Author: MI Editor

The complete issue

Vol. XXXIV, No. 2
(64 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Digital edition (premium access)
Subscribe to MI
Explore the MI Archives: Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial

Inside

Cover image
A previously unpublished quarter-plate tintype of Jefferson Davis attributed to photographer Jesse H. Whitehurst of Washington, D.C., from the collection of John O’Brien.
Download (free)

Table of Contents (p. 1)
Download (free)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor notes that thousands of portrait photographs of soldiers and sailors have been published in the magazine since it was founded in 1979. Enlisted men from all walks of life and of all ranks compose the vast majority of images, though likenesses of nurses, vivandières and patriotic persons have graced our pages. In every case, each image and its associated narrative is a microhistory —a historical investigation on the individual level. They are windows that shed light on the larger themes of the American experience.
Download (free)

Mail Call (p. 3)
Feedback includes a misidentified Zouave, a Wisconsin infantryman, more on a local Civil War hero and efforts to honor his memory and a note about surcingles.
Download (free)

Passing in Review (p. 4)
Soldier stories are freshly mined nuggets of history in a new book by John Banks, Hidden History of Connecticut Union Soldiers (Arcadia Publishing). A longtime journalist and blogger, Banks maximizes his skill as a reporter and writer to tell representative stories of Connecticut Yankees. His compelling narratives better our appreciation of the human cost of war for soldiers and families.
Download (free)

On the Eve of War: Previously Unknown Portraits of Jefferson and Varina Davis Come to Light by John O’Brien (pp. 6-9)
Previously unpublished portraits capture future Confederate Commander-In-Chief Jefferson Davis and first lady Varina Howell Davis at a critical moment in history. The pair of quarter-plate tintypes, part of the John O’Brien, have an extraordinary provenance that traces to an unexpected source—U.S. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles.

The Absolute Truth of Photos by William C. Davis (p. 10)
A reflection on the Jefferson Davis tintype: “Today, we are the first Americans to see, for the first time, the weary and pained face of the man destined to lead a lost cause whose echoes reverberate still, and whose issues at root still trouble our society in the 21st century.”

On the Eve of a Crossroads by Joan E. Cashin (p. 11)
A reflection on the Davis tintypes with emphasis on the portrait of Varina Howell Davis: “They were both pro-slavery, believing that the Constitution protected the institution, but she did not share his growing hostility towards the North.”

Custer’s West Virginia Red Ties: The Life and Times of the 3rd West Virginia Cavalry by Richard A. Wolfe (pp. 12-17)
The history of the 3rd begins with a military company formed in the pro-Union western counties of Virginia and ends in the Shenandoah Valley fighting under the command of flamboyant Maj. Gen. George Armstrong Custer.

The Honored Few (p. 18)
Hilary Beyer, a second lieutenant in Company H of the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry, proved his courage in the infamous Cornfield at the Battle of Antietam. His actions resulted in the Medal of Honor.

The Great Outdoors: Civil War Soldiers at Work, Rest and Play by C. Paul Loane (pp. 20-30)
Images of soldiers pictured in camp, on campaign and other locations have always held a special interest for collector C. Paul Loane. “There is more going on than just the soldiers standing there,” Loane explains. “They are particularly helpful in seeing just what kind of environment the soldiers were in or what gear they really did use,” he observes.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 31)
A sixth-plate daguerreotype from the Ron Field collection pictures a man dressed in clothing that makes it difficult to discern whether he is a soldier or a civilian.

Held Hostage in Virginia: A Union Captain Becomes a Casualty in a Battle of Wits Between Jefferson Davis and John Pope by Scott Valentine (pp. 32-34)
Samuel Miller Quincy suffered a wound and fell into enemy hands after his 2nd Massachusetts Infantry was routed at the Battle of Cedar Mountain on Aug.9, 1862. He could not have known that he would be treated not as a prisoner of war, but as a hostage in a deadly game with no ground rules.

