Confederate Major Fontaine R. Earle, during a Reunion of the 34th Arkansas
Infantry, CSA, likely at Parks Grove, near Cane Hill, Arkansas, and ca.
1895-1905. Major Earle moved to Cane Hill, Arkansas, in 1859, after
receiving a formal education, and soon became president of the Cane Hill
College, and a Presbyterian Minister. When War broke in 1861, Earle first
joined the Arkansas State Militia as a private, but by mid-1862, he mustered
out, returned home to Cane Hill, and raised Company B, of the 34th Arkansas.
By the war's end, Earle served as Major of the regiment. Post War, Earle
returned to Cane Hill College, and the Cane Hill Community, where his
family remained prominent citizens as late as the 1950's.
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| Confederate Major Fontaine R. Earle, 34th Arkansas Infantry, CSA |
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The survivors of Company B, 34th Arkansas Infantry, CSA, ca. 1895-1905.
I cut [digitally] Major Earle's Image from this albumen. Since Company B, was
raised almost entirely from the Cane Hill area, and the Reunion Grounds were
only two miles from town, this photo likely represents all the survivors.
You can see that on the bottom of the mount, each man in the picture was
identified ! [ That's the way we hope to find em ! ] The man standing with the
long white beard is the Regimental Surgeon W.B. Welch. The man seated
third from the left is William Smith Moore, and a few years ago, we set him
a VA Stone. His brother's grandson, Leon Moore, graciously allowed us to
detect his property on the Cane Hill Battlefield, for years.
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| Survivors of Company B, 34th Arkansas Regiment, CSA, at a Reunion near Cane Hill, Arkansas. |
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This is a different albumen, possibly made at the same Reunion, as the Company
B image. This represents all the survivors of the entire 34th Arkansas Regiment,
CSA. Although only a few individuals were identified on this image, many more
were ID'd using their likenesses from the Company B albumen, and another
image of the survivors of Company K, a few years later. The man that appears
seated on the far right, is actually in a wheelchair. Again ca. 1895-1905, when
nearly all the Reunions were held at Park's Grove, Arkansas, near Cane Hill.
The 34th remained in the Trans-Mississippi Department for the duration of
it's service, and took part in the battles of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Helena,
Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Jenkin's Ferry, Arkansas, among
others.
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| Survivors of the 34th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA, at a Reunion ca. 1895-1905, near Cane Hill, Arkansas. |
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The survivors of Co. K, 34th Arkansas Infantry, CSA, ca. 1905-1916,
at a Reunion on the old Prairie Grove Battlefield. Each of these old soldiers
is also identified with a very faded white number on the image itself, just
below each man, and names on the back corresponding to each number.
Probably the most prominent of these old soldiers is Sergeant Samuel
Pittman on the far left with cane. Sergeant Pittman had been a resident
of Prairie Grove prior to the war, and returned afterwards. He wrote
several accounts of his service in the regiment, including one that was
quite humorous, titled, " The Old Knapsack ".
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| Survivors of Co. K, 34th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA, ca. 1905-1916, on the old Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Battlefield. |
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Closer view of Sergeant Samuel Pittman, and his comrades of Company K,
34th Arkansas Infantry. In his article, " The Old Knapsack " Pittman
described receiving a brand new British Knapsack, while encamped at
Spadra Bluffs, on the Arkansas River. He then proceeded to load it with
everything but the kitchen sink, and his mess-mates began to bet him he could
not carry it all the way to Washington County, Arkansas, some 75-80 miles
away. With considerable effort he did, but during the opening shots of the
Battle of Prairie Grove, a bullet clipped one of his packstraps, and the knapsack
fell away, never to be seen again ! This image appears to have possibly been
taken, just down the hill to the north, of the modern Prairie Grove
Battlefield Museum.
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| Closer view of Sgt. Samuel Pittman and Comrades, Co. K, 34th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, ca. 1905-1916, on the old Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Battlefield. |
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Finally, here is a mystifying image ! Appears to be two rows of Old Vets, and
the only writing on the back of the mount says, " Reunion of The Blue & Gray -
Strickler." Strickler, Arkansas, is about 20 miles south of Fayetteville, and
today a very small community. During the war, it was a spot in the road, and
home to many southern sympathizers. Most families in the area had sons in the
Confederate Army, though there were a very few Unionists. Two or three of
the men in the image have a very unusual cane, with straight body, wrapped in
dark ribbon, and with a ball top. No other identifying features in the photo, so
I assume it is what it says, a Reunion of the Blue and Gray, in a primarily
southern community. Guess stranger things have happened !
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| Reunion of the Blue & Gray, Strickler, Arkansas, date unknown. |
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