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Magazine on a Mission

You may have noticed content from our magazine in other Civil War publications. For example, The Civil War Monitor publishes an occasional series, Faces of War, based on images that have appeared in MI. The magazine of the Civil War Trust, Hallowed Ground, also includes an MI feature.

What is the sharing is all about? Aside from the obvious promotional efforts, there is a more substantial reason that is at the heart and soul of our magazine.

The reason is our mission—to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography. These unusual images are a relatively new to our eyes. For a century after the end of the war, the vast majority were hidden away in albums in attics and basements. A small number were published by veterans during their lifetimes in books and magazines—but they were relatively few compared to the overall number in existence.

Beginning the late 1950s and the 1960s, following Bruce Catton’s popular histories of the war, the centennial and the passing of the last living veterans, these singular portraits began to show up at flea markets, antique shops and other sales.

Today, they are highly collectible. And we’ve made it our mission to document as many as possible. We’ve been at this since 1979.

So, the next time you see a portrait of a Union or Confederate soldiers, remember them and their service. And also think about what MI is doing to keep their faces and stories alive.

Thank you!

Ushering in a New Era of Soldier Identification

The face recognition technology used in CWPS displays unique reference points used for comparison to other images. Betaface.com.

Back in February at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, I glimpsed the future of soldier photo identification. In the conference room of a building on campus, professor Kurt Luther brought our team up to date on CivilWarPhotoSleuth.com (CWPS).

In this moment, I realized that the time-honored process of soldier identification evidenced on the pages of this magazine since it’s founding had met the Digital Age.

Kurt is the founder of CWPS, and Military Images is a proud partner.

I came to know Kurt three years ago at the 2014 Gettysburg Show, where we had a great conversation amidst the hustle and bustle of activity. We shared our enthusiasm for Civil War portrait photography, and I came away deeply impressed by his grit and determination to identify unknown soldiers and sailors. And, Kurt was friendly and engaging to boot.

Our conversation paved the way for Photo Sleuth, Kurt’s regular column in MI. Since its debut in the Winter 2015 issue, Photo Sleuth has explored concepts, methods and tools through case studies and other means. The columns have provided a tremendous boost to photo sleuths of all stripes, and I’ve found them incredibly helpful in my own research.

Kurt’s work builds on the traditional approaches and processes familiar to anyone who has attempted to put a name to the face of an unknown Civil War soldier: Basic observations of uniforms, equipment and back drops, provenance and painstaking research using primary documents, journals, books, databases and other sources. I am reminded of many hours spent flipping through pages of regimental histories, searching faces on the American Civil War Research Database (HDS), and reaching out to fellow collectors through email and on Facebook—all in anticipation of that Zen moment when a rock-solid identification is made.

CivilWarPhotoSleuth.com is the next advancement in the identification process. CWPS brings together photo archives, research tools and online community to increase identifications and support new scholarship related to Civil War portrait photography.

Turn to Kurt’s column on page 18 for details about this exciting new tool. And if you are planning to visit this year’s Gettysburg Show from June 24-25, join Kurt and I at the MI table for a live demo. Oh, and bring an unidentified photo with you!

Together, I hope we can put even more names to faces of the unknowns in blue and gray.

MI on Medium

mi-mediumVisit Military Images on Medium and read the first two installments of Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther:

Medium is, according to its founders, “A beautiful space for reading and writing — and little else. The words are central. They can be accompanied by images to help illustrate your point. But there are no gratuitous sidebars, plug-ins, or widgets.”

MI is utilizing Medium’s space for words—and images! Check it out: https://medium.com/military-images

Ministering Angels

nurses

Veteran and registered nurse Chris Foard first became interested in the Civil War about 28 years ago, when he started his search for artifacts related to the men and women who cared for sick, wounded and dying soldiers. “A part of collecting I find most enjoyable is locating photographs of nurses then learning about the person behind the image,” Foard notes. “What still drives me to collect these rare images is putting a face with a name and learning more about their struggles, hardships, obstacles and how they coped.”

Representative examples of his collection are featured in the Spring 2015 issue of Military Images.

Go to the finding aid for this issue.
Purchase the digital edition.
Subscribe to the print and/or digital edition.