Union Wives and Their Generals by Tom Glass (pp. 35-43)
Nearly all the generals who served the North during the Civil War were married. Left behind at home, their wives cared for families, farms, businesses and relatives. A few accompanied their husbands into fields of action. Many generals seemed eager to have their betrothed with them as frequently as possible. And often, the wives of generals had greater access to headquarters than junior officers. A representative sample of portraits of these military couples.

“A Hideous Dream” by John Banks (pp. 44-46)
In an exclusive excerpt from Hidden History of Connecticut Union Soldiers by John Banks, a family is divided by two brothers, one who fought for the North and another for the South.

Stragglers (pp. 47-50)
A total of eight distinctive and unique images from MI contributors includes a full-plate ambrotype of a Louisiana officer, a sixth-plate tintype of a Chausser, a sixth-plate ambrotype of a federal infantryman with his pocket watch and a carte de visite of Harper’s Weekly illustrator Theodore R. Davis seated upon Lookout Mountain with a group of Union staff officers.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 52-54)
The gift of a soldier carte de visite with distinctive markings—red ink numbers in the lower left corner and brass clips at the top and bottom of the mount—is the starting point for the story of the Dead Letter Office, a special branch of the U.S. Post Office charged with solving undeliverable mail mysteries.

An Album of Ardent Patriots: Company B, 33rd Illinois Infantry by Jim Hennessey (pp. 56-57)
Untold numbers of albums filled with soldier photos are scattered across the country, and they have survived more than 150 years. Here are the stories of the men pictured in one of them.

Words Exchanged in an Ambulance by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 58-60)
In the wake of fighting in Virginia during the spring campaign of 1864, two wounded soldiers shared an ambulance. A grizzled New Hampshire sergeant lay on one side and a young South Carolina private on the other. The two soldiers conversed and found common ground on the way to an uncertain future.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 61-62)
Napoleon purportedly commented that an army travels on its stomach. If that was the case, the commissary officers keep it moving. Likewise, ordnance officers maintain the flow of weapons and ammunition, and inspectors make certain the men and their equipment are up to snuff and ready for action. The vital work of officers of both the General Staff and regimental staffs is often overlooked by the average Civil War buff. McAfee explores the variations of uniforms of these underappreciated staffers.

The Last Shot (p. 64)
Collector Gary Bart shares an unusual carte de visite of a New York man dressed in a dress and shawl. The image is dated June 11, 1865, about a month after Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured wearing his wife’s overcoat.

The complete issue

Vol. XXVI, No. 3
(40 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Subscribe to MI
Explore the MI Archives: Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial

Inside

Cover image
From the collection of Chris Nelson, an unusual unidentified trick photography carte de visite by J. Jones, Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor is gratified by the overwhelmingly positive response to the recent Georgia issue and notes that an Ohio-themed state issue will be featured next.

Passing in Review (pp. 4-5)
Two books are reviewed and both are recommended. Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soldiers and Their Stories by Ronald S. Coddington offers “valuable insights into the experiences of seventy-seven Union ‘faces of war.’” Great Maps of the Civil War, Pivotal Battles and Campaigns Featuring 32 Removable Maps by William J. Miller is a “handsomely produced volume” that is well-researched and colorful.

The Flag of the 17^th Texas Consolidated Cavalry by John Sickles (pp. 6-7)
A photograph taken at Lufkin, Texas, on Sept. 21, 1929, depicts the bullet and shell torn flag of the regiment held by two of its veterans, W.P. Fears and E.W.H. Parker. A one-page history of the 17^th is included.

“Slow Trot” Thomas Between Wars: Accurately Dating an Antebellum Image by Gregory J.W. Urwin (pp. 8-11)
An 1853-1854 daguerreotype by Mathew B. Brady of future Civil War Gen. George Henry Thomas pictures the officer as a brevet major in the 3^rd U.S. Artillery. A three-part narrative accompanies the image. “The Man” is a biographical sketch of Thomas from his beginnings in Virginia to his rise to fame as “The Rock of Chickamauga” and his post-war years. “The Image” is a physical description of the image and case. “Dating the Image” is a description of how the author, a professor of history at Temple University, concluded that the image was made by Brady in the 1853-1854 timeframe—a year earlier than the 1855 date given by the curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery in the late 1970s.

