1865 - Seymour Digital Consulting, LLC

This was one of those fun restores!

I was contacted by the client via email, and was told NOT to call her because it was a surprise gift for her husband!

Okay… No problem…

and could I scan it while she waited…

The picture could not be out of the house for very long, and they were retired…

It sounded like a movie script!

Needless to say, we connected, and I was able to produce the following –

Being the curious person that I am, I was able to find the following reports –

February 5, 1865, the command marched with brigade at 3 a.m. to Dinwiddie Court-House, via Reams’ Station, crossing Hatcher’s Run at Malone’s Bridge; met with very slight resistance; from Court-House the regiment was ordered on reconnaissance on Boydton plank road toward Petersburg. Captain McDowell’s squadron, Companies B and A in advance, went some five miles towards Petersburg; captured 10 or 12 wagons and 1 ambulance (from 46 to 50 mules included); made prisoners of 3 commissioned officers and 10 or 12 enlisted men (D. C. Clark, adjutant of Twenty-fourth North Carolina Infantry included); without firing a shot we returned to the Court-House. The command then marched to near Malone’s Bridge (Hatcher’s Run), and bivouacked at about 11 p.m., the Second Brigade forming rear of column and Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry forming rear of brigade, Captain Oliphant’s squadron, Companies H and G, acting as rear guard, who were followed closely by ten or twelve rebels, who fired occasionally into the rear guard, doing no injury, but capturing two men of G Company.

February 6, 1865, took up line of march at 2 a.m., and by a circuitous route struck the Vaughan road near Gravelly Branch at day-dawn; formed and cooked coffee; 8 a.m. marched with division one mile and a half toward Petersburg, where the whole division bivouacked; 10 a.m. firing commenced, at 2 p.m. our regiment ordered to make a dismounted charge against infantry holding a group of houses; the charge was made with complete success, both men and officers going in with more than usual coolness and bravery, making prisoners of at least 30 rebels. A flag-bearer was shot by one of our men, but the Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, being mounted, in our rear, charged through our line and gained possession of his flag. Not being sufficiently supported, we were obliged to fall back and take position on right of the original established line; in this charge of our regiment there were 2 men killed and 3 officers and 14 men wounded. A second charge was made, the rebels retreating and finally withdrawing entirely from our front. At dusk we were relieved by infantry and bivouacked.

February 7, 1865, extremely disagreeable; raining and sleeting. Regiment in line, mounted, from morn till night. Nothing to be seen in our front except a few Confederate cavalry pickets. Relieved at dusk and bivouacked.

Needless to say, it is very interesting in exploring the past!

If you need a photo that needs to be Restored, please feel free to contact me.

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Knox – Valley Forge Covered Bridge (1865)

Valley Forge, Chester County [38-15-15]

It still just amazes me.

Growing up in the area, I had been by and through this covered bridge countless times.

In my teenage years, it was a ritual to meet at the National Memorial Arch in the middle of Valley Forge National Park after the Prom, hang out, and maybe watch the sun rise. (At least that was the stated goal…)

With that in mind, why was this bridge so late in my project?

Don’t know, but I FINALLY got to it!

But when I first got there, my shot looked like it was in jeopardy because there was a repair crew looking over the bridge.

So I drove through the bridge from the Yellow Springs Road side, and turned left on Rt. 252.

I was headed toward the Arch. I had stopped by with Madison on July 30th, but was not happy with what I had gotten that day.

What was also adding to the day, was the weather!

There was a front coming through the area, with a great range of dark and light clouds.

I drove around, stopped a couple of places, took some pictures, and finally headed back to the bridge.

When I got there, I was happy to see the Repair Crew had gone, and there no cautionary signs, so I drove back through the bridge on Yellow Springs, and park in the little lot on the right.

I gathered my gear, and started to walk back to the bridge, crossed the road, and hopped over the guard rails to setup for my first shot.

Knox-Valley Forge Covered Bridge (Exterior Long View) hdr 01

From here, I moved down the embankment toward the creek, and what I really found striking, was all the flatted tall grass leading to the creek. Tropical Storm Nicole had moved through less then a week before.

It was a little unnerving to see clumps of grass in the tree limbs at eye level…

I got to the creek, and tried to find a good water shot, and captured this:

Knox-Valley Forge Covered Bridge (Down Creek) hdr 02

I then headed down the creek, and setup for this shot:

Knox-Valley Forge Covered Bridge (Underneath) hdr 03

Pivoting to my left, I headed back up the embankment, and setup for this shot:

Knox-Valley Forge Covered Bridge (East Entrance) hdr 05

This shoot, actually took about ten minutes to capture because of all the traffic coming from three different directions, and with the sun popping in and out… It was allot if fun!

I walked through the bridge, and setup and captured this.

Knox-Valley Forge Covered Bridge (East Entrance) hdr 04

Again, this image took some time, and in both cases, I was helping to direct traffic.

From here, I jumped over the guard rail on the left, and captured this:

Knox-Valley Forge Covered Bridge (Long Low Angle) hdr 06

If you look carefully, you can begin to see the flatted tall grass on the left, but it does not approach what is just 10-15 feet further left!

Again, I climbed back up the embankment, crossed over the road, over another guard rail, and down the right side for an up creek view:

Knox-Valley Forge Covered Bridge (Up Creek) hdr 07

From here I headed back to the car.

Another Chester County Covered Bridge captured!

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