Vol. XXXIX, No. 2
(80 pages)

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Inside

Cover image
A quarter-plate ambrotype from the Paul Russinoff Collection pictures Maj. Benjamin Franklin Watson of the 6^th Massachusetts Infantry and a personal attendant.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
In “Musings on Preservation,” the editor discusses the word in the third of the publication’s motto: Showcase. Interpret. Preserve.

Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes praise for the New Hampshire gallery in the last issue, the identification of a backdrop, the discovery of a local connection to a New Hampshire soldier a note about image credits in a vibrant collector’s marketplace.

Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
A survey of 567 ambrotypes and 684 tintypes sheds light on plate sizes and the portion of each. Sixth-plate images dominate.

Passing in Review (p. 6)
Two books are reviewed: Yank and Rebel Rangers: Special Operations in the American Civil War (Pen & Sword Military) by Robert W. Black and Captured Images: Akron Photographers in the Civil War (self-published) by John P. Gurnish.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-11)
In “Investigating the Iconic Portraits of a USCT Drummer Boy,” Luther documents known variations of a pair of well-known cartes de visite of a youth pictured in tattered clothing in one portrait and a Union drummer in the other. The author examines the competing identifications of the subject as Taylor or Jackson and his regimental affiliation to the 78^th or 79^th U.S. Colored infantries.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 12)
A sixth-plate daguerreotype from the Mike Medhurst Collection features a boy holding a guidon and seated on a drum. His uniform and initials on the guidon connect him to the New York militia.

The Honored Few (p. 14)
Captain Dewitt Clinton Lewis of the 97^th Pennsylvania Infantry received the Medal of Honor for rescuing a soldier in his command who became mired in a swamp during the Battle of Secessionville, S.C., on June 16, 1862.

Most Hallowed Ground (p. 16)
First Sergeant B. Fayette Green and his pards in the 126^th New York Infantry began their service by being surrendered en masse at Harpers Ferry. They went on to distinguish themselves in battle at Gettysburg and the Overland Campaign, where Green suffered a wound at Cold Harbor that ended his combat career. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

The Citizenry (p. 18)
In “A Capitol Policeman Inside the Dome,” we meet John Patterson Gulick, a native Pennsylvanian who lived in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Virginia before the war. He spent at least five years (1864-1869) as a police officer at the Capitol Building.

Fakes, Forgeries and Frauds by Perry M. Frohne (p. 20)
In “Confederate Remounts,” a companion to his previous column about Union remounts, Frohne shares tips to spot cartes de visite prints that have been carefully removed from mounts and replaced on new mounts to make them more salable.

A Savior of the Capitol by Paul Russinoff (pp. 22-31)
Benjamin Franklin Watson, a New Hampshire native who settled in Lowell, Mass., before the war, served in the 6^th Massachusetts Infantry when the regiment received orders to report to Washington, D.C., during the days following the rebel attack on Fort Sumter. The author details Watson’s rise from a respected leader in Lowell to his leadership of the regiment as it journeyed through hostile mobs in Baltimore to sleeping in the U.S. Capitol and beyond. The story is illustrated with portraits of Watson and others.

Drummers (pp. 33-41)
A gallery of images collected in collaboration with Editor Dale Niesen of the Facebook group “The Image Collector” and contributions by collectors, reviewed by Contributing Editor Chris Nelson, is focused on soldiers pictured with their drums. All are Union musicians.

Tracking Booth by Richard A. Wolfe (pp. 43-46)
Everton Judson Conger went down in history for his role in the 1865 manhunt that ended in the capture and death of John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. There is, however, much more to his story. The author details Everton’s rise from a dentist in Ohio to a respected cavalry commander who caught the attention of Col. Lafayette Curry Baker. Everton’s brother, Seymour, served with him in the 3^rd West Virginia Cavalry and suffered a death wound in 1864.

Case Number 16 by Patrick Naughton (pp. 48-51)
Respected Lt. John Sandford Williams of the 3^rd Delaware Infantry found himself in a tough situation at the Battle of Hatcher’s Run. A fellow officer suffered a wound and pleaded with Williams to help him to safety. Williams acted with compassion and helped the man—and it resulted in his court martial. The author, a descendant of Williams, tells his ancestor’s story and reveals how commanders can treat honor and pride.