The 12^th Kansas Infantry “Jayhawkers” by J. Dale West (pp. 12-17)
An album of 25 soldiers who served in the regiment includes 8 identified men: 1^st Lt. William A. Welles of Company C, Capt. Nick L. Benter of Company C, Sgt. Maj. Clarkson Reynolds, 1^st Lt. and Regimental Quartermaster Joshua Clayton, 2^nd Lt. Samuel S. Kirkham of Company C, 1^st Lt. William B. Nichols of Company C, Pct. Enos Ingle of Company D and Brig. Gen. John Edwards.

The Death of John Kent C.S.A. by Mahlon Nichols (p. 18)
A biographical sketch of Kent, a private in the 2^nd Missouri Infantry, includes a touching obituary with his final words, “I die in a good cause; tell my friends good-bye.” The sketch is illustrated with a hard-plate image of Kent in civilian dress.

“Red,” The Story of Lt. James D. Bebout: Gridiron Star, All-American Hero by John W. Turner (pp. 19-21)
A standout football player at Penn State from 1910-1914, Bebout graduated with a degree in agriculture and went to work for the federal government. After war was declared against Germany during World War I, he joined the U.S. army as an officer and was assigned to Company D of the 318^th Infantry of the 80^th Division. In May 1918, Bebout sailed for France with his division. Four months later, on Sept. 29, he was killed during the fighting at Bethincourt. Included in the story is a 1919 letter written by Bebout’s friend and fellow officer, Capt. E.C. Shively. It describes Bebout’s death and other wartime reflections of the late Penn State star.

Contributions to the War Effort from Shrewsbury, New Jersey by Thomas J. Moeller (pp. 23-25)
The identities of the veterans pictured in a circa 1884 photograph of the members of Grand Army of the Republic Post 61 in Shrewsbury, N.J., are not known. The author however has a list of the names of all the membership, and notes that “their personal stories run the spectrum of New Jersey’s military service during the Civil War. Several stories follow, with wartime images of 2^nd Lt. William Conover and 1^st Lt. William H. Foster of the 14^th New Jersey Infantry and Capt. Samuel Tucker Sleeper of the 11^th New Jersey Infantry.

William Worth Belknap, Fallen Hero by Thomas Gaard (pp. 26-31)
Belknap, the author states, “is best known as the Secretary of War in the Grant Administration. He was charged with corruption, resigned his position and was impeached by the House of Representatives.” His fall from grace overshadows a distinguished war record that includes the Battle of Shiloh, during which he suffered a serious wound, and the campaigns of Vicksburg and Atlanta. Belknap’s story is illustrated with an early war albumen print of him as an officer in the 15^th Iowa Infantry, an image of Belknap as a brigadier general with two orderlies, a group portrait of the general with his staff officers and other images.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 32-33)
In the “165^th New York Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1865, Second Duryea Zouaves,” McAfee recounts the history of the regiment and describes their distinctive uniforms. Three portraits are included, an unidentified private, 1^st Lt. Gustavus F. Linquist and 2^nd Lt. Charles Carville.

Stragglers (p. 34-38)
A total of 16 images are featured—Nine from the Civil War, one from about 1901, and six from World War I. Several of the latter portraits are identified. The identities of two of men in a group of nine generals in a circa 1918-1919 portrait are known: Benjamin Foulois, Chief of the Air Service, AEF, and Manus McCloskey, a field artillery brigade commander in the 77^th Division. Other identified men included a Japanese-American Doughboy, Pvt. Hatsuko Kasagi, Pvt. Stephen Savko of the Medical Department of Base Hospital #80 and Pvt. Frank Berkavich.