Your Help Needed: Find the Soldiers on Board the “North America”

army-navyOn Dec. 22, 1864, almost 200 Union soldiers perished when they transport North America, on which they were bound from New Orleans to New York, foundered off the Georgia coast near Savannah. The dead hailed from 13 Northern states: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

MI needs your help finding original wartime portraits of those who lost their lives or were saved. The plan is to use the images to illustrate an article by Michael J. Martin, author of the Wreck of the U.S. Transport North America.

If you have an identified, wartime image of one of the men listed below, please email Editor and Publisher Ron Coddington:

Arnold, Hartwell, private, Company H, 2nd New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Plattsburg, NY, on August 8, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Austin, Shadrach, private, Company C, 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, 18, residence Monroe, WI, enlisted on October 5, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Baggs, Nathan L, private, Company B, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Smithfield, RI, enlisted on August 29, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Barkley, Simon, private, Company A, 18th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Louisville, NY, on January 1, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Barnard, Cyrus, private, Company E, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 37, enlisted at Glens Falls, NY, on August 4, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Bayley, L., private, Company I, 18th New York Cavalry . . . no listing of him in regimental roster

Beeler, Joseph, corporal, Company L, 11th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Washington, DC, on October 30, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Bewley, Aaron C., private, Company F, 33rd Illinois Infantry, residence Sunbury, IL, enlisted on August 1, 1861, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Blackburn, Joseph, private, Company A, 18th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Brooklyn, NY, on December 23, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Block, Carl, private, Company D, 18th New York Cavalry, 33, enlisted at New York City on August 5, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Booth, William E. corporal, Company L, 18th New York Cavalry, 24, enlisted at New Orleans, on November 1, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Brennan, Thomas, private, Company D, 12th Illinois Cavalry, from Chicago, IL, enlisted on December 30, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Britton, Albert, private, Company A, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Glens Falls, NY, on July 3, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Brown, Daniel H., private, Company F, 12th Illinois Cavalry, from Greenfield, IL, enlisted on December 30, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Brown, George W., private, Company K, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Union Springs, NY, on January 29, 1862, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Brown, Ira C., private, Company D, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Potsdam, NY, on December 18, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Brown, James, private, Company A, 7th Vermont Infantry, from Barton, VT, enlisted on August 8, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Brown, Marvin J., private, Company L, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Jay, NY, on November 18, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Bushman, Leander, private, 2nd Massachusetts Light Artillery, 21, residence Hadley, MA, enlisted on January 4, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Cannon, James, private, Company E, 18th New York Cavalry, 37, enlisted at New York City on July 30, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Capes, William, private, Company E, 11th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Canton, NY, on December 14, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Carney, David, private, 13th Massachusetts Light Artillery, 20, from Boston, MA, enlisted on May 19, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Chaffee, William, H., private, Company G, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on March 5, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Chase, Caleb, private, Company F, 11th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Mohawk, NY, on January 4, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Chase, Franklin, corporal, Company M, 11th New York Cavalry, 22, enlisted at Buffalo, NY, on August 25, 1862, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Conghlon, John, private, Company C, 14th New York Cavalry, 26, enlisted at Brooklyn, NY, on February 18, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Cook, Stephen, private, Company I, 8th New Hampshire Infantry, 35, residence Montreal, Canada, mustered in as a substitute on November 7, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Coyle, William T., private, Company H, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 21, enlisted on August 8, 1863, at Plattsburg, NY, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Cragin, James, private, Company K, 11th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Canton, NY, on December 21, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Crawford, John, private, Company L, 18th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Albany, NY, on December 18, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Cullen, James A., private, signal corps, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Curtis, Nathan B., saddler, Company F, 11th New York Cavalry, 22, enlisted at Springfield, NY, on January 28, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Daidy, Michael, private, 21st New York Light Artillery, 18, enlisted at Oswego, NY, on December 24, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Daly, John, private, Company K, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 40, enlisted at Glens Falls, NY, on October 14, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Davorge, J.F., private, 1st Louisiana Infantry (New Orleans), St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Demerse, Moses, private, Company E, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Fort Edward, NY, on July 18, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Dodrick, H.M., private, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, no listing, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Dolan, Patrick, private, Company G, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on February 27, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Donavan, Patrick, private, Company F, 31st Massachusetts Infantry, 21, from East Granville, MA, enlisted on February 16, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Dow, Alfred C., private, Company A, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Fort Covington, NY, on August 25, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Drown, Melvin, private, Company H, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 22, enlisted at Plattsburg, NY, on December 11, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Dunbar, George W., private, Company K, 14th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at New York City on December 17, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Duncombe, Charles, sergeant, Company L, 11th New York Cavalry, 26, enlisted at New York on January 5, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Dushon, Charles E., private, Company K, 7th Vermont Infantry, from Bristol, VT, enlisted on December 28, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Dutcher, Charles P., private, Company G, 11th New York Cavalry, 38, enlisted at Lysander, NY, on December 10, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Earp, Jonathan D., private, Company L, 12th Illinois Cavalry, residence Henderson County, IL, enlisted on December 7, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Eckle, Peter Jr., private, Company C, 11th New York Cavalry, 27, enlisted at Syracuse, NY, on December 18, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ellis, Jason, private, Company G, 7th Vermont Infantry, from Plymouth, VT, enlisted on December 28, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Embley, William, private, Company C, 11th New York Cavalry, 28, enlisted at Utica, NY, on February 8, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Engelbrecht, Julius, private, Company F, 14th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at New York City on January 2, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ennis, Sayer, private, Company I, 2nd Illinois Cavalry, residence Philo, IL, enlisted on January 23, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Evans, William, private, Company I, 11th New York Cavalry, 36, enlisted at Cicero, NY, on January 11, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Farrell, Patrick, private, 25th New York Light Artillery, 29, enlisted at Hartland, NY, on August 28, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Feeney, Patrick, private, Company K, 14th New York Cavalry, enlisted at New York City on September 26, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ferrill, Benjamin F., private, Company K, 11th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Washington, DC, on September 9, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Fiske, Henry C., private, Company B, 11th New York Cavalry, 20, enlisted at Syracuse, NY, on February 6, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Fiske, William A., private, Company G, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on February 11, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Fitzgerald, John, private, Company H, 11th New York Cavalry, 20, enlisted at Washington, DC, on November 23, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Flood, Daniel F., private, Company K, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 44, enlisted at Glens Falls, NY, on September 26, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ford, Michael, private, Company B, 18th New York Cavalry, 34, enlisted at New York City on July 7, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ford, William, private, Company K, 14th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at New York City on June 12, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Fowler, Charles T., private, Company B, 11th New York Cavalry, 22, enlisted at Van Buren, NY, on January 5, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, SAVED

