Civil War Photo Friday: Boatswain Piping on Deck of a U.S. Naval Warship

I like this photo. So many images from the Civil War are stiff, but this one really lets this guy's character shine through. Here, a boatswain is playing his little pipe for the camera on an unknown U.S. warship during the American Civil War.

You don't hear much about the naval aspect of the war, so it was interesting to research that for my latest novel, The River of Desperation. Most of the action takes place on one of the new ironclads. It's a sequel to my first novel, A Fine Likeness, which is on sale as a 99 cent ebook through April 26.

Photo courtesy Library of Congress.