The Cambrian Oratress by Richard L. Leisenring, Jr. (pp. 52-55)
Susannah Evans came to New York City from her native Scotland in August 1863 on a crusade to promote the cause of temperance. Her journey in America benefitted soldiers who struggled with alcohol. She also turned her attention to aiding wounded men, including Sgt. Alfred A. Stratton of the 147^th New York Infantry, who had suffered the loss of his arms in battle.

Not a Forty-Eighter by Daniel Carroll Toomey (pp. 56-59)
Social unrest in Germany during the mid-19^th century ended in a nasty military crackdown that resulted in a wave of German immigration to the U.S. One of the soldiers who fought to put down the German rebels, Earnest Barth, followed them to America. After the start of the Civil War, he donned Union blue and helped put down the Southern rebellion. This is his story.

From Vivid Eggplant to Unpleasant Cheesy Hues by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 60-64)
Concern about the yellowing and fading of albumen prints is almost as old albumen paper itself. Invented in 1850, it made the mass production of photographs possible—but the deterioration of the prints prompted the esteemed Photographic Society of London to open an investigation in 1855. This is a brief history of the problems and what today’s collectors can do to protect their treasures.

They Knew Gettysburg Before the Battle (pp. 67-70)
Included among the millions of artifacts in the collections of the Adams County Historical Society in Gettysburg, Pa., are a number of photographic portraits of townspeople. A selection of these images is pictured here. Each is identified and accompanied by a profile of the subject.

Connected by a Carte de Visite by Joseph G. Bilby and Gary D. Saretzky (pp. 71-72)
Rev. John G. Frazee of the 3^rd New Jersey Cavalry posed for his portrait wearing the subdued uniform of a chaplain in the Camden, N.J., studio of Andrew Sims. A recent immigrant from Scotland, he was at the beginning of a long career as a lensman. The authors provide capsule biographies of the two men.

Behind the Backdrop: Origins, artistry and photographers by Adam Ochs Fleischer (pp. 73-74)
In “Lytle’s Baton Rouge Backdrop,” Fleischer examines the distinctive painted canvas featuring a plantation-style home used by Andrew David Lytle, an Ohio-born photographer who settled in Louisiana before the war. He is among a small cadre of photographers whose sitters included Union and Confederate soldiers.

Material Culture by Ron Field (pp. 75-77)
In “Early Uniforms of Duryée’s Zouaves, 1861,” Field examines the poor-quality uniforms furnished to the New Yorkers during the war’s first months. Three stereoviews by New York City photographer George Stacy illustrate the text.

Stragglers: Distinctive Images from MI contributors (pp. 78-79)
Included are portraits of Confederate soldiers who served in the 2^nd Texas Cavalry, 17^th Virginia Infantry, Col. John Singleton Mosby’s 43^rd Cavalry Battalion, and the 4^th Florida Infantry. Also pictured are two Union musicians.

The Last Shot (p. 80)
A sixth-plate tintype from the Dale Niesen Collection pictures a Union soldier holding up a pocket-sized book, G. Woolworth Colton’s New Guide Map of the United States & Canada With Railroads, Counties & c.

Looking back through the four issues published in 2020, I am struck by the variety and quality of the images. They reflect the enthusiasm and energy of you, the collecting community and caretakers of these artifacts. Each one is noteworthy for its content, the identity of the subject, or the story behind it. I find it an impossible task to select a single image as the best we published. There are, however, some that I find especially compelling for one reason or another. Here they are, my top 10 picks of the images I found to be most intriguing, and why. The images are ordered by issue date.

Brothers at Arms
Gary Waddey Collection
Winter 2020

Summary: Tennessee’s Edward and Gabriel Fowlkes grew up together in Hickman County. Then the war came, and they went separate ways—one into the Union army and the other into the Confederate army. Their story is representative of how the war tore families apart. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: An image of two brothers, North and South, pictured together in the uniforms of their respective armies is among the rarest subjects of Civil War portrait photography.

Ock Tyner Leaves His Mark
Paul Russinoff Collection
Winter 2020

Summary: Oscar Newton Tyner, known as “Ock” to his pals, worked as a photographer’s assistant in the gallery of Barr & Young of Vicksburg. One of the images Tyner printed and signed was Jesse Root Grant, father of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Turns out the photo was taken at a low point during the general’s military career. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: The photographers and assistants who labored behind the camera to create the images we hold dear are all too often relegated to the shadows. Here, we are able to glimpse one of them with his soldier brother.