Geer, John J., private, Company D, 4th Wisconsin Cavalry, 19, residence Burr Oak, WI, enlisted on February 5, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Green, William B., private, Company L, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on March 3, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hall, Dudley D., private, Company M, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence West Greenwich, RI, enlisted on May 2, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Harman, Nicholas, private, Company L, 18th New York Cavalry, 25, enlisted at Croghan, NY, on December 23, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Harvey, Edward, private, Company I, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry (transferred from 1st Louisiana Cavalry on January 1, 1864), University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hassett, Michael, private, Company E, 11th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Potsdam, NY, on December 16, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hatch, George E., private, Company C, 30th Maine Infantry, 18, residence Stafford, NH, enlisted on December 19, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Hawkins, Ralph T., private, Company L, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 27, enlisted at Troy, NY, on September 1, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hayden, James, corporal, Company D, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Salem, NY, on August 31, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Herr, John, private, Company F, 14th New York Cavalry, 33, enlisted at New York City on February 14,1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Higgins, Maurice, private, Company H, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, enlisted at Providence, RI, on April 4, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hill, Edward, private, Company L, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, enlisted at Providence, RI, on March 4, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hill, George W., private, Company K, 11th New York Cavalry, 29, enlisted at Canton, NY, on December 28, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hill, Lorenzo, private, Company A, 12th Illinois Cavalry, from Rockford, IL, enlisted on December 11, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hineman, Jombardist, quartermaster sergeant, 6th Massachusetts Light Artillery, 40, from Boston, MA, enlisted on January 15, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hoffman, John, private, Company H, 4th Wisconsin Cavalry, 23, enlisted at Oconto, WI, on May 21, 1861, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Holden, Hial W., private, Company G, 7th Vermont Infantry, from Cavendish, VT, enlisted on November 30, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Holmes, Franklin, private, Company E, 12th Illinois Cavalry, from Chicago, IL, enlisted on December 26, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Hunt, John, private, Company L, 14th New York Cavalry, 20, enlisted at New York City on May 22, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Innis, Wallace C., private, Company B, 4th Wisconsin Cavalry, 18, residence Rosendale, WI, enlisted on December 11, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Jennie, Jackson, private, Company E, 11th New York Cavalry, 28, enlisted at Potsdam, NY, on December 21, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Jewel, Frank M., corporal, Company H, 11th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Brooklyn, NY, on February 8, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Johnson, Erastus, private, Company F, 14th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at New York City on February 17, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Jones, Owen, private, Company D, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Potsdam, NY, on February 13, 1862, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Joyce, William, private, Company B, 18th New York Cavalry, 22, enlisted at Watertown, NY, on February 16, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Juliert, Alexander, bugler, Company I, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 20, enlisted at 16th Congressional District, New York, on December 18, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Kamm, Louis, private, Company L, 4th Wisconsin Cavalry, 38, residence Mequon, WI, enlisted on March 22, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Keppler, Gustave, private, Company I, 14th New York Cavalry, 24, enlisted at New York City on April 14, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

