The complete issue
Vol. XXVIII, No. 3
(48 pages)
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Inside
Cover image
A carte de visite from the Steven J. Nitch collection is the earliest known portrait of Capt. Edmund Rice of the 19th Massachusetts Infantry. Rice was awarded the Medal of Honor for Gettysburg, where he was severely wounded during Pickett’s Charge.
Table of Contents (p. 1)
Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor introduces the stories of Lee and Rice in this issue and thanks MI supporters for their continued “interest in the early photographic history of our country’s rich military heritage.”
Passing in Review (p. 3)
Three books are recommended: The Confederate Army 1861-1865, Vol. I, South Carolina and Mississippi (Osprey Publishing) by Ron Field; The Confederate Army 1861-1865, Vol. 3, Louisiana and Texas (Osprey Publishing) by Ron Field and New York State National Guard (Arcadia Publishing) by Anthony Gero and Roger Sturcke.
Visions of Honor: A Special Look at Gettysburg Medal of Honor Recipient Brigadier General Edmund Rice by Steven J. Nitch (pp. 4-30)
The author, who is the general’s great, great, great grandfather, provides a biographical sketch and perhaps the definitive collection of photographs and relics that span Rice’s life and military service. Also included is a contemporary painting by artist Dale Gallon of Rice and his 19th Massachusetts Infantry locked in combat with the 14th Virginia Infantry during Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg.
The Confederate Soldier (p. 31)
A sixth-plate ambrotype from the David W. Vaughan collection pictures Pvt. James B. Nelson of the 6th Tennessee Infantry. Nelson served from May to October 1861.
Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 32-33)
In “The 19th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry,” McAfee profiles a regiment that had a reputation as one of the best in the Army of the Potomac, and details the uniforms worn by this band of brothers. Five cartes de visite from the author’s collection illustrate the text, including George W. Gordon of Company K, William Fletcher Rice of the 19th posed with Capt. Charles Edmund Rice of the 1st Battalion of Massachusetts Cavalry, and Arthur Forrester Devereux posed with John Hodges Jr.
Submarine Skipper: Commander James Parker Jr., U.S.N. by Gordon Harrower (pp. 34-41)
James Parker Jr., might have become one of America’s finest naval leaders during World War II. But a life of uncertainty as a submariner, a troublesome marriage and personal habits took him down a path that ended with his wife filing for divorce and his death in 1935 from what his sister described as a broken heart. The story is illustrated with numerous images of Parker, his wife, and some of the navy vessels upon which he served.
General Robert E. Lee’s 200th Birthday by Wes Cowan and Joe Moran, Cowan’s Auctions, Inc. (pp. 42-44)
Two centuries after his birth, signed photographs of Gen. Lee are prized among collectors, note the authors. A sketch of the life and military service of Lee is illustrated by four images. Three are autographed portraits, two cartes de visite and an albumen photograph. The last image is a post-war albumen of Lee and his generals. All the images were sold by Cowan’s auction with winning bids that range from $6,612 to $19,550.
Sutler’s Row (p. 46)
Back Cover Story (p. 47)
The background of the image includes a circa 1846 daguerreotype of the same man dressed in civilian clothes.
The Last Shot (p. 48)
At first glance, the two soldiers pictured in a sixth-plate ruby ambrotype from the Ron Field collection might be considered Confederates. They are however federals from the 1st or 2nd New Hampshire infantries.
Back Cover
A selection of war memorabilia that once belonged to Edmund Rice, from the collection of Steven J. Nitch.
