Greg’s Liska thoughts Marx 60mm Union Pouch Man. Several months ago I got a unpainted or paint removed Marx WOW union. I did not think much of it, but Greg has some thoughts on it.
Greg’s Liska thoughts Marx 60mm Union Pouch Man Greg
It was pointed out before on Stad’s that some of the Marx WoW ACW seemed to be poses taken directly from noted paintings. The Federal carrying the pouch shows the least action of all the ‘Yankee’ poses. Any painting with him in it could qualify as a ‘still life’. As a kid I immediately figured he was some high up officer. Later, he kept his officer status and was on General Staff in my collection.
I recently re-watched ‘Fort Apache’ 1948 (John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, John Agar) and as Henry Fonda’s character entered his office for his first full day of duty, he strolled through post in the exact same pose, holding what looked like a pouch so similar to the Marx ‘pouch man’s’ defining possession. I took a screen shot, but it was hard to capture his stride in the exact same position. What I saved sure is similar.
Another thing that reminded me of ‘pouch man’ was observing reenactors loading artillery pieces. The fuse pouch, especially on the 45lbs. mortar, looks a lot like what ‘Pouch Man’ is carrying. The pouch contains the cut fuse and protects it from hot embers and static electricity, so that it does not prematurely detonate. I saved a few pics where artillerymen are carrying the pouch. This is where I mostly use this pose in my collection. Artillery crews are often neglected, especially in early toy soldier sets.
I’d asked a few collectors how they use this guy and got some interesting answers: Unit Chaplain, officer informing next-of-kin, commander of the baggage trains, pay master, JAG officer, Intelligence officer, Signal officer, telegraph operator and clerk. All interesting possibilities. Does anybody have anything else?
I have always considered him to be an artilleryman, the counterpart to the Confederate with the sponge.
I had same artillery crew member thoughts also
I always thought he was some sort of medical guy. I assume he was a WOW figure too, I wonder what his card said about him? At least that may tell us what Marx intended him to be or what someone imagined he was doing.
I always thought he was carrying a pouch of dispatches or other official army paperwork, which admittedly made him a pretty boring figure for a child’s set of Civil War soldiers.
But after reading some of the above comments, I’m convinced he was in fact meant to be an artilleryman, carrying fuses — the counterpart to the Confederate with the sponge rammer, a much more interesting & exciting figure for battle scenes.
I would, however, like to hear, as Ed suggests, from someone who has the WOW personality card which originally came with him. I suspect that would clear up the mystery.
I would like to hear from Ed on what MARX might have been thinking when they designed him. I have used him as dispatch carriers, adjutants, medics, and even artillerymen. I’ve also had him outside on the left of my marching formations or in front of my Accurate standing-at-attention formations. First Sergeant with the orders of the day. I guess we’re all only limited by our imaginations.
I have loads of the 60mm Marx guys in reverse colors and it’s all mixed, although I convert them to mostly varied slouch hats for the Confederates and mostly Kepis for the Federals. My 3 man artillery crew out of this is made up of the 2 mentioned poses and the kneeling with pistol. He was depicted as an artilleryman defending an over run battery in the painting that was discussed on Stad’s previously. I can’t see him being anything other than an artilleryman. He’s got no Saber or boots, that would pretty well rule out both officer and cavalryman. The pistol would have rarely been drawn to shoot a human. If the battery is being over run, you scoot. A few men with pistols wouldn’t turn the tide there. The pistol was actually issued to shoot injured horses, whose thrashing around could cause damage and injury out of proportion to the injury of one single horse. I tuck this guy up close as if he’s the gun commander aiming the cannon.
I like Wayne’s idea. I may set that up just to see how it looks. Possibly the papers on these new recruits moving to the parade field.
Correction: Possibly carrying the papers…..
i thought along the same lines as Don and Wayne: he is bringing orders from the HQ staff to the unit commander. i had him walking to where my command staff (basically all the standing around poses and guys with binoculars) observed the battle.
That’s exactly where I always put him — walking toward or standing around the commanding general. But after reading all the above, I’m now going to feel free to place him around mortar and cannon crews.
The name of soldier in inquire by card of Marx WOW I have the following
name .
Richard Golden.
Was a soldier from Philadelphia.He joined the Union army in 1862 because he believed that should no be slavery in America.
He was one of the U. S . Grant’s couriers and performed many valuable and dangerous mission in the front line.
There were not phones or walkie- talkie at the times and an officer could not get information without messengers and couriers.
Richard Golden was wounded in action.
The box has a short words post about US Grants as well,.
i have most WOW in cases any body need data..
Hope this help.
best .
I notice Kent Sprecher on his Toy Soldier HQ website also lists him as “Richard Golden”, and identifies him as “walking carrying a map case”, which seems pretty close to the above (or at least not too inconsistent with a dispatch pouch or dispatch case). In any event, the description on the card seems to suggest a “courier”.
To me was always currier and his hand right hand pose indicating about to open baga and give the message/parers or hand entire bag as he walk in fast step.Very clear to me the pose …
The use as else is a nice diverse use given…
Best
I got someone to show the card on Face Book. His name is Richard Golden and according to the card he was a courier for Grant.
Okay, his WOW card shows him as Richard Golden and he was a courier for Grant.
Ol’ Rich got an MOS change based on needs of the Army. I needed more arty crews, so that’s where 99% of mine go. I have one set of the officers in grey and one in blue (Reb saluter and officer standing with sheathed sword and holstered pistol, with a bugler and pouch man as the command and staff. The rest of the pouch guys are 13B’s (gun bunnies) moving the fuse to the gun.
jeeze, haven’t heard that term in a while. we always called our 11-charlies “gun bunnies”, and us 11-bravos were “bunnies”, since we spent our time hopping through the woods.
from my time assigned to artillery units, i know they preferred being called “redlegs” or “cannon cockers”.
Yeah, I guess I pulled out one of the less ‘endearing’ terms. Even ‘cannon cocker’ isn’t that ‘loving’ of a term. Now, to a tanker, they’re all ‘Crunchies’. I have significant time in the 11 series and I never heard of us being referred to as ‘bunnies’. I heard: Knuckle draggers, ground pounders, LPC Drivers (Leather Personnel Carrier), 11-bang-bang, I’m sure more if I thought about it. Fun memories!