King, Charles, private, Company G, 11th New York Cavalry, 28, enlisted at Canton, NY, on August 30, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Kinney, James, private, Company M, 11th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Canton, NY, on August 28, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Knight, Frederick, private, Company I, 18th New York Cavalry, 25, enlisted at Brownsville, NY, on November 15, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Lafountain, Sarrall, private, Company I, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Plattsburg, NY, on February 12, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Lafountain, John, private, Company H, 11th New York Veteran Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Champlain, NY, on February 19, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Laraw, David, private, Company L, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Northumberland, NY, on November 18, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Laughlin, William, private, Company C, 3rd Maryland Cavalry, enlisted on November 19, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Leavitt, Charles F., private, Company F, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, enlisted at Providence, RI, on February 1, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Lehmkuhl, Henry, private, Company F, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at New York City on April 16, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Lennox, Edward, private, Company K, 18th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at New York City, NY, on December 10, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Leon, Joullie, private, Company D, 18th New York Cavalry, 25, enlisted at New York City on July 10, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Lord, Asa P., private, Company E, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 43, enlisted at Glens Falls, NY, on September 16, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Loveland, Harrison, private, Company D, 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, 22, residence Washington, WI, enlisted on September 21, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Lynch, Michael, farrier, Company A, 11th New York Cavalry, 38, enlisted at New York City on February 1, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Lynch, Patrick, private, Company B, 11th New York Cavalry, 22, enlisted at New York City on March 12, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Magee, Thomas, corporal, Company H, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, enlisted at Pawtucket, RI, on February 2, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Martin, Andrew, private, 13th Massachusetts Light Artillery, 34, enlisted at Boston, MA, on October 21, 1862, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Martyn, Hartwell, private, Company D, 11th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Canton, NY, on August 14, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Maston, William, H., private, Company D, 75th New York Infantry, 18, enlisted at Venice, NY, on October 9, 1861, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Mattison, Patrick, private, Company E, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on December 16, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Matthewson, George, W., private, Company A, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Coventry, RI, enlisted on August 26, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

McDonald, Brien, private, Company K, 14th New York Cavalry, 40, enlisted at New York City on August 21, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

McLean, Charles H., corporal, Company, E, 11th New York Cavalry, 24, Enlisted at Canton, NY, on August 14, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

