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Latest Update:
MILITARY HISTORIAN ROD HOSLER
Roderick Hosler, a member of and Verger at St.
James' Episcopal Church in Boardman , Ohio, has kindly contributed important information about family military photos which
many of you have shared with me, and which I've passed on to him.
This page is designed to share broadly
Rod's expertise as he helps us learn something more about photographs of our ancestors who served in the United States
military.
In college, Rod earned a bachelor's degree
in education, with a minor in history. He has taught military history at Kent State University and Youngstown
State University, as part of their Military Science/ROTC programs. He graduated from the Military History Instructor
Course at the US Army Command and General Staff College. In addition, he has edited two US Army Staff Ride Handbooks
(The Battle of Chickamauga and The Atlanta Campaign) while assigned to Headquarters First US Army.
"Staff Ride" is a military history analysis of the combat and combat support activities associated with a battle or campaign.
Rod has conducted staff ride
tours of the Chickamauga, Kennesaw Mountain, and Gettysburg Battlefields of the American Civil War; the Niagara
Campaign of the War of 1812; the American Revolutionary War Battles of Lexington and Concord; and the French and Indian
War around Pittsburgh. He has studied and visited almost all of the Civil War battlefields, seven Revolutionary
War battlefields, several Indian War battlefields, and World War II battlefields in Europe, the Philippines, and mainland
Asia and several Korean War battlefields.
In an active retirement, he serves
as historian and researcher of the World War II Vehicle Museum and Learning Center in Hubbard,
Ohio.
Click on underlined words below,
for links to other pages.
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The Photograph
The picture comes from the collection of Sue Neubert of Dormont,
Pennsylvania; and her family photographs come from the Bailey Family of Parker, Pa., through Sarah Belle Bailey Cooper's family. See the page entitled Mystery Photos for more about who this soldier may be.
Why didn't someone just write "Henry" on the back of it?
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Hosler's Commentary
"Your photo is a Civil War era Union soldier.
He is wearing a dark blue frock coat, which was worn as a full dress uniform for special occasions. He appears to be
in the infantry because of the light-colored cord around the bottom and inside edge of the "choker" collar. Also, you
can make out a similar light-colored cord about four inches up and around the cuff of his sleeves. Because the color
of the cord is light, it is probably light blue for the infantry. Artillery would be a dark
red and cavalry yellow. Also, the cavalry had a differently designed coat. He may be a private soldier
because I do not see any chevrons on either upper sleeve that would indicate a non-commissioned officer (corporal or sergeant)
rank."
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The Photograph
This picture came from my great-grandfather, Earl
Jay Marshall (1878-1941). One of these soldiers is his son Clair Marshall, who
was born about 1903 in or near Reynoldsville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, there's no one living who
can tell us which soldier is my Great Uncle Clair. My father and mother thbink the man on the left "looks most like
a Marshall." Clair was a fourth-generation descendant
of John Marshall and Catharina Truby Rohrer.
He disappeared from the family's circle of contact and
knowledge after he wrote a 1928 letter to his father from Nevada, saying that he was heading to Alaska for work. And
at the present time, we know nothing more about him. His military records were destroyed in the 19__
fire which burned multiple military records in _______; however, some surviving
records indicate that he was stationed in Nebraska [check this data].
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Hosler's Commentary
"This photo is from World War I, 1917 or 1918.
The three soldiers appear to be National Army (draftees). The U.S. fielded three armies during WW I--the regular Army, the National Guard Army and the National Army--all making up the U.S. Army Expeditionary
Force (AEF).
"These soldiers are wearing olive drab shirts (two styles, with pocket flaps and without) and trousers.
They are wearing khaki canvas leggings. Two have the infantry pattern, and one
soldier has cavalry or artillery leggings, noted by the brown leather insides designed
for mounted troops--they keep horse sweat from making the leggings wet. He is wearing civilian shoes, not military boots; note the side buttons near the instep. They are wearing the M1910 Campaign
Hat, with Montana Peak, and the colored hat cord. The light color may be light
blue for the infantry.
"The rifle is the Model 1917 U.S.-made Enfield. The U.S. didn't have enough of the Model 1903
Springfield rifles for all of its troops and were already making the M1917 for the British,
so we armed or equipped our National Army units with the M1917. (I have to say that a
few National Guard units were issued the M1917, but most were National Army.) One soldier is wearing a wrist watch, which became a 1917 military-only-style, thus reducing the need for a pocket watch.
"The building looks like the typical clapboard barracks built at all of the national cantonment or
mobilization and training camps around the country. The road is a dirt road with
a dirt gutter. Also note above the soldier with the wrist watch that there is a canteen cup that looks as if is has been dropped from the second story window.
"Some National Army units were still in training when the war ended and did not get sent to France.
It is possible that your great- uncle may have been assigned to Fort Cook (Omaha, Nebraska)
or Fort Robinson, also in Nebraska."
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"It is amazing
how much family
is out there!
Who knew?!?"
Cousin Jeff Olson
of the State of Washington
Jeff is a sixth-generation descendant
of John Marshall and
Catharina Truby Rohrer Marshall
ENTIRE SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
(All the Time!)
Photos and Information Placed Online
I make a good effort not to place online any information which easily would
allow someone to contact you or your family members. If I've inadvertently placed such information on our family site
(or a photo of you and/or a family member which you prefer would not appear) just
e-mail me. I'll remove the information and/or the picture right away.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
All content
and images on this site
which
aren't in the public domain are
the
intellectual property of Gordon Kelly Marshall.
Researchers,
family members, libraries,
or
genealogical and/or historical societies are invited to use
the information
freely, for non-commercial purposes only,
with proper
credit to this site.
The website may not be copied or distributed
without express written consent.
Email me at
marshallfamily@zoominternet.net.
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