A Daguerreian Pioneer at the Rendezvous of Distribution
Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection
Spring 2020

Summary: In his inaugural column, Adam Ochs Fleischer examines the distinctive painted canvas depicting a scene that includes Sibley tents and a palm tree. His investigations highlight the man behind the backdrop, John Jones, and the gallery he operated. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: My soft spot for seeing portraits of photographers and my fascination with cartes de visite are all wrapped up in this pair of images of Baltimore’s John Jones and his assistant, Henry H. Clark. The poses are wonderful: Jones causally sits on a chair and Clark holds a borrowed sword and rides a toy horse in front of a camp scene.

William Houston House, 16th Battalion, Georgia Partisan Rangers
David W. Vaughan Collection
Spring 2020

Summary: In early 1862, William Houston House, a 23-year-old native of Statham, a community outside Athens, Ga., enrolled in the local Jackson County Cavalry. Together with his older brother, James Lawrence House, he and the rest of the company mustered into Confederate service as Company E of the 16th Battalion, Georgia Partisan Rangers. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: From the first moment I glimpsed this portrait in person at David’s home, I knew it would be on the cover of our spring issue. The photographer captured House, posed with weapons of war and a unique cap, at the outset of a conflict that cost dearly in blood and treasure—far beyond the comprehension of anyone. And, here, House sits, not knowing of the privations he and his family would face. It is an iconic Confederate soldier image.

Sherman at 200
Jerry Everts Collection
Spring 2020

Summary: William Tecumseh Sherman is front and center in 25 portraits that document his rise from major general in 1863 to General of the Army to his retirement. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: Jerry and I had been scanning his collection of images in small batches at various Civil War shows. Choosing the final group from the dozens in Jerry’s collection was a challenge—but this image of Uncle Billy in his golden years really resonated with me. Though in the winter of life, his piercing, commanding gaze is as powerful—perhaps even more so—than the Sherman who marched through Georgia and into the Carolinas.

Vinnie Ream’s Commission of a Lifetime
Mahlon Nichols Collection
Summer 2020

Summary: A tintype, believed to be previously unpublished, features Lavinia Ellen “Vinnie” Ream, the sculptor who rose in prominence during the Civil War. Her best known works are of President Abraham Lincoln—an 1864 bust for which he sat, and an 1871 statue that stands in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: This brooding portrait of the artist in costume, cross and sandals suggests to me that Ream has immersed herself in antiquity inspired by her sojourn to Italy, where it is believed she posed for this portrait. The tinting to the photograph adds to the mystique of the young woman who sculpted the most celebrated busts of Lincoln from life.

Captured During Barksdale’s Charge
Dan Schwab Collection
Summer 2020

Summary: Newton J. Ragon, a private in the 13th Mississippi Infantry. Fell into enemy hands during the charge at Gettysburg considered by some historians to be the high water of Confederate arms. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: Another candidate for iconic Southern soldier portrait. His military weapons, unmilitary clothing and fanciful cap personifies the citizen soldier who served the Confederacy.

A Freedman’s Story
Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection
Autumn 2020

Summary: On June 18, 1864, Union Capt. Horace James inscribed the back of a carte de visite of William Headley, who he encountered dressed in tattered clothing. The captain’s words tell the tale of a slave’s escape to freedom. Headley’s fate is not known. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: The patchwork nature of his clothes is a testament to his condition as an enslaved person, and his upturned face suggests he was a man of grit determined to break the metaphoric and perhaps physical chains that bound him and his family. This is a portrait of struggle in a race war that we continue to fight today.

The “Chaplain of Hood’s Texas Brigade”
Dan Schwab Collection
Autumn 2020

Summary: Chaplain Nicholas A. Davis was an Alabama-born slaveholder who settled in the Lone Star State prior to the war and joined Confederate service as chaplain of the 4th Texas Infantry. His 1863 book, Campaign from Texas to Maryland, with the Battle of Fredericksburg, reveals his allegiance to the South and hatred of Yankees. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: The content of this portrait, showing Davis in his custom-designed uniform with the Bible and candles, is exceptionally rare. Moreover, this photo, one of three he commissioned, is documented in his book.

New York Continentals
Dan Binder Collection
Autumn 2020

Summary: In “Uniforms Inspired by the “Old Seventy-Sixers,” Senior Editor Ron Field examines the distinctive militia uniforms inspired by Gen. George Washington’s Continentals. See the full story.

Why I selected this photo: When Ron Field suggested documenting the Continental influence in Civil War images I jumped at the opportunity. I’m enamored of the idea of men of 1861 being inspired by Washington’s Army—and this image captures the essence of America’s connection to our first President and Commander-In-Chief.