Civil War Photography

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Taken in March of 1862, this photograph reveals one of the more deceptive wartime strategies employed by the confederacy during the War Between the States – Quaker guns. In fact, these were not weapons at all, but instead logs positioned like cannons to ward off enemy forces. From afar, Quaker guns could easily give the impression that confederate troops were more powerful and greater in number.

Most noticeable is this photograph’s use of lines to produce a sense of confusion in the viewer. While the fence, distant houses, and the logs themselves all serve as lines in this photograph, the intent seems to create disorder – no one object seems to carry a focus, resulting in a chaotic array of boundaries. This particular purpose seems fitting with the subject of this photograph, as the Quaker logs were also meant to confuse and distort.

This photograph seems to be an experiment in the use of space and how widely it can vary in just one single snapshot. In the background, evenly-spaced homes can be seen neatly lining a horizon that gives way to a bright, expansive sky. Meanwhile, the foreground depicts a much different scene. What was surely once a confederate stronghold appears to have been overrun – the Quaker guns are askew and the trench lies merely as a muddy mess. The stark contrast between such close environments clearly demonstrates the disconnect that has developed between “modern” war and everyday life. Soldiers who are equally a part of society fight and die while their country goes about “business as usual,” often failing to realize the magnitude of such a situation.