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The Autumn 2024 Issue

A complete table of contents for the Autumn 2024 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.

Vol. XLII, No. 4
(80 pages)

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Inside

Cover
A sixth-plate tintype from the Claudia and Al Niemiec Collection pictures two soldiers from the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) at Benton Barracks in St. Louis. 

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
After a quarter century of subscription costs remaining the same, the rate for a single year will change from $24.95 to $30 effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes an observation about uniform coats buttoned on the opposite side, praise for columnist Phil Spaugy, praise for theory about the iconic image of three Confederate prisoners after Gettysburg, and more.

Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
A breakdown of about 2.1 million soldiers contributed by each state and territory to the U.S. Army during the Civil War as a percent of the 1860 U.S. Census population figures.

Passing in Review (p. 6)
Book review of The Atlanta Campaign, 1864,(Casemate Publishers) by David A. Powell.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-11)
Exploring the search for Civil War soldier photos from the Battles of First and Second Manassas, uncovering portraits and expanding collections for museums.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 12)
This unidentified soldier wears the antebellum uniform of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry, which gained national attention in 1861 during the Baltimore riot.

Most Hallowed Ground (p. 14)
General John A. Rawlins, Ulysses S. Grant’s chief-of-staff, died in 1869. Grant missed being at his deathbed by an hour. Rawlins rests in Arlington Cemetery.

The Honored Few (p. 16)
Jenny Langbein, a drummer boy in Hawkins’ Zouaves during the Civil War, bravely saved his comrade at the Battle of Camden, earning a Medal of Honor and becoming a New York lawyer.

The Citizenry by Elizabeth A. Topping (pp. 18-19)
Calisthenics, introduced in the 1830s, revolutionized fitness for women with light exercises and gymnastic routines, promoting health, grace, and preparing women for motherhood.

Of Arms and Men by Phil Spaugy (pp. 22-25)
The First Model Maynard Carbines carried by the Bolivar Troop of Mississippi during the early part of the Civil War proved formidable, almost mythical, weapons.

The Black Phalanx at Benton Barracks: Transforming men of color into U.S. soldiers, late 1863 to early 1864 by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 28-31)
African American soldiers of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) at Benton Barracks in St. Louis endured prejudice and hardship before becoming distinguished U.S. Army men.

JEB: A portrait taken in Hagerstown captures Stuart during the withdrawal following Gettysburg by Phil McCoy (pp. 32–40)
During the retreat after the Battle of Gettysburg, JEB Stuart posed for this portrait in the Hagerstown, Maryland, gallery of photographer Elias M. Recher.

Back to Libby: In 1864, Capt. Matt Boyd successfully made the Great Escape from Libby Prison. In 1889, he returned to deal with his demons. by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 42-52)
Boyd, a captain in the 73rd Indiana Infantry surrendered at the abrupt end of Streight’s Raid, returned to Libby Prison as a guard when the building was moved to Chicago and opened as a museum.

Forever Peace: A former Confederate gives a miniature of the Appomattox surrender table to Ulysses S. Grant by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 54-58)
Ulysses S. Grant received a hero’s welcome in Philadelphia in 1879, featuring a grand parade and the presentation of a gold miniature table symbolizing peace after the Civil War.

Artisans of Ames: An antebellum portrait of the people behind the prominent Civil War arms manufacturer by Ron Maness(pp. 60-63)
Ames Manufacturing Company artisans, known for producing military arms, gathered circa 1850 in Chicopee, Mass., posing with cannons, swords, and silverware near their factory.

Material Culture by Bill Thompson (pp. 66-67)
Robert S. Capen of the 1st and 4th Massachusetts cavalries carried this Colt Model 1860 revolver during the Civil War, and a photograph of his wife and son.

Women of War by Melissa A. Winn (pp. 68-70) 
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor, was a pioneering Civil War surgeon, women’s rights advocate, and a champion of dress reform.

Behind the Backdrop by Adam Ochs Fleischer (pp. 72-73)
The Moore brothers’ Hartford, Conn., studio produced high-quality Civil War portraits with a unique military backdrop, blending photography and fine art.

Vignette: Episodes of the Civil War by Scott Valentine (p. 74)
William Estes Hacker of the 3rd Maryland Infantry, wounded at Antietam in 1862, never fully recovered. He died of typhoid fever in 1863 and is buried in Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Stragglers (pp. 76-77)
Union soldier images contributed by Military Images magazine subscribers include men from the 43rd Wisconsin and 12th Connecticut infantries, and others.

