"Seinfeld" and the Civil War? Photo Discovery Explained

In 2012, Ron Baumgarten discovered the location of a series of 1861/1862 photographs of the Army of the Potomac in their winter encampment in Northern Virginia. One of the photos is even proudly displayed in Jerry's apartment in the famous show "Seinfeld." Watch as our very own Garry Adelman makes his first visit to the site formally known as Camp Griffin.
Ron's Article on Camp Griffin: dclawyeronthecivilwar.blogspot...
The American Battlefield Trust preserves America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educates the public about what happened there and why it matters. We permanently protect these battlefields for future generations as a lasting and tangible memorial to the brave soldiers who fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

[@ProvisionalPatrioticAlliance]

The Civil War book was ALSO in Seinfeld... and Elaine says "600,000 million people died" and Jerry corrects her. It's absolutely hilarious that he corrects her on casualties. Also during the Keith Hernandez episode Jerry says "he's a really smart guy too he's a civil war buff".

[@WalkTaller]

That’s all Larry David writing that. He was a history major and still is into the civil war

[@crimony3054]

The headquarters house shown is also known as Salona. It's the place to where Dolly Madison escaped with the painting of George Washington when the British burned the White House during the War of 1812. And why a major street through town is named Dolly Madison Blvd.

[@dcrambow2633]

Garry. We're placing a stone marker on the grave site of Geo. H. Houghton on July 27 and hoping to have period entertainment afterwards. Thanks for your part in the efforts of the Milwaukee CW Roundtable towards this project. We'd love to see you here for the festivities! 😁

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

Wow! So glad to hear. Wish I could make it. GA.

[@texmexfla]

Thank you Gary for presenting your research, and the research of others, in such an exciting and enthusiastic manner. The reference to the Seinfeld episode was a real treat. This kind of trivia is always fun. While walking through the subdivision you never mentioned it, but I think all of us can realize, this is an example of one of the reasons the American Battlefield Trust is trying to preserve land.

[@crippledcrow2384]

I love it when you match up old photos with today's locations. Great video. I'd love to have permission to metal detect those yards.

[@cynthiaclarke3979]

Save room for me..would not mind sharing some of my finds with the home owners as a thank you..

[@kurtholder6894]

Nothing cooler than matching up old photographs thank God for those boulders everywhere

[@reddahg23]

Everything comes back to a Seinfeld episode! Great job Garry!

[@davidwilhelm3431]

Stuff like this is always so intriguing. Love then-and-now videos!

[@bobbyblizzard8488]

Really enjoy seeing these photos, gives great perspective of what you are trying to save from disappearing!

[@tberkoff]

The McLean Historical Society published information on the location many years before Ron wrote about it on his blog. The tents would be in the backyards of the current houses today. You will notice other rock formations in the famous photo and some of those still exist today in the neighborhood.

[@tomsassa9013]

Wow Garry. Thanks for educating us!!

[@williamcanfield2889]

As a very long time supporter of the Trust (going back to talks with my late friend Ruff Fant) I am always amazed at the scholarship of the Trust. I live about two or three blocks north of Salona on a flat piece of land above the Potomac that was the site of Camp Advance. In late ‘61, a Vermont regiment was ordered to cross Chain Bridge and create a presence in the south bank of the River…Camp Advance. I live about equidistant from the 1861 skirmishes at Lewinsville (now McLean) and Dranesville…both of which featured a young cavalry commander by the name of JEB Stuart. I am blessed to live the history of the CW on a daily basis!

[@deanjoon1527]

NICE HISTORY TOUCH!!! Impressive work… Thanks for

[@jamesshave6186]

Absolutely brilliant. Thank you guys . Jamie England uk 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌹

[@davidclark4414]

These are extremely fascinating videos! I sometimes wonder if these people know the history of the land their homes rest upon.

[@ehayes5217]

That is sooooo, so very interesting, just the stark contrast, walking thru the neighborhood while simultaneously pointing out those particular points of interest! Great job & thanks for doing these👍😃🇺🇸

[@DA-bp8lf]

If I owned that property, I would immediately clear out the vegetation, so we could see these wonderful boulders, in all there glory!!

[@theicecavalier342]

So would I

[@enduringhope6859]

Love learning this bit of history!

[@wayne6612]

But WHY is that photo in Jerry’s apartment? There must be a reason. I wouldn’t think that props department would randomly put a CW photo there.