Sutler’s Row (p. 39-40)

The complete issue

Vol. VIII, No. 1
(32 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Subscribe to MI
Explore the MI Archives: Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial

Inside

Cover image
The cover of the current issue is an American hussar from about 1860, complete with the fur headgear with the death’s head insignia.

Editor’s Desk (p. 1)
The editor discusses the problem that the publication team had with saving and using back issues of Military Images. He writes with high praise for the work of Frank Jasek, who bound each volume into a hardcover set. The editor also discussed some of the upcoming features planned for future issues.

Mail Call (pp. 2-3)
A lengthy letter from a reader questions the identification of an individual in as Lt. David Raney, Confederate States Marines, providing a great deal of information to put the positive identification back into question. Another article disputes the assertion that the Colt revolving rifle saw limited and unpopular use during the war, using the history of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade as evidence.

Passing in Review (pp. 3-4)
Four volumes are presented for review in this issue of Military Images. First is Recollections of a Naval Officer by Captain William H. Parker, which is a quality reprint of the memoirs of a Confederate naval officer who had many memorable experiences; it is reprinted as part of the Classics in Naval Literature series. Next is Soldiers: A History of Men in Battle by John Keegan and Richard Holmes. The volume is a companion book to a British television series and devotes considerable space to discussions of the American Civil War and the lessons that were “too often ignored by professional soldiers in Europe.” Third is History of the First Delaware Volunteers by William P. Seville, another reprint of the original and only history of the unit written in 1884. Last is a review of an audiotape, Battlefields and Campfires, by the 97th Regimental String Band. Created by reenactors. The tape includes many of the songs of the era, played as they would have likely been played by soldiers of the Civil War.

The Darkroom (p. 5)
George Hart answers a question from a reader regarding the best way to repair damaged daguerreotype cases and how collectors store or clean their images. He responds with a list of products and suggested reading, and also explains that the means used by museums to control the environments of their collections are beyond the means of collectors. He describes how a pistol case can be used to protect images that are within cases and also cautions collectors to use “acid free” products that might come into contact with albumen images in particular.

Izzat a Chaplain or what?: Masonic Uniforms of the Civil War Period by Jacques Noel Jacobsen, Jr. (pp. 6-7)
A part of American history that goes back to before the Revolution, the fact that there were organized military lodges of Masons among both Union and Confederate soldiers should come as no surprise. The story is frequently told of captured or wounded Masons giving the sign of distress to their captors in order to receive protection while captured during the Civil War. What is more unusual is to see some of the Masonic badges and symbols from this era. The article includes six different images which describe the insignia, from the simple Masonic square and compass to the more elaborate insignia worn by Knights Templar and even a Master Mason. Two images from the post-Civil War era are also included.

Corps Badges of the Civil War, Part II: VI through X Corps by Wendell Lang (pp. 8-15)
The second of the series on the Corps badges worn by Federal soldiers begins with a short description of how the felt insignia were supposed to be worn, which was on the front or top of the cap, or the side of wide-brimmed hat. As seen by the images included in the article, the men had other ways of wearing their corps badges. Often purchasing more elaborate pins or even cockades, the men would also wear their badges with pride on their chest. One image shows a private of the 10th Vermont Infantry wearing the badges of both III and VI Corps, along with another shield-shaped badge, showing the movement of units between corps. The article shows thirteen soldiers wearing the VI Corps badge, a vertical Greek or Swiss cross, in a number of forms. There was no badge adopted for VII Corps (the Department of Arkansas) during the war, but a five-pointed star riding on a crescent was approved after the war was over and before the corps was disbanded; no photographic image is included. VIII Corps also had no official corps badge, but the men adopted the six-pointed star, as shown in the image included with the article. The badge for IX Corps was a badge shape with cannon and anchor imposed on it, reflecting the “amphibious operations” of this corps in North Carolina at the start of the war. The last badge presented in the article is for X Corps, a “square with an extended point at each corner” which represents the overhead view of a typical fort “with four bastions.”

