The soldiers in this image appear to be fit, and in a fighting mood. The soldier on the left is in fine shape, and is sitting on a crate of 19 new Arkansas Rifles. Perhaps most interesting, he is sporting what might be the biggest
Bowie Knife I have ever seen. It goes from his waste down to his knees. I really don't know if Rebels carried knives this big. Maybe they just looked that big to the enemy. Flying above the camp is the Rebel Flag. It is the "Stars and Bars", and appears to be the variety that had 8 stars, with the 8th star being the star in the middle of the seven. This illustration would indicate that an eighth star had been added to the Rebel flag by the end of 1861. Behind the four soldiers in the foreground, a regiment of confederate troops appears to be in drill exercises. Images such as this appearing in Northern newspapers such as Harper's Weekly would no doubt create a sense of foreboding. The Rebels had experienced early victories as the
Battle of Bull Run, and Wilson's Creek, and images such as this one presented the Rebel troops as well equipped, strong, and disciplined. |