[@WalkTaller]

Larry David the co creator of the show is a history major and civil war guy

[@sandramosley2801]

As the last photo attests, Gary, you’ve always been perfect.

[@sandramosley2801]

Oops! GARRY!

[@NJcruiser]

Very cool. Never been there. Thanks for posting.

[@jamesgiliberto9329]

Garry your continued educational prowess is once again on display for our benefit thank you very much!

[@ocrow8079]

Bravo! love your photo work and making history personal...

[@Resenbrink]

Love it - can never get enough of tracking down the site of historic photos.

[@peggyscott66]

I simply love things like this! Thanks for showing this. And hey does anyone know who placed that photo on the set of Jerry's apartment, and why? That would be fun to find out.

[@StevenSmith-dc1fq]

This was fascinating, great. Thanks Gary!

[@wheeler71]

Thx ABT Garry A ! Informative Interesting - Good work 🗽🙏🇺🇲

[@carlsilverman754]

great research! btw i met Jerry in NYC, quite the gentleman too😅

[@andrewroberts7428]

"show about nothing embraces war about everything"

[@edouardrobert160]

Get over it.

[@ehayes5217]

...& the "then & now" of the boulders, Wow!😮🇺🇸

[@GaryParris-sd8gg]

I learn something new every time i watch your videos , terrific !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@americansfirst1095]

Thanks very much. Well done!

[@dennisfaught]

Thanks so much for this visit. I recently learned my 3rd Great Grandfather, Pvt. John A. Fraker of Co. K, 5th Wisconsin Infantry, died of typhoid Oct. 3, 1861, while his regiment was at Camp Griffin. He left a widow and three young children back in Menomonee. One of those daughters would be my 2nd Great Grandmother.

[@Bodiddley788]

I'm steadily learning form this channel. I really want to visit Gettysburg this summer. It will be quite the drive from Mississippi.

[@L_Train]

Better than marching there!

[@Bodiddley788]

@@L_Train yeah for sure. I humped a M60, but couldn't imagine what these guys went through. I guess they were used to walking.

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

You won't regret it. You can even stop by some other parks on the way!

[@edouardrobert160]

Thanks Gary

[@altonbunnjr]

The Vermont Historical Society sells a book thats a compilation of his photos. Its called A Very Fine Appearance and it contains lots of photos of the Vermonters on the Peninsula and around Yorktown.

[@WalkTaller]

Larry David the co creator and writer of Seinfeld was a history major. Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm both have historical references throughout their runs.

[@jankovarik9714]

Sure do love it when Garry is out there, finding the places that were captured in Civil War photographs!

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

Thanks! GA

[@cynthiaclarke3979]

I live 2 miles from that location..just wowed to had stumbled on this video and never knew..will have to visit it and get a few pictures.

[@rodolfoayalajr.8589]

Thank you friend for this educational video.

[@rachaelday6154]

Can't wait to finish watching...when I'm done at work😂

[@clinthowe7629]

I remember seeing the photo on Seinfeld, I thought it was a native American camp, Ive see the photo in Ken Burns’s Civil War where the soldier being quoted says, “it begins to look warlike, I think we shall pay our southern brethren a visit on their home territory very soon”

[@joshdickey2805]

Sooo Cool. What a Woven Treasure of History. Thank You

[@JAKphoenixify]

Never have i clicked so fast on a video.

[@Gitarzan66]

I've had that book for over 30 years.

[@Robotguy115]

very interesting

[@junkpile33]

Gary is one of us! one of us! Go Badgers, Bucks etc.

[@bobgreenwood1066]

Wow... That was fascinating, thanks.😊

[@JMCAragorn]

You made me "Say WHAT?" With that last little tidbit of info 😮🤯😁

[@wyneken38]

I've always wondered what that picture was! Looked Civil War, but thought I just see history everywhere...

[@jorgemartinpaez4376]

Seinfeld and the ACW cool photo, love jerry Seinfeld interest in history and comics, this is encampment of the 3,4,5th VT🌲 INF l. The photo of drilling also on the cover in Ken Burns civil war, book

[@annmcgehee1728]

Awesome eyes, Garry! Only you can make something out of Seinfeld’s nothing!!😂

[@genebigs1749]

Did anyone else notice the gravestone marked "David" in the last photograph? Any relation to Larry David? I wonder.

[@jankovarik9714]

This proves the point that everywhere that we walk, anywhere in this country, there is history of some stripe that happened right on the spot where we stand.