McManus, A.P., private, 1st Battalion Veteran Reserve Corps, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Meyer, Charles, saddler, Company H, 11th New York Cavalry, 28, enlisted at Brooklyn, NY, on February 25, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Miller, J., private, Company A, 16th New York Cavalry, 20, enlisted at Depeyster, NY, on July 26, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Milliken, Nathan, private, Company H, 8th New Hampshire Infantry, 22, residence Reading, MA, enlisted as a substitute on September 1, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Mills, James H., private, Company I, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Schenectady, NY, on December 14, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Monor, Clement, Company M, 18th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Watertown, NY, on January 20, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Murray, Charles, corporal, Company G, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, Rhode Island, enlisted on March 12, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Nagle, Frederick, private, Company G, 11th New York Cavalry, 26, enlisted at New York City on April 14, 1862, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Nelson, Edgar R., private, 13th Wisconsin Light Artillery, residence Beloit, WI, enlisted on November 29, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Noble, Thomas, private, Company C, 11th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Williamsburgh, NY, on January 9, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

O’Brien, John, private, Company M, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Pawtucket, RI, enlisted on June 13, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

O’Dea, Michael, private, Company E, 18th New York Cavalry, 44, enlisted at New York on June 16, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Olds, William, K., private, Company L, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on March 26, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Osborn, William, corporal, Company E, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Bellport, NY, on January 4, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Paine, Lowell B., private, Company G, 7th Vermont Infantry, from Cavendish, VT, enlisted on November 21, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Parker, William B., private, Company F, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Pearson, David B., private, Company F, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on January 25, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Peck, Daniel, private, Company L, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Northumberland, NY, on November 11, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Peck, George W., private, Company C, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Providence, RI, enlisted on September 28, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Pickard, James M., private, Company B, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Van Buren, NY, on January 16, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Pierce, Chauncey D., private, unassigned, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Canton, NY, on September 1, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Pittman, William, private, Company E, 1st Louisiana Infantry, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Pixel, Willis, private, Company L, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Glens Falls, NY, on November 28, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Pratt, Wilson, corporal, 22, Company E, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 22, enlisted at Glens Falls, NY, on August 1, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Preston, Martin, private, Company F, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 23, enlisted at Plattsburg, NY, on August 24, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Randall, Burney, private, Company M, 18th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Clayton, NY, on January 1, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ransier, George H., private, Company I, 11th New York Cavalry, 36, enlisted at Manlius, NY, on December 18, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Record, Albert C., private, 13th Massachusetts Light Artillery, 21, residence Greenfield, MA, transferred from 4th Massachusetts Light Artillery while absent (sick) in December 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Rice, Elisha T., corporal, Company M, 12th Illinois Cavalry, from Chicago, IL, enlisted on December 29, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED (listed as mustered out of the regiment at Houston, Texas, on May 29, 1866)

Richmond, Almond C., private, Company L, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Scituate, RI, July 6, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ridgell, John L., private, Company F, 7th Vermont Infantry, residence Griffin, GA, enlisted on December 15, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Rivers, Solomon L., private, Company H, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Plattsburg, NY, on July 30, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Rose, John, private, Company I, 18th New York Cavalry, 23, enlisted at Albany, NY, February 9, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Ryan, Patrick, private, Company H, 1st New Orleans Infantry, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Sandford, William, private, Company G, 14th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at New York City on February 28, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Sargent, Francis H., private, Company H, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 21, residence Plattsburg, NY, mustered into regiment on October 16, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Scannell, Michael, private, Company D, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, from Providence, RI, enlisted on November 20, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Schureman, James, private, Company C, 11th New York Cavalry, 45, enlisted at New York City on September 17, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Schwanson, Bengt, private, Company B, 12th Illinois Cavalry, residence Chicago, IL, enlisted on March 5, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Shannon, Thomas, private, Company G, 1st Louisiana Cavalry, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Shepherd, John, private, Company I, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Amsterdam, NY, on December 9, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Sheppardson, Albert, private, Company L, 12th Illinois Cavalry, from Roseville, IL, enlisted on November 20, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Smith, John S., private, Company D, 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 32, enlisted at 16th Congressional District of New York on December 18, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Smith, Samuel, private, Company B, 18th New York Cavalry, 36, enlisted at New York City on June 2, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Sterling, W.B., private, Company D, 12th Illinois Cavalry, residence Chicago, IL, enlisted on January 5, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Stuart, John W., private, Company L, 11th New York Cavalry, 23, enlisted at New York City on January 5, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Tanzine, Paul, corporal, Company H, 1st New Orleans Infantry, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Tapprish, John, private, Company L, 14th New York Cavalry, 25, enlisted on May 25, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Taylor, Henry D., private, Company M, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, residence Pawtucket, RI, enlisted on February 18, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Tenant, Ezra, sergeant, Company H, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, East Greenwich, RI, enlisted on February 24, 1864 and mustered in on April 15, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Tilton, Austin J., private, Company H, 7th Vermont Infantry, from Lyndon, VT, enlisted on December 25, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Tomlinson, Silas, private, Company M, 12th Illinois Cavalry, residence Catlin, IL, enlisted on December 19, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Tracey, William H., private, Company H, 1st Kansas Infantry, residence St. Louis USA General, MO, enlisted on November 21, 1861, deserted on January 25, 1863, LOST

