1898 Photo ? Help With ID

[Cariboo5]

I've had this for quite a few years and cannot remember what state I got it from. I hoping some one may recognize the dress, cap, instruments. Eight guys playing in a band, some in uniforn dress some not. The first drummer from the left has on a cap with the first word FIELD, the tree behind the 2nd last person on the right has initials and the number 98 which should be for 1898.

All suggestions welcome....Thanks to all who reply.

[stasys]

Its In Lithuania near Vilnius photo is beauty.

[Cariboo5]

Thanks stasys....

I would have never thought of over there...

[piegrande]

Wow, that is an amazing i.d. job!

[Scrapple]

Where do you get Vilnius?
I would say USA, and sometime a little later than 1898. Probably picnic attendees after a Memorial Day or other celebration -- a couple of fiddlers, strummers and the pips & drum corps. West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, maybe Ohio/mid-west.
It actually looks like '1898' carved into the tree, but would take a season or two, or more, for that tree carving to scar into what we can see in the photo.

At the turn of the 20th century, Vilnius, Lithuania was under Russian control. They had banned the Lithuanian language. While the Lithuanian lange is written in the Latin alphabet, Russian is written in Cyrillic, and we would not be reading "Field" as we do in this photo, and I'm not sure what "field" in Lituanian would translate to. The words under the star appear to end in "CA". The man wearing it appears to have a piece of his right index finger missing

Also, on the wagon, between the 1st drummer with "field" on his hat and the man to his right, is what appears to be a banner with a field of stars on it.

[gleaner1]

Nice work Scrapple....

[Sluice Box]

Such an awesome photograph! So many words come to thought when just looking at it...

Sluice

[Mich. Wolverine]

I think it's a Spanish-American war veterans picture. The two guys on the left are holding what looks like spanish guitars and the Spanish-American war started in 1898. Also I think the hat reads field drummer. Very cool picture.
Wolverine.

[Cariboo5]

Thanks guys for the added information...

Field Drummer....Good eye....

Has anyone noticed the horse tied to the tree behind the 3 on the right side of the picture?

[mikeg10]

Can I have a shot at it? I agree that the hat says Field Drummer and that it's probably a military band. I notice a flag on the wagon behind them. Could this be a funeral procession for a veteran?