The Last Shot (p. 80)
Two political cartoons depict Lincoln’s decisive 1864 election victory over McClellan, highlighting the Union’s support during the Civil War.

Autumn 2024 Issue Highlights

The feature stories and columns you’ll find in our Autumn 2024 issue. Pick up a copy or a subscription in our store.

Civil War Buglers

A gallery of 31 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 bugles and trumpets. All are Union musicians.

This story is part of our Summer 2021 issue. Check out the full contents and learn how to purchase a copy or subscribe in our finding aid.

Mississippi Marine Brigade

One of the Civil War’s most novel fighting forces, the Mississippi Marine Brigade, began its life as a fleet of rams, the brainchild of civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr. After his death from an infected wound, command passed to his brother, Alfred, who built the MMB. This is its story.

Story by Paul Russinoff

This story is part of our Summer 2021 issue. Check out the full contents and learn how to purchase a copy or subscribe in our finding aid.

The Compact

In 1864, a dozen soldiers at the U.S.A. General Hospital in York, Pa., pondered their futures. The men, including three hospital stewards, planned a reunion at Niagara Falls in 1884 to find out where life took them after the war ended. What happened to them, and the fate of the reunion, is revealed in this account.

Story by Ronald S. Coddington

This story is part of our Summer 2021 issue. Check out the full contents and learn how to purchase a copy or subscribe in our finding aid.

“Lost an Arm in Freedom’s Fray”

About 25,000 Union soldiers suffered amputations during the Civil War. These limbless men re-entered society, some faring well and others not. Here, we examine seven men who lost an arm as a result of the Battle of Gettysburg. Among them is artilleryman John F. Chase, who barely escaped when a canister charge exploded prematurely. Surgeons counted 48 shrapnel wounds on his body.

Story by Charles T. Joyce

This story is part of our Summer 2021 issue. Check out the full contents and learn how to purchase a copy or subscribe in our finding aid.

Research Rabbit Hole: Backdrop Business

A new episode of Research Rabbit Hole, our Facebook Live show, premiered Monday evening, May 3, at 9 p.m. ET.

Season 1, Episode 9, is focused on backdrops, one of the great clues to help trace the photographers who used them—and, with a little grit, determination, and luck, maybe identifying the unknown face looking back at you. But where did photographers get those backdrops? We’ll shed some light on this question.

The full season is available on YouTube.

New episodes of Research Rabbit Hole premier every two weeks on our Facebook page. The host, Ronald S. Coddington, is Editor and Publisher of Military Images.

Research Rabbit Hole: Posing 101

A new episode of Research Rabbit Hole, our Facebook Live show, premiered Monday evening, April 5, at 9 p.m. ET.

Season 1, Episode 7, provides answers to a deceptively simple question: Ever wondered why and how Americans of the 1860s posed for portraits? In this episode, we review instructions by traveling photographer B. Bradley to his patrons to help them make the most of their visit, and guidelines suggested by master daguerreian pioneer Marcus Aurelius Root in his 1864 photographer’s handbook, The Camera, and The Pencil.

The full season is available on YouTube.

New episodes of Research Rabbit Hole will be released every two weeks on our Facebook page. The host, Ronald S. Coddington, is Editor and Publisher of Military Images.

Research Rabbit Hole: Glass Negative Greenhouses

A new episode of Research Rabbit Hole, our Facebook Live show, premiered Monday evening, March 9, at 9 p.m. ET.

Season 1, Episode 5, examines a persistent story about Civil War photographers who, long after the end of hostilities, sold glass plate negatives of battlefields, famous generals and Abraham Lincoln as scrap glass later used in greenhouses. They gradually faded away—ironically destroyed by the very sunlight responsible for image creation. The story has been told by many, including Ken Burns. Did photographer’s really sell their negatives?

The full season is available on YouTube.

New episodes of Research Rabbit Hole will be released every two weeks on our Facebook page. The host, Ronald S. Coddington, is Editor and Publisher of Military Images.

Research Rabbit Hole: Anti-Confederate Art

A new episode of Research Rabbit Hole, our Facebook Live show, premiered Monday evening, January 25, at 9 p.m. ET.

Season 1, Episode 2, examined a carte de visite titled “The Neglected Picture,” a painting by Port Jefferson, N.Y., artist William Moore Davis.

The full season is available on YouTube.

New episodes of Research Rabbit Hole will be released every two weeks on our Facebook page. The host, Ronald S. Coddington, is Editor and Publisher of Military Images.