Civil War(?) Photos - Pawnee?

[grahamew]

I was looking through an auction site at some civil war photos when I can across these. They were grouped together and there was nothiong on the reverse except for "Counsil [sic] house on the second one. There was no other information on the site. There doesn't appear to be any Indians on the first photo, but there are on the others. What do you reckon? From what little I can make out, one of the men at least seems to have that cropped hair look as if their roach hairstyle is growing back. On the last photo, there are four men wearing army jackets and similar hats with what looks like the sasme kind of 'badge' on it as if they've just been doled out. I'm wondering if they're maybe Omaha or Pawnee. Osage? I can't make out much - the odd animal skin robe, leg gaiters, tomahawks, peace medals, what seem to be Hudson Bay blankets. Maybe that isn't cropped hair but a fur turban of some sort? The hair on some of the others does looked cropped, though. Does make me wonder whether they are from the Civil War or from shortly afterwards.



I've tried to blow them up so they're still pretty decent images:

[grahamew]

Aug 12, 2015 10:28:08 GMT -5 grahamew said:

I was looking through an auction site at some civil war photos when I came across these. They were grouped together and there was nothing on the reverse except for "Counsil [sic] house on the second one. There was no other information on the site. There don't appear to be any Indians on the first photo, but there are on the others. What do you reckon? From what little I can make out, one of the men at least seems to have that cropped hair look as if their roach hairstyle is growing back. On the last photo, there are four men wearing army jackets and similar hats with what looks like the same kind of 'badge' on it as if they've just been doled out. I'm wondering if they're maybe Omaha or Pawnee. Osage? I can't make out much - the odd animal skin robe, leg gaiters, tomahawks, peace medals, what seem to be Hudson Bay blankets. Maybe that isn't cropped hair but a fur turban of some sort? The hair on some of the others does looked cropped, though. Does make me question whether they are from the Civil War period or from shortly afterwards.



I've tried to blow them up so they're still pretty decent images:

I'm thinking that the 'counsil' house looks like this one in these Jackson photos, but for all I know, it was a fairly standard form. Maybe this is the army recruiting scouts - hence the doled out hats:

[Dietmar]

Grahame,

I got a message from Mike Cowdrey today, who comments on the pictures you posted above:


"I concur that this building is the Agent's office/home at Pawnee Agency. The date must be 1871, probably May or June, during the building's construction---note the workman installing the upper window sash. We can't see enough of the individual faces to recognize any of the Pawnee. In the crowd photo of soldiers with the mountain howitzer, those men are from Company C, 9th Infantry, who were stationed at Pawnee Agency, from May to late-October. In the photo of the three cavalrymen on horseback in front of the office, the officer at left would be Capt. Elijah R. Wells, commander of Company E, 2nd Cavalry, which was at Pawnee Agency in the same period. The man beside him would be his 1st Lieutenant, William Philo Clark, author of The Indian Sign Language. Six years later, he would be the adjutant for George Crook, and up to his eyebrows in suborning the murder of Crazy Horse at Red Cloud Agency.

You can read more about military interactions at Pawnee Agency in 1871, at:

www.forthartsuff.org/history/military-presence-in-the-valley-1871-74/

The William H. Jackson photos of Pawnee Agency were made in late-September/ early-October, 1871. This series is earlier. A candidate for the photographer would be Edric l. Eaton, of Omaha, who frequently traveled in eastern Nebraska in the early-1870s. Ephriam may have further insights."


Thank you Mike!

[grahamew]

Thanks indeed!