Van Brocklin, Ela E., corporal, Company I, 11th New York Cavalry, 19, enlisted at Canton, NY, on August 11, 1862, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Van Gieson, Edwin, second lieutenant, Company M, 18th New York Cavalry, 21, enlisted at Watertown, NY, January 4, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Walker, Byron D., hospital steward, Battery H, U.S. 2nd Light Artillery, LOST

Walker, William, corporal, Company H, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, enlisted at East Providence, RI, enlisted on March 14, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Warfield, John, private, Company C, 118th Illinois Mounted Infantry, enlisted on February 27, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Welsh, Patrick, private, Company A, 18th New York Cavalry, 43, enlisted at New York City on June 29, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wentworth, Israel S., private, Company L, 2nd Maine Cavalry, 18, residence Waterloo, ME, enlisted on December 24, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wheeling, John W., private, Company L, 12th Illinois Cavalry, from Strington, IL, enlisted on December 1, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Whittlesey, Charles B., private, 2nd Connecticut Light Artillery, residence Bridgeport, CT, enlisted on January 15, 1864, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wilcox, Charles B., private, Company D, 8th New Hampshire Infantry, 23, from Syracuse, NY, mustered in as a substitute on November 6, 1863, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Wilcox, William H., corporal, Company H, 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry, enlisted at East Providence, RI, on February 10, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wilkinson, William, private, Company C, 30th Maine Infantry, 18, residence Biddeford, ME, enlisted on December 19, 1863, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wilson, George M., hospital steward, Company K, 28th Iowa Infantry, from Newton, IA, enlisted on August 9, 1862, SAVED

Winn, W.L. St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wise, John, private, Company G, 18th New York Cavalry, 42, enlisted at New York on August 29, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Woliver, William, private, Company M, 18th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Massena, NY, on January 5, 1864, University Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wonder, Philip, private, Company D, 26th Indiana Infantry, from Indianapolis, IN, enlisted on August 30, 1861, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Worden, William D., private, Company I, 11th New York Cavalry, 18, enlisted at Canton, NY, on December 22, 1863, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, LOST

Wyman, Francis, private, signal corps, Marine Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

Zarr, Bailey, private, Company B, 11th New York Cavalry, 26, enlisted at New York City on January 25, 1864, St. Louis USA General Hospital, New Orleans, SAVED

The Winter 2015 Lineup: Noble Faces, Ugly Havelocks and a Hellion in Blue

03-p1-tocDelighted to announce the Table of Contents for the Winter 2015 issue. 60 pages of images include a feature gallery by longtime collector and MI contributor Brian Boeve, a gallery of flag bearers from another longtime contributor, Rick Carlile, a guide to the Havelock hat, “Ugly as the Devil,” by MI Senior Editor Ron Field, and “Hellion in Blue,” a wonderful profile of a New York officer.

You’ll also find all our regular departments and two debut departments—Photo Sleuth: Real life accounts on the research trail by Kurt Luther, and The Honored Few, which features Medal of Honor recipients.

If you like what you see, please take this opportunity to subscribe. The annual cost is $24.95 for four quarterly issues—240 pages of original images of citizen soldiers. MI needs your support, so please step forward and march with our army of core subscribers today!

Confederate Soldier, Family Slave

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One of the most unique Civil War images to surface in recent years is now part of the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress. According to Tom Liljenquist, the sixth-plate tintype of Sgt. Andrew Martin Chandler of the 44th Mississippi Infantry and his family slave, Silas, was delivered to the Library this afternoon.

