The complete issue
Vol. XXXV, No. 3
(80 pages)
Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Subscribe to MI ($24.95)
Explore the MI Archives: Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial
Inside
Cover image
A sixth-plate ambrotype from the Rusty Hicks Collection pictures Benjamin James Hawthorne of the 38th Virginia Infantry.
Download (free)
Table of Contents (p. 1)
Download (free)
Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
In “Ushering in a New Era of Soldier Identification,” the editor introduces readers to CivilWarPhotoSleuth.com. A research tool designed for photo sleuths, it uses brings together photo archives, facial recognition and online community to identify unknown portraits of soldiers and sailors.
Download (free)
Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback on the last issue includes a call to action for more photo collectors to help tell the stories of battles through the personal accounts of soldiers who participated, praise for the Spring 2017 issue and a correction for a misidentified image.
Download (free)
Passing in Review (p. 6)
Bill Lipke and Bill Mares explore memory and monuments in Grafting Memory: Essays on War and Commemoration (Mares Publishing).
Download (free)
Dream Reports: Excerpts from the Dream Journal of Alexander S. Paxton, 4th Virginia Infantry by Jonathan W. White (pp. 8-10)
Alexander Sterrett Paxton kept diaries of his dreams during the war. Six volumes in number, the diaries are a unique chronicle of how war invaded the dreams of a Confederate soldier.
Antebellum Warriors (p. 12)
A quarter-plate daguerreotype from the Dan Binder Collection pictures Daniel D. Tompkins, an early graduate of West Point who went on to serve a long and distinguished career that extended into the Civil War.
The Honored Few (p. 13)
In “Three Bullets at Gettysburg,” we meet James Monroe “Roe” Reisinger of the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry. He tells the story of how he suffered three bullet wounds on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. He received the Medal of Honor in 1907.
Most Hallowed Ground (p. 14)
Born in Georgia, raised in Alabama and educated in Tennessee, Fred Beall found himself in Mississippi when the war began. He joined the state’s 10th Cavalry. He is buried in the Confederate section of Arlington National Cemetery.
Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (p. 16)
In “The Well-Dressed Militiaman: More than a ‘Shirt-collar and a pair of Spurs,’” Mike shares background information about militia uniforms. The column is illustrated with a circa 1860 ambrotype of Peter H. Hoyt of the “Independent Guard” of the 2nd Regiment Foot Militia of the State of New Jersey.
Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 18-19)
Kurt provides details about Civil War Photo Sleuth, a new digital tool that promises to redefine photo sleuthing. If you have an interest in trying out our software (for free) and providing feedback, Kurt notes, please visit CivilWarPhotoSleuth.com and sign up.
Download (free)
Sons of Virginia (pp. 21-37)
A survey of 27 portraits and personal narratives are representative of the 155,000 Virginia volunteers who served in the Confederate military. Included is William Henry Magann of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry, who fought at the Battle of Brandy Station, John Thomas Willingham, who served as a courier and scout for Gen. Robert E. Lee, Benjamin James Hawthorne of the 38th Virginia Infantry, who survived the war and is pictured in the iconic photo of grizzled veterans reenacting Pickett’s Charge at the 50th anniversary encampment in 1913, and more.
Little Man, Lion Heart: The life and times of “Tete” Smith of the 4th Georgia Infantry by Robert W. Elliott with Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 38-40)
Lawyer, judge, and soldier, Capt. William Ephraim Smith received his nickname when he was a boy from a Frenchman. During the Civil War, he served with distinction until the Battle of King’s Schoolhouse, the first of the Seven Days Battles in 1862, ended his military career.
Faces of Gettysburg (pp. 41-53)
A survey of 25 portraits of identified soldiers, 22 Union and 3 Confederate, with short stories of how they came to be casualties during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. Included is George C. Gordon of the 24th Michigan Infantry, who was captured on July 1, James E. Glezen of the 137th New York Infantry, who was captured at Culp’s Hill on July 2 and Charles H. Womack of the 14th Virginia Infantry, who suffered a mortal wound during Pickett’s Charge on July 3.
For Life and Lone Star Honor: A Texan at Gettysburg by Miranda Dean (pp. 54-56)
Benjamin Asbury Campbell and his battle-hardened comrades in the 1st Texas Infantry attacked Union positions along Houck’s Ridge and the Devil’s Den on the afternoon of July 2. Many of them would not come put alive, including Campbell. His death deprived the regiment of a respected officer and his wife a husband.
Always a Collector: Images from the Mike Werner Collection (pp. 57-66)
If you have walked the aisles of any of the major Civil War shows over the years, chances are you’ve passed Mike Werner and his wife, Yvonne. Werner, a fourth generation farmer from Iowa, raises corn and soybeans. He is also a dedicated student of history. He’s been collecting since 1988, and representative images from his holdings are published here.
Stragglers: Distinctive Images from MI contributors (pp. 67-69)
Six images are included, and all are enlisted men in Gray. Two of the men are identified, Donalson Gwyn of the 1st Regiment, North Carolina Reserves and William S. Pessnell of the 22nd Alabama Infantry. Both men died of disease before the end of the war.
Dispatches from Hell: Junius Henri Browne’s great escape from Secessia by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 70-73)
Browne, a war correspondent for Horace Greeley’s New York Tribune, fell into enemy hands near Vicksburg, Miss., on May 3, 1863. Treated as a combatant, he was hauled off to prison. This began a 20-month odyssey that ended with his dramatic escape from the prisoner of war camp at Salisbury, N.C. A portrait of Browne in the clothes he wore during his escape illustrates the narrative.
A Deaf Prince in Art and War: The Prince de Joinville, French exile and military advisor by Harry G. Lang (pp. 74-77)
Described by President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary John Hay as having the finest mind he ever met in the army, France’s Prince de Joinville was a highly capable military man. He was also deaf, which seemed not to deter from his effectiveness. Author Harry G. Lang, author of the new book Fighting in the Shadows: Untold Stories of Deaf People in the Civil War, takes a fresh look at the French royal.
Sutler’s Row (p. 79)
The Last Shot (p. 80)
Two Virginia heavy artillerymen attack a bottle of wine, as evidenced by the two generously filled drinking glasses. Theories for exactly what they celebrated abound: The Confederacy, joining the army, military success or comradeship to name a few.
