time.

So basically, the young guy was an officer with the permanent state militia, as opposed to either the permanent US Army, as the West pointers were assigned, or the state regiments organized purely for the purpose of fighting the civil war, and disbanded thereafter.

And he was young, but not super young.

The poster whose daughter picked him out would have looked forward to an extremely prosperous future had she wed him...

[efhmc]

4. Are you insane.? Yankee and damn were one word where I grew up.

[charlyvi]

5. And still are where I live.

[jobycom]

8. Well, to be fair, they do have a first name

Usually, "God." As in "God Damnyankee."

I wouldn't hang with any of them, but I might watch.

[efhmc]

18. Well, we were genteel ladies in my house and left the GD yankees

epithet to the men.

[efhmc]

16. And there is a reason for that.

[janx]

15. Well then pretend they're Confederate officers.

I'm just looking at a reaction to character.

Edit: If it makes you feel any better, at least two of these guys were dead within days of this photo--but that's not the point.

[efhmc]

21. Sorry, no can do but as a human, mother, woman person, I feel real

pain and hurt for any and all young men that are sent to war and die because men can not learn to live and love and work together to make things right. God help us all. So little has changed in over 140 years.

[janx]

23. That is true. n/t

[charlyvi]

41. Why would that make us feel better.

We're not bloodthirsty; we just wouldn't want to hang around with any "fine" union soldiers. That's our reaction.

[janx]

42. You are basing your reaction on another post.

Do you really carry that kind of provincialism in your heart today?

Because if the same thing had been asked of me about a pic of some Confederates, I would not have had some weird-ass, knee-jerk reaction. I would have looked at them and used my imagination and imagined my favorites.

That's all I was asking.

[charlyvi]

43. I'm not provincial.

I was raised in the third largest city in this nation--a northern city. You asked for our reaction, we gave it. Calling said reaction "weird ass" and "knee jerk" is uncalled for--if you don't approve, we don't care.

For you to say to us "if it makes you feel any better, two of these guys were dead within days of this photo" was insulting and mean spirited. No one feels any "better" for knowing that. It truly was a callous and tactless remark.

[janx]

45. As I go back through the history of the posts, no.

You are wrong. Go back through the history, one by one.

[janx]

39. So you still feel that way?

?

[graywarrior]

6. Armcross is HOT

[jobycom]

11. I think Billy Crudup should play him. The one to his right should be

Matthew Broderick.

[janx]

25. So I take it you voted for him.

He is currently the front-runner, but only by one vote.

[Deja Q]

9. Wouldn't they all be rather old? That aside, 3rd from left standing up.

:D

[graywarrior]

13. Really. I think you're attracted to his hat tilt

[janx]

31. And he is different from the rest. He's younger, and he

only has one row of buttons on his shirt.

[Deja Q]

50. Well, it is a little, eh, bent, isn't it?

:evilgrin:

[janx]

17. Well yes, they are dead.

The one with almost no beard is a tall, young guy though. My 16-year-old daughter had to choose him.

[jobycom]

20. Necrophilia. When you're dying for a hunk!

I know, I know. Sick.

[janx]

30. Yes, but I just want initial reactions to these guys as if they

were alive. This is an amazing pic.

[claudiajean]

56. She would have made a good choice...

...he led a very accomplished life after the war.

[DS1]

19. Oh, what a surprise! Artillery Officers are good at being motionless

:eyes:

[janx]

22. Yes, they were. Especially after the Battle of Cold Harbor.

But that's not the point; I'm just trying to get some reactions here.

[DS1]

24. In that case, judging by things such as body language

and their treatment of weapons - the guy on the far right.

[janx]

26. Yeah. He looks pretty serious.

And his facial hair is a little different from that of the rest. But actually, if you showed these guys to some parents in the 1950's (without the context and uniforms), the parents may have become upset.

[TankLV]

27. 3rd from left guy is the cutest.

But that's all I have to go on.

[janx]

29. That's good. That's enough. n/t

[janx]

32. We need some more votes. This is not enough for a representative

sample.

[Capn Sunshine]

34. I'm down with sword leaner guy

He's got a stash of something in his coat.

[janx]

35. And whatever it is, he's reaching for it!

He and #2, the crossed arms guy, were dead shortly after this photo. There may have been other slain ones in the pic as well, but I know that the first two were. There is some interesting history behind this photo.

Do you think the Confederates found his stash?

[Cheswick2.0]

37. hey, I picked sword leaner guy too

He's very suave`.

[janx]

38. You did?

Thank you, Ches. I'm so glad to have a more representative sample.

[janx]

40. C'mon guys...

Just take a look at the pic and use your imagination!

[claudiajean]

44. I picked Major Wainwright, mostly due to his hot goatee...

...with no sideburns.

But I'm rather attracted to Lt. Col. Turner, as well. I belive another poster called him "robust". I would have to agree.

Oddly, the next battle in which their unit was involved also involved the 5th U.S. Cavalry, an officer of which was no other than Captain (at the time) George Armstrong Custer.

[janx]

46. NOW we are getting somewhere!

Do you have links, or is this library?

Edit: I am so glad for your attention. Most people just want to blow it off.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

48. Here's a link

http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/artillery/1stArtLt/1stArtLtAllPhotoOfficers.htm

And another...
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyherkim/regiments/civros1.html

[janx]

52. Thank you! Please check your PM.

--jk

[claudiajean]

53. I'm a Civil War nut.

..and I just think the officers on both sides were hot, hot, hot!

(I have the First New York Light Artillery link posted by the other poster, but I knew who the young guy was as soon as I saw the photo and knew it was First New York.)

The young guy ended up one of the more acomplished characters to emerge from Civil War service.

[janx]

54. YES...

This is amazing.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

47. The second fellow from the right...

looks like he can put away a few pints and still hold an intelligent conversation...

[janx]

49. Vote for him then!

There's nothing wrong with voting for him if you feel that way.

[janx]

55. For awhile at least, but only for awhile...

if genetics is any indication.

[janx]

57. kick

for more votes