Tag: Melissa A. Wynn

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The Spring 2026 Issue

A complete table of contents for the Spring 2026 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.

Vol. XLIV, No. 2
(80 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
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Inside

Cover
A tintype of a Hoosier cavalryman posed with a Merrill carbine and a .44-caliber Model 1860 Army Colt revolver.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
A reflection on collectors Rick Carlile and Perry Frohne, stewardship, and the future of Civil War photography collecting in a changing digital community.

Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes praise for Mike Fitzpatrick’s profile of “Fighting Bob” Robley, identifying three Confederate soldiers, and more.

Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
National Archives data shows how 2,700 women served in concentrated Union hospital centers, revealing the scale and geography of wartime care.

Passing in Review (p. 6)
A new book by Richard Leisenring Jr. examines Elmira prison images as historical evidence, revealing how photography, commerce, and memory shaped views of the Civil War camp.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-9)
Why many images of women soldiers are misidentified or fake—and how research separates verified portraits from myths in Civil War history.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 10)
A militia officer’s portrait raises questions about daguerreotype reversal, revealing clues in uniform details, sword presentation, and camera technology.

Most Hallowed Ground (p. 12)
Major Ruel M. Johnson led the 100th Indiana Infantry under heavy fire at Missionary Ridge, earning the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the Chattanooga Campaign.

The Honored Few by Evan Phifer (p. 14)
Iron Brigade officer William Wade Dudley lost a leg at Gettysburg, later served veterans as Pension Bureau chief, and was tied to the 1888 Block of Five scandal.

The Citizenry (p. 16)
A Lafayette, Ind., firm’s Civil War contracts fed Union troops, revealing how Midwestern businesses powered the Northern war effort in the Western Theater.

Of Arms and Men by Phil Spaugy (pp. 18-20)
A Terre Haute, Ind., portrait of veteran Union soldiers reveals clues in Model 1842 muskets, Greenwood alterations, and field gear used to trace their unit.

Hoosiers: Indiana Faces of the Civil War (pp. 22-40)
A gallery of Indiana Civil War portraits and stories, from early enlistments to major battles, prison camps, and home-front sacrifice across the Western Theater.

Long Sol: Indiana’a Fighting Quaker by Lance J. Herdegen (pp. 42-46)
The rise of Solomon “Long Sol” Meredith and his Iron Brigade, from Brawner’s Farm to Gettysburg, where wounds ended his battlefield career.

Thunderbolts and Lightning at Hoover’s Gap: How Wilder’s Lightning Brigade received its nom de guerre by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 48-52)
How John T. Wilder’s mounted infantry and Spencer rifles secured Hoover’s Gap and earned the name “Lightning Brigade” in the Tullahoma Campaign.

Dynamite Man: The life and times of Hoosier soldier, sailor, and inventor James Weir Graydon by Ronald S. Coddington(pp. 54-59)
From teenage bugler in the 7th Indiana Cavalry to Navy officer and prolific inventor, the remarkable life and ambitions of James W. Graydon.

Harper’s Weekly Needed an Image of Wallace’s Zouaves. They Commissioned This One. by Ron Field(pp. 60-62)
How photographs of the 11th Indiana Infantry, also known as Wallace’s Zouaves, became Harper’s Weekly engravings.

Material Culture by Ron Field (pp. 64-68)
How the 11th Indiana Infantry’s Zouave uniforms changed during the war, from gray militia dress to distinctive blue patterns worn in major campaigns.

Women of War by Melissa A. Wynn (pp. 70-71)
Indiana nurse Eleanor Ransom survived the 1864 sinking of the transport North America and returned to care for Union soldiers through war’s end.

Behind the Backdrop by Buck Zaidel (pp. 72-73)
How focus, depth, and staging at an Indianapolis gallery turned painted Civil War backdrops into convincing camp scenes for Indiana soldiers.

Vignette by Scott Valentine (p. 74)
Captain Poinsett Cooper of the 42nd New York Infantry survived four wounds from Antietam to the Wilderness, including a guerrilla attack during evacuation in Virginia.

Stragglers (pp. 75-77)
Profiles of Union and Confederate soldiers through Civil War portraits, including rare “Jeff. Davis and the South!”placard images, battlefield service, and personal wartime histories.

The Last Shot (p. 80)
How the 58th Indiana Infantry funded and dedicated one of Indiana’s first Civil War monuments to honor its fallen, conceived while the regiment was still in service.

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The Winter 2026 Issue

A complete table of contents for the Winter 2026 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.