[@aaronshaw6743]

loved this. wow thats hard to envision now, with it being in the middle of a neighborhood. but very cool

[@boilerbonz]

The baby picture actually resembles your adult self well! I know it's you, but who actually looks like their baby pic -- not many!

[@drpeterc12]

Always innovating, we will be taken into someone's domestic kitchen if we are not careful !!!! Fascinating how everyday life is mixed with so much history. Great idea for a video combining interest in the past, anecdotes on personal histories, celebration of ordinary soldiers, contrast between past and modern life, and popular culture....fantastic combination showing how history affects us all.....we just in a bit of inspiration from the battlefield trust to realise it.

[@tomwarner2468]

Gary,Gary, Gary, your walking down the wrong side of the road!

[@kevinhart8339]

Wake up, Babe... a new Gary Adelman just dropped!

[@deanevangelista6359]

"Hey, what's the deal with the "Civil War? There's no civility in war! C'mon!!" - J. Seinfeld

[@chuckoffcampus9738]

Lots of history in McLean. Just a few blocks from where Gary did the video if RFK Sr.'s home, "Hickory Hill". About a mile away, off Chain Bridge Rd. there was an infantry-cavalry battle between JEB Stuart and Isaac Stevens.

[@chadwhitman1811]

That is about as close as you can come to time lapsed photography for history .Before and after picture.

[@dbach1025]

All I can say is thank God for the Dells. Great story too.

[@DD-th2bd]

I wonder how many people in that neighborhood realize the history of the land their homes are built on?

[@jhsams1977]

Wow! Is his grave in Wisconsin Dells? Or Virginia?

[@Guitcad1]

Okay, now I got questions! Why? Why? Why was that photo there? Was that Seinfeld's doing? The set designer? Somebody else? Is there a story behind it? Or was somebody just like "Yeah, this. There. It fills in that space nice."?

[@Valkron11]

"And what's the deal with Habeas Corpus? Do we really need courts to decide who we detain?" Bass line

[@odietarceo]

I'm not surprised, Larry David was a history major at my alma mater, University of Maryland, College Park!

[@marvwatkins7029]

Looks like the present owners didn't like the looks of that rock outcropping, hence the kudzu, or whatever.

[@sandpounder3443]

First view! Jerry Seinfeld?

[@danielvanmol5655]

Gary forever

[@moonpaws1]

I'm sure it would be wonderful for the home owner to clear the growth from the rocks, but then I guess they would have to fend off thousands of people posing on them for photos.

[@marvwatkins7029]

What town is his? Arlington? Wherever, it's clearly not pedestrian friendly. Cars rule.

[@donollie-ct4zm]

McLean, Virginia

[@marvwatkins7029]

That's not a one day old baby.

[@dano5080]

let's go diggin' - Diggin' In Virginia

[@tymz-r-achangin]

Its sad that the property owner wont keep the rocks clean so that everyone can see the those are certainly the rocks that are in the picture. Otherwise, its more of a matter of gossip that those are the rocks that are in the picture

[@theOlLineRebel]

I can’t imagine it’s a good idea to “clean” rocks. In gravesite preservation it’s best to avoid such, and likely if you want to preserve even a natural rock, you don’t erode it more with chemicals or power washing.

[@tymz-r-achangin]

@@theOlLineRebel No one here said or implied to use soaps, detergents, chemicals, power washing or anything else that youre talking about.

[@theOlLineRebel]

@@tymz-r-achangin Correct, you didn't - but that's what usually happens! In case anyone gets any ideas. I'd definitely like to clear off the vines, though - to prove it really is that outcrop. I agree on that point - I'd prefer they proved it was the same. Is there a picture from "the '50s" when apparently people thought for sure it was?

[@tymz-r-achangin]

@@theOlLineRebel and I completely agree with you that would be good to clear off the vegetation

[@DustBunny7]

Save these lands. We've lost the statues,shame on the left. This is our true history.

[@labridgers8264]

whats the obsession with war about? Why are sooo many men fixated on killing, torture and murder? Imagine if they went THE OTHER WAY

[@winkieblink7625]

A fluke. Interest diversity.

[@BJake2]

Although this Organisation exists to conserve Battlefields, I have to ask; is there any effort in play to enlarge Arlington National Cemetary?! This desperately Needs to be done, as it is filling UP, and so will soon be CLOSEd to new burials!!!😮😢