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Archiver > SUVCW > 2007-10 > 1192850527


From: "Doug McMillin" <>
Subject: Re: [SUVCW] Civil War dentures
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 23:22:07 -0400
References: <000c01c811ce$cc45c9c0$0101a8c0@samcgant><773c85270710190652r33aa038dh260806bbfb67b5a1@mail.gmail.com><3dace140710190728t409eea71wb58fab568fd05fb3@mail.gmail.com><001001c812c2$3b9c6600$0101a8c0@samcgant>
In-Reply-To: <001001c812c2$3b9c6600$0101a8c0@samcgant>


Sam,
I would tend to agree that the victors would attempt to stop the looting if
they held the field after the battle. However, I imagine that the fallen
foe's bodies were treated with less respect or regard than the victor's own
fallen. The Gettysburg battlefield for instance still has the remains of
many confederates still buried out on the field where they fell. Or so some
rangers have told me. Also in several phases of the war both armies were
moving fast and not remaining to even bury their dead. The penninsula
campaign and the final push starting at the Wilderness are full of stories
about the army picking up and marching with comrades unburied and left where
they fell. This would leave the local citizens and anyone following the
armies to have free lease with the fallen. Images of Cold Harbor and Bull
Run show the blanched skeletons of soldiers a year or more dead being
cleaned up. Also if you look at the inscription on the tomb of the unknown
civil war soldiers at Arlington it speaks of "the bones of 2107 unknowns
gathered after the war from the fields of Bull Run and the route to the
Rappahanock". I imagine that a person of low moral fiber and an industrious
nature could easily roam such fields during the hot days of stench and decay
following a battle looting as they pleased without any interruption. As to
the claim of barrels full of teeth I have no idea. but given just these
facts alone I suppose it could be possible. I find it a repulsive and a
dreadful thought. But I have to admit the opportunity would certainly have
existed.

Doug


On 10/19/07, Sam Gant <> wrote:
>
> Doug, your web research proved very interesting. English dentists appear
> to
> have been the principal users of battlefield extracted teeth, and, at
> least
> before the 1860s, mainly using teeth from British battles.
>
> This brings up another question: Was tooth robbery in the Civil War as
> widespread with barrelfuls of teeth shipped as the Smithsonian author
> would
> lead us to believe? I wonder after which Civil War battles the tooth
> robbers
> would have been able to extract their booty. It seems that the victors
> holding the field following a battle would not allow these robbers to
> desecrate the bodies of their fallen comrades.
>
> Sam Gant
> Fort Donelson Camp #62
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Doug McMillin" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 9:28 AM
> Subject: Re: [SUVCW] Civil War dentures
>
>
> I did a bit of digging on the subject this morning, there are many
> references to it on the web. Here a a couple of links and a photograph is
> also attached. It looks like the practice was dieing out prior to the
> civil
> war and gained a brief surge in popularity due to the sudden abundance of
> teeth available. Most of the teeth seem to have been shipped to England
> to
> (pardon the expression) feed the craze. Porcelain seems to have replaced
> "Waterloo Teeth" after the war.
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A5103271
>
>
> http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/adw03/c-eight/france/teeth.htm
>
> Doug McMillin
> Gettysburg Camp 112
>
> On 10/19/07, Ernest Everett Blevins <> wrote:
> >
> > Does "Smithsonian" give a source for that? Maybe contact the author if
> > you
> > can for a source.
> >
> > Ernie
> > List Admin.
> >
> >
> > On 10/18/07, Sam Gant <> wrote:
> > >
> > > The following exerpt on dentures appeared in the August 2007issue of
> > > Smithsonian magazine:
> > > "....Dead men sometimes came to the rescue: in England they were
> called
> > > 'Waterloo teeth,' and during the American Civil War, the teeth of
> slain
> > > soldiers were shipped from the battlefields by the barrelful, to smile
> > again
> > > in the mouths of the living...."
> > > Richard Conniff, "What's Behind a Smile," Smithsonian, August 2007, p.
> > 51.
> > >
> > > Is this an accurate statement about the handling of the remains of
> our
> > > slain ancestors?
> > >
> > > Sam Gant
> > > The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) list received the
> > > blessing of National in July 2007. It was established in January
> 2007
> > to
> > > assist in disseminating information and seeking assistance to members,
> > > associates, and potential members who have an interest in the SUVCW,
> > GAR,
> > > the people and events of the period of the War Between the States.
> > >
> > > The opinions expressed and information provided in messages are those
> of
> > > individuals and are not necessarily the official opinions, views or
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> > > of any Camp, Department or National SUVCW.
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> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Ernest Everett Blevins, MFA • Blevins Historical Research
> > 110 Evergreen Way • Villa Rica, Georgia 30180
> > • 770-456-1876
> >
> > Historic Preservation Consultant -- Historical and Architectural
> Research
> > --
> > Genealogical (Family) Research -- Preservation Planning and
> Documentation
> > --
> > House History
> >
> > Member: American Planning Association, New England Historic Genealogical
> > Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans,
> > Sons
> > of Union Veterans, and member of numerous other lineage and heritage
> > societies. .
> > The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) list received the
> > blessing of National in July 2007. It was established in January 2007
> to
> > assist in disseminating information and seeking assistance to members,
> > associates, and potential members who have an interest in the SUVCW,
> GAR,
> > the people and events of the period of the War Between the States.
> >
> > The opinions expressed and information provided in messages are those of
> > individuals and are not necessarily the official opinions, views or
> > beliefs
> > of any Camp, Department or National SUVCW.
> > -------------------------------
> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
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> > in the subject and the body of the message
> >
> The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) list received the
> blessing of National in July 2007. It was established in January 2007 to
> assist in disseminating information and seeking assistance to members,
> associates, and potential members who have an interest in the SUVCW, GAR,
> the people and events of the period of the War Between the States.
>
> The opinions expressed and information provided in messages are those of
> individuals and are not necessarily the official opinions, views or
> beliefs
> of any Camp, Department or National SUVCW.
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes
> in
> the subject and the body of the message
>
>
> The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) list received the
> blessing of National in July 2007. It was established in January 2007 to
> assist in disseminating information and seeking assistance to members,
> associates, and potential members who have an interest in the SUVCW, GAR,
> the people and events of the period of the War Between the States.
>
> The opinions expressed and information provided in messages are those of
> individuals and are not necessarily the official opinions, views or beliefs
> of any Camp, Department or National SUVCW.
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes
> in the subject and the body of the message
>


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