Vol. XLIV, No. 1
(80 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
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Explore the MI Archives:
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Inside

Cover
A tintype of a Confederate soldier sporting a “Sicilian”-style stocking cap with a large secession cockade attached to the front, D-Guard Bowie knife and Model 1842 musket.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
A tribute to Rick Carlile’s impact on Military Images and collectors, honoring his mentorship, scholarship, and shared passion for Civil War photography.

Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes notes on Texas photographer Louis de Planque, restoring the name of a misidentified soldier, and more.

Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
Tracking the loyalties of 1,125 surviving West Point graduates, 1802-1864, indicates that one in three wore Confederate gray.

Passing in Review (p. 6)
Two new Civil War books explore a truce in Louisiana and New York City in images, offering fresh insights from James Hogg, Jonathan White, and Timothy Orr.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-10)
Research into a Civil War portrait reveals Maj. Alphonzo Nicholds and his wife, Julia, showing how photo sleuthing can restore names and stories to forgotten images.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 12)
A militia officer’s portrait reflects America’s 19th-century system of independent companies, state oversight, and reforms that led to today’s National Guard.

Most Hallowed Ground (p. 14)
At Cold Harbor, George Armes, and aide to Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, rode through heavy fire to deliver an order to Maj. Gen. Francis Barlow.

The Honored Few by Evan Phifer (pp. 16-17)
Henry Goodwin of the 27th Maine served during the Gettysburg crisis, later receiving a Medal of Honor that was rescinded in the 1917 review of award criteria.

The Citizenry by Elizabeth A. Topping (p. 18)
Photographs of young women at the 1864 Metropolitan Fair show attendants of the Normandy Confectionery booth, not nurses, illustrating Civil War homefront roles.

Of Arms and Men by Phil Spaugy (pp. 20-22)
An 1861 view of the 9th Mississippi Infantry at Camp Magnolia shows early Confederate clothing, arms, and leadership as the regiment entered wartime service.

Southern Exposures: Confederate images from the Paul Reeder Collection by Ron Field (pp. 24-39)
A study of Confederate soldiers through their uniforms, weapons, and wartime portraits, revealing Southern military dress, equipment, and material culture.

A Wisconsin Sharpshooter’s Changing Face: Portraits and letters trace Pvt. Henry Lye’s wartime life—and loss at Gettysburg by Jeff McArdle (pp. 40-47)
Sharpshooter Henry Lye’s letters chart marches to Gettysburg, Peninsula and Chancellorsville battles, and his July 2, 1863 death, and Myra’s long grief at home.

Twice Dismissed, Never Defeated: Robley Evans and the making of the Navy legend “Fighting Bob” by Michael F. Fitzpatrick (pp. 48-56)
The story of Robley Dunglison Evans traces his perilous youth, Naval Academy appointment, Civil War service, and ascent to rear admiral after remarkable persistence.

Q&A with Cara Arnold: Connecting Through Images by Deena C. Bouknight(pp. 60-63)
An interview with Cara Arnold of The Horse Soldier, exploring her path into military history, image appraisal, collecting, and the world of Civil War material culture.

Material Culture by Dr. Charles H. Cureton (pp. 64-66)
A study of Marine Corps boy musicians, their distinctive uniforms, and the early-war Horstmann sword pattern documented through a studio image from Brooklyn.

Women of War by Melissa A. Wynn (pp. 68-69)
Kate Chase, Washington’s ambitious Civil War socialite, her political work for father Salmon P. Chase, marriage to marriage to Gov. William Sprague, and postwar decline.

Behind the Backdrop by Buck Zaidel (p. 70)
A Civil War soldier stands before a primitive painted camp backdrop by photographer Julia Emma Jones.

Vignette by Scott Valentine (p. 72)
The 8th Vermont Infantry met its first combat near Bayou des Allemands, and Alvin B. Franklin rose through repeated wounds to lead his regiment in battle.

Stragglers (pp. 74-76)
Images include Union and Confederate musicians, a Mississippi soldier, a Richmond monument, and a possible early war field hospital scene after Blackburn’s Ford.

The Last Shot (p. 80)
The story of Bob Dillard, an enslaved man identified by name and face, whose life was bound to Captain John Dillard through the Mexican War and the Civil War.

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The Autumn 2025 Issue

A complete table of contents for the Autumn 2025 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.

Vol. XLIII, No. 4
(80 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
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Explore the MI Archives:
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Inside

Cover
An albumen print the Rick Carlile Collection pictures five members of Company F, 44th Massachusetts Infantry, posed with weapons and gear.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
A reflection on generative AI that animates and colorizes 19th-century military photographs, situating it within photography’s history and public engagement.

Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes the identification of two military images: U.S. Navy sailor Isaac H. Pierman and Sgt. John S. Koster of he 35th and 21st Massachusetts infantries.

Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
Newspapers.com data shows how “Contraband,” “Fugitive Slave,” “Colored Troops,” and “Freedmen” rose and fell in U.S. newspapers during the Civil War, 1861–1865.

Passing in Review (p. 6)
Review of Timothy Renner’s I Have Never Minded the Loneliness, profiling 37 hermits—including Gettysburg’s Hermit of Wolf Hill—with ties to Strange Familiars.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-11)
How to use generative AI in Civil War photo sleuthing: reverse image search, facial recognition, backdrop matching, better prompts, bias checks, and cautions.

Antebellum Warriors by Ron Field (p. 12)
A South Carolina militiaman with palmetto-plumed shako, triple-breasted coat, leather stock, civilian trousers, and an 1807-pattern stirrup-hilted sword.

Most Hallowed Ground (p. 14)
Franklin Y. Commagere served with the 14th Ohio Infantry, 67th New York Infantry, and the 6th U.S. Colored Cavalry; later in the 7th U.S. Cavalry. He is buried at Arlington.

The Honored Few by Evan Phifer (p. 16)
At Gettysburg, John B. Fassett led the 39th New York Infantry to retake Watson’s Battery guns near the Trostle farm on July 2, 1863, earning the Medal of Honor.

The Citizenry by Elizabeth A. Topping (p. 18)
Nine women identified as nurses at York U.S. Army Hospital, c.1864; with ties to the Ladies’ Aid Society ties and care after the Battle of Gettysburg.

Of Arms and Men by Phil Spaugy (pp. 20-23)
Company B, 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry on Lookout Mountain with Starr carbines in 1864, soon to ride under Kilpatrick during Sherman’s March to the Sea.

“Our Mess”: An 1862 image captures the camaraderie, campaigns, and distinctive equipment of five pards in Company F of the 44th Massachusetts Infantry by Michael R. Cunningham, Ph.D., featuring an image from the Rick Carlile Collection(pp. 24-27)
Exploring an image of five soldiers of Company F, 44th Massachusetts Infantry, posed with Enfield rifles and Short’s Patent knapsacks.

Marching Order! A glimpse of what federal soldiers looked like as they marched into battle— and into history by Michael R. Cunningham, Ph.D., featuring images from the Rick Carlile Collection (pp. 28-37)
Portraits show soldiers ready for campaigning with field gear—knapsacks, canteens, bayonets—plus other gear, from all sections of the Union.

The Bayard of the Volunteer Army: The life and death of Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle, the poet-warrior by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 38-43)
William Haines Lytle, 10th Ohio commander and poet, received a gold Maltese cross in August 1863 and fell at Chickamauga weeks later; his verse shaped his legacy. 

On Quinby’s Watch by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 46-55)
Colorado Lt. Ira Quinby, a Signal Corps officer active at the 1864 Battle of Westport, helped guide moves that halted Price’s Raid—The Gettysburg of the West.

Mary’s Album: Cartes de visite and tintypes collected by a teenager put faces on two Loudoun Rangers of Virginia by Bob Iwig (pp. 58-60)
A Harpers Ferry teenager’s album includes photos of two Loudoun Rangers—Union cavalrymen active in an area with Mosby’s raiders and White’s Comanches.

Collecting Civil War Artifacts Before the Centennial by Norman Delaney(pp. 62-63)
Reflecting on how Civil War artifacts were found before the 1961–65 centennial, from family heirlooms to Bannerman catalogs, antique shops and early hunts.

Material Culture by Frederick C. Gaede and Paul D. Johnson (pp. 66-67)
Colonel William d’Alton Mann proposed shoulder-slung accouterments to move weight off the waist. Selected units tried the innovation, but never adopted it as standard.

Women of War by Melissa A. Wynn (pp. 68-69)
Louisa May Alcott served as a Civil War nurse in Washington, D.C., recorded her experiences in Hospital Sketches, and championed women’s rights.

Behind the Backdrop by Buck Zaidel (pp. 70-71)
A Hartford, Conn., studio’s camp-scene backdrop—attributed to Nelson A. Moore—shows up in similar form in Ohio and Philadelphia, tracing links among wartime studios.

Vignette by Scott Valentine (p. 72)
Samuel A. Duncan led the 4th and 6th USCT at New Market Heights in 1864 during the Richmond campaign; Sgt. Maj. Christian Fleetwood earned the Medal of Honor.

Stragglers (pp. 74-76)
Kentucky campaigners, a sailor of Asian heritage, a split-screen soldier on camp and on campaign, and a soldier at Point Lookout.

The Last Shot (p. 80)
Unidentified Confederate with Bowie knife, single-shot pistol, and tinware in a wool jacket—a ninth-plate ambrotype from the Paul Reeder Collection.