The Militia of ’61: U.S. Army Uniforms of the Civil War, Part VIII by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 16-24)
Providing an overview of the history of militia in the United States, the author intends to show that there was no one “militia” in existence at the time of the Civil War. Tracing back to the “common” militia under which the different states could design their own militia system, the reader finds out that this system was in great decline by 1861. However, the “volunteer” militia, which were basically private clubs that were attached to the “common” militia. By the decade prior to the Civil War, states such as Massachusetts and New York tried to instill a regimental spirit by imposing uniforms, but this was largely unsuccessful, as the competitive nature of these groups prevailed. To make things more complicated for the collector, there were also units that had a military air to them, but were not actual militia units. They were more of a social club, many of which would perform as drill or marching societies. Militia uniforms could take three forms: “modern” units would wear variations of the 1851 U.S. Regular Army uniform; “traditional” units would wear the older type of uniform with high collars, tight sleeves, and tailed coats; “specialized” units would have more elaborate uniforms and could include hussars, Highlanders, and Zouaves. The twenty images that accompany the article, including one of Brig. Gen. Benjamin Butler of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in 1861, provide an excellent visual overview of the discussion.

“Up, Alabamians!”: The 4th Alabama Infantry at Manassas by Gregory Starbuck (pp. 25-29)
Eleven images of the men of the 4th Alabama illustrate the account of the first engagement that this unit underwent. Under the command of General Bernard Bee on Henry House Hill , the unit lost 40 killed and 170 wounded. The article recounts the stories of those who survived, such as Private Joe Angell who was knocked unconscious by a cannonball that hit his knapsack, and those who did not, like Colonel Egbert Jones who had undergone the embarrassment of a petition by his men because they had not seen enough action and wanted to redeem himself in battle. It also includes the story of two men who were not supposed to be there. Dr. Samuel Vaughn had been visiting relatives in the 4th when the unit moved out to Manassas from Winchester; he and his servant, James Jefferson (one of the few documented cases of a slave fighting for the Confederacy), accompanied the unit and fought with the regiment in this first frightening step into the Civil War.

Stragglers (p. 30)
Two images—a “before” and “after” pair—show the crew of a ship identified only by a banner in the second image with “O.Y.C.” The first image shows the crew cleaning up for their photograph, wearing undershirts and getting shaved, brushing hair and teeth, and generally in a relaxed mood. The second image shows the same crew with their banner and American flag, posing for their photograph in uniform and looking “shipshape.”

Back Image
1st Lt. James Young of Company K, 4th Alabama who was involved in the fighting of the 4th Alabama at First Manassas.

The complete issue

Vol. VII, No. 5
(32 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Subscribe to MI
Explore the MI Archives: Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial

Inside

Cover image
The front of this issue of Military Images features a soldier in kepi with a tintype image in his lap. He was 18 year old Freeman Mason of the 17th Vermont Infantry and the figure on the right in the tintype was his brother Michael. Both of the Mason brothers died in the service of their country.

Editor’s Desk (p. 1)
The editor notes a change in address for the magazine, and an increase in subscription prices due to rising costs of production and mailing. A preview of the upcoming issues was also outlined, based on popular issues of past issues.

Mail Call (p. 2)
The editor addresses a call for a rebuttal of a review of a publication in the September-October 1985 issue; the author and the reviewer have gone into litigation and the editor feels it best to refrain from comment. The author appears to have fraudulently gained access to the MI mailing list, and the editor requests that any communication be forwarded including the mailing label. A reader also questions the identity of the “oldest continuing military organization” in the U.S.

Passing in Review (pp. 3-4)
The current issue includes three reviews, beginning with The March to the Sea and Beyond by Joseph T. Glatthaar. The work looks at the Western Union soldier through the lens of Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. He looks at their views on the war, the South and slavery, and other issues on a more individual basis and discusses how these views changed during the campaign. The next review is of Touched by Fire: a Photographic Portrait of the Civil War, Volume I edited by William C. Davis. The reviewer does not give this volume very high marks. While nicely produced, it is not a recommended purchase. Cannoneers in Gray by Larry J. Daniel tells the story of the artillery branch of the Army of Tennessee and how these soldiers, at a disadvantage in many different ways, held up against their Northern opponents.

Vignette: Isaac Buswell, A patriot in the 20th N.Y.S.M. by Seward R. Osborne (p. 5)
“Ike” Buswell came from a family grounded in military service and he proved himself to be of the same patriotic cloth. He was taken prisoner in 1862 while taking a small expedition to find out what he could about Confederate secret mail service between Richmond and Fredericksburg, spending time in Libby Prison and Belle Isle. He was paroled, recuperated, promoted, and returned to the 20th only to be wounded on the first day of fighting at Gettysburg. His wounded leg became gangrenous, but he fought to keep his leg, returning once again to the 20th. The end of the war saw Ike Buswell with the rank of captain and part of the forces occupying Richmond at the end of the war.

Brady and Lee – 1866: The history of a photographic session by John O’Brien (pp. 6-8)
Complete with four different versions of on an iconic image, the author describes the history of the 1866 image of Robert E. Lee, the first postwar photograph that was often noted as being taken in Washington, D.C. in 1869. It was an image that Lee and the college he led (now known as Washington and Lee in Lexington, Virginia) wanted in order to show that he had moved on and was taking an active role in Reconstruction Virginia. It contrasts greatly with the 1865 image that Mathew Brady took of Lee on his porch in Richmond immediately after the surrender at Appomattox, also included with the article.

Vignette: Edwin Francis Johnson, a private in the 2nd Louisiana Infantry by Keith Bohannon (p. 9)
One of the most well-known images of the Civil War, the oval portrait of a very young Confederate soldier is often misidentified as belonging to a member of a Georgia regiment, although the kepi he wears bears the pelican insignia of Louisiana. The vignette describes his military career, ending with his death in July 1862 at Malvern Hill in Virginia.

Capt. Abraham Cottrell by Kean Wilcox (pp. 11-15)
He was both a photographer and a soldier, and a series of previously unpublished tintype images found in the effects of Capt. Cottrell have allowed the author to investigate both aspects of this soldier/photographer. Serving with the 8th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Cottrell had been appointed as an aid-de-camp to General Isaac Stevens for his exceptional service in South Carolina in 1861. He was injured when his horse fell on him in early 1862, and eventually returned to serve as commander of Company E (“The Elder Zouaves”) of the 8th Michigan at Secessionville, South Carolina; his injuries in that battle, which initially saw him listed as killed in action, led to promotion and eventually a discharge for disability in March 1863. However, Cottrell returned to service later that same year as a lieutenant in the Invalid Corps, later renamed the Veterans Reserve Corps. His organizational abilities with the 16th Regiment of the VRC led to a promotion to captain, and a number of various independent command assignments. The article includes portraits of Cottrell, including some post-war cartes de visite and samples of backmarks he used with his work in Lansing, Michigan. The remaining images are of the four quarter plate tintypes found among Cottrell’s effects which feature a photographer working at some sort of ceremony.

Union Cavalry Carbines by Richard Carlile (pp. 16-26)
More than twenty images make up this informational pictorial article on the weapon that was favored by Union cavalry units. The carbine allowed the cavalry to fight mounted or dismounted, providing another weapon that could be effectively used by cavalry units. The problem was the vast number of different makes of carbine, each requiring a specific type of cartridge for its ammunition. The article discusses the main carbine brands used by the Union in the Civil War, and provides a chart that illustrates 16 different carbine types. The two most commonly used were the Sharps and the Burnside, with the seven-shot Spencer that appeared towards the end of the conflict. The images include many different types, including one of a Gallager; that particular make was popular, but not seen often in photographs.

To the Bitter End: Lt. David Raney, Confederate States Marines by David M. Sullivan (pp. 26-28)
A misidentification of an image led to the investigation of who the subject of the image was: Lt. David Raney, Jr., a native of Apalachicola, Florida, the first commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the Confederate States Marine Corps. Serving until the end of the war, he had a wide range of experiences from serving on the flagship of Commodore Tattnall during fighting at Port Royal to serving in the garrison at Drewry’s Point to commanding the Marines on the C.S.S. Tennessee and being captured at Mobile Bay. Raney escaped from prison in New Orleans and returned to Mobile to command Company D. Raney was with a group of his Marines when the C.S.S. Morgan surrendered on May 10, 1865, signing his parole papers for his men and for himself. Raney never did quite recover from the loss of the Confederacy, ending up a recluse in his family home in Apalachicola for the remainder of his life.

Stragglers (pp. 30-31)
Images submitted for inclusion in this issue of Military Images includes two views of the Inaugural Parade for President Taft in March 1909, including a mountain battery unit loaded on mules. An officer of the day from the Connecticut National Guard is also included, as is an 1888 image of the Lisbon, Ohio militia battery. The same gun is on display in the town’s village square.

Back Image
A fully armed Union soldier, including a Model-1859 Sharps carbine.

The complete issue

Vol. VII, No. 4
(32 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Subscribe to MI
Explore the MI Archives: Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial

Inside

Cover image
He may look like a Prussian soldier fresh from a victory in the Franco-Prussian War, but the soldier on the cover with the Pickelhaube helmet is Joseph Vance, a member of Company A, Light Artillery, Rhode Island State Militia, taken 1885-1886.

Editor’s Desk (p. 1)
The editor presents two new features with this issue. “The Darkroom” answers reader questions about the technology of imaging, while “Exhibits” lists museum and traveling exhibitions of interest to the readership. He also describes the types of articles that will be forthcoming, and welcomes suggestions as well as images. The editor also reprinted a clearer version of the wounded soldier in his hospital gown from the previous issue’s “Stragglers” feature.

Mail Call (pp. 2-3)
Letters to the editor included a request for help in identifying a shoulder strap uniform device, additional information on images from past issues, and additional responses to the editorial regarding U.S. policy in Nicaragua.

Darkroom (pp. 4-5)
George Hart’s first feature responds to the question regarding the sizes of different types of images. While a standard table is presented in the response, the great variation in sizes such as quarter-plate or ninth-plate images is due to the fact that many photographers cut their own plates. Tintypes are particularly known for this.

Six Sons for the Confederacy: The letters of Robert H. Jones, 22nd Georgia Infantry edited by Keith Bohannon (pp. 6-8)
The eldest of the six Jones brothers from Floyd County, Georgia, Robert H. Jones had organized the “Fireside Defenders” in August 1861. Once organized into the 22nd Georgia Volunteers, the 33 year old Jones was made colonel, two brothers made captain, one chaplain, and two remained privates. All six appear in an image taken in 1861, and although the six fought together at the start of the war, none were still with the 22nd Georgia at war’s end. The letters from Colonel Jones to his wife Lucinthia provide a glimpse into camp life during several different points of the war, from the humorous response of his troops (and body servant) to hearing cannon fire that was not warfare, but a salute to George Washington on his birthday to a more serious account of his unit during the Seven Days. Writing from Leesburg, Virginia, he tells her that “all the Brothers are well” just days prior to Antietam, where his brother Captain Wesley Jones was wounded; taken prisoner, he died from his wounds in October 1862.

“It is with a heavy harte…”: A letter to Private Clark’s sister edited by Richard K. Tibbals (p. 9)
Both men were 24 years old, and both enlisted in Company H, 22nd Indiana Infantry, Post’s Brigade from their homes in Lexington, Indiana. Privates John Clark and John Snodgrass had been friends at home, and remained close in their military lives as well. However, at Stone’s River on December 31, 1862, the fighting between the Union forces and their Confederate attackers split the two. In a letter sent to Private Clark’s sister Margaret, Private John Snodgrass wrote about the fighting that day, how he stayed with his friend as long as he could, and that he had been properly buried in a walnut coffin.

Farewell to Fancy Epaulettes: Philadelphia militia uniforms, 1866-1917 by Philip Katcher (pp. 10-13)
Eight different images accompany this article that describes the many changes seen by the militia of Philadelphia. Focusing on the last three to wear independent volunteer uniforms, the author briefly discusses the histories of the First Troop, Philadelphia Cavalry, the State Fencibles of Philadelphia, and the First Regiment Infantry of Philadelphia and their glorious dress uniforms.

Vignette: A Late Paycheck for Gilbert Montgomery, 4th U.S. Cavalry by William Gladstone (pp. 14-15)
A bit of sleuthing partially answers the questions about the man in the image and the two documents that belonged to him that are the focus of this article. A cook, not a soldier, Gilbert Montgomery was subject to the same procedures as enlisted soldiers. But there was a problem when Gilbert Montgomery was discharged from his five year service in 1869: he was underpaid. He was sent a check to make up the difference, and that check was not cashed. The question remains of why he never took the check to recover the $21.17 he was owed for his service.

Victorian Warriors: A photo survey of uniforms of the National Guard, 1870-1890 by Anthony Gero (pp. 16-24)
Sixteen images accompany the short article that outlines the history of the National Guard in the post-Civil War era. The increased cost of these units combined with a decrease in recruitment during this era led to many states standardizing their National Guard uniforms along federal lines. By the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898, only a few places retained the marvelous Victorian uniforms shown in this article. Featured are bearskins, several M1881 helmets with Prussian-style Pickelhaube, shakos, kepis with plumes, tailed coats, and epaulettes.

Vignette: A Down East Heavy: Rodolphus Tufts, 1st Maine Heavy Artillery by Wendell W. Lang (p. 25)
Enlisting in Company D, 18th Maine Infantry, Rodolphus Tufts was sent with his unit to be part of the permanent defense of Washington in August 1862. In the following January, the unit was reorganized into the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, and expected to remain in their defensive post. In May 1864, following the fighting in the Wilderness, General Grant ordered the “heavies” to reinforce his Army of the Potomac. On June 18, the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery underwent the heaviest loss of a single unit in a single battle: 242 killed, 372 wounded, and 1 missing out of 900 men total. Tufts and the other surviving members of the unit eventually became involved in the more quiet game of siege warfare in the trenches around Petersburg. He was killed in a small skirmish on October 2, 1864 on Squirrel Level Road and buried as an Unknown in Poplar Grove National Cemetery.

Vignette: A Tarheel for the Union: Hugh Hamilton, 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry by John Sickles (p. 27)
The confident soldier in the image walked from him home in Buncombe County, North Carolina through the Cumberland Gap shortly after it was captured by De Courcy’s Union forces in September 1863. Hugh Hamilton was a Unionist and enlisted in Company B of the 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry. Other Tarheel Unionists and “Galvanized Yankees” (Confederates who had been captured, taken the oath of allegiance to the United States, and enlisted to fight) made up the unit. On February 22, 1864, at Wireman’s Mill, Virginia, Hugh Hamilton was captured, although he was initially listed as a deserter for reasons that remain unclear. He was sent to prison camp at Belle Isle in Richmond, where he became ill with bronchitis and hepatitis; he was exchanged and sent to a Union hospital in Annapolis. Eventually recovering most of his health, he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps in Baltimore. He married there, and eventually returned to North Carolina after the war.

Passing in Review (pp. 28-29)
Six different publications are presented for review in this issues of Military Images. First is The Congressional Medal of Honor: the Names, the Deeds tells the story of the Medal and those who have been awarded it. September Blood: the Battle of Carnifex Ferry by Terry Lowry, who provides a regional history of the fight for Western Virginia at the start of the Civil War. Uniforms of