Liljenquist, accompanied by Chandler Battaile Jr., a descendent of Sgt. Chandler, were met by senior staff and other Library employees to receive the photo about 3 pm today.

The image has been a focus of attention since it was shown on PBS in a 2009 episode of Antiques Roadshow, and again in a 2011 segment of History Detectives. The photo has been put forth by some as proof that Silas was a “Black Confederate” who fought for the South, while others have provided primary research that establishes Silas was no more than a slave who served two of his master’s soldier sons during the war.

The Chandler story has been the subject of numerous books and articles. Battaile has requested that the version included in my 2012 book, African American Faces of the Civil War, be posted with the image on the Library’s site along with the image. I wrote another version that appeared as part of the New York Times Disunion series, “A Slave’s Service in the Confederate Army.”

The image included here was taken from a scan that I made from the original tintype with permission of Chandler Battaile Jr. in 2009.

Summer 2014 Cover From the Matt Cranford Collection

Delighted to share the cover image for the summer issue of MI, which will be mailed next week. This sixth-plate ruby glass ambrotype by an anonymous photographer is from the exquisite collection of Matt Cranford. Representative images from his holdings are highlighted in a feature gallery.

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Here’s the caption that accompanies the cover image:
A clean-shaven young infantryman is equipped with all the trappings of war. He holds a Model 1816 conversion musket with fixed bayonet in one hand, and grips a single shot percussion pistol in the other. A regulation rubberized canvas backpack with russet leather straps and bedroll is strapped to his back, and hanging from his neck is a black-painted leather haversack and drum canteen. “What’s really striking is the backdrop: A very subtle, low-lying landscape that makes the soldier appear as if he’s marching in high country,” Cranford declares.

USCT Album Donated to Smithsonian

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An album of portraits of men from the 25th U.S. Colored Infantry has been donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The photos were published for the first time in the Winter 2014 issue of Military Images magazine.

The album was donated to the museum by a descendant of Capt. William A. Prickitt. The descendant currently remains anonymous. Prickitt started his military service in the 14th New Jersey Infantry, and became the original commander of Company G of the 25th when it was organized in Philadelphia in early 1864. The album contains 18 gem-sized photographs, almost all tintypes. Someone, perhaps Prickitt, carefully wrote the names of 17 of the 18 men on the mat below each image.

The soldiers hailed mainly from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. One of the men, George H. Mitchell, was a slave in Delaware. His master, Caleb Layton, enlisted him in the Union army. Layton received the $300 bounty, a Mitchell received his freedom when his term of enlistment ended.

The album was brought to the attention of Military Images by Shayne Davidson, an artist and genealogist who discovered the photographs and created a series of drawings exhibited at ArtPrize 2013 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Her “Civil War Soldier” drawings were recognized in the top 25 of more than 1,500 entries.

According to a family story supported by military service records, Capt. Prickitt fell deathly ill during his service in the regiment, and noted that some of the men in his company nursed him beck to health. The men pictured in the album may have been the same soldiers that Prickitt credited with saving his life.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is scheduled to open in 2015. The album is planned to be part of two inaugural exhibits.

Civil War Trust Interview

coddington-cavalrymen-350Ina Dixon of the Civil War Trust contacted me a couple weeks ago, and asked me to share my perspectives about Military Images magazine and its role in historic photography. An excerpt:

Over time, I’ve come to understand and appreciate that these rare soldier portraits humanize the terrible conflict that raged on our soil during the four bloodiest and most violent years in our nation’s history. When I see these photos, which were personal, intimate objects shared with family, friends and comrades at a time of war, I am reminded of these soldiers’ courage, and my own responsibilities as an American and a world citizen.

It is only in the last few decades, beginning with the centennial of the war in the 1960s, that these old photographic portraits have begun to move from the realm of vernacular photography to become part of the nation’s visual record. Harry Roach, who founded MI in 1979, was in the forefront of those who realized the growing importance of these photographs.

Read the full interview.

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity, and deeply grateful to Ina and the rest of the staff of CWT for the great work they do in preservation and education.