Steamer Robert Morris at Yorktown, 1862
Original caption: Stereograph showing Union soldiers and supplies including stacks of cannon balls at the dock in Yorktown, Virginia. Steamships in the distance will transport the supplies to White House Landing Virgina. Library of Congress photo.
The sidewheel steamer Robert Morris was chartered by the Federal army three times: December 28, 1861 to January 26, 1862; April 1, 1862 to July 3, 1863; and December 19, 1864 to September 21, 1865. This image, published in May 1862, shows her during the Pensinsular Campaign of that spring, when she was primarily employed as a troop transport.
____________
Dead Confederates, A Civil War Era Blog 
Great photo Andy. Bummer’s been doing research in regard to patronage and kickbacks paid by ship owners contracted to haul troops and supplies for the Union. Found one reference to kickbacks from the owners of the Sultana, but that’s it. If you run across any documentation pass it along.
Thanks,
Bummer
That stuff is hard to document. Even when it wasn’t technically illegal, it was still skeevy and intentionally kept on the DL. One is likely to find lots of accusations, but rarely definitive evidence of it.
Amazing photograph; such clarity. I wonder who had the pleasure of stacking the cannon balls?
Interesting. I love the three D effect; I’m guessing it was originally a stereograph and you manipulated it with modern technology. Anyway, a great photo.
Thanks. Yes, it’s originally a stereoview, adapted with the freeware Stereo Photo Maker, ver. 4.37.
Andy, Do you have any information on who was the captain of the Robert Morris at the time? My 3g grandfather captained this vessel for many years along the Delaware. Just wondering if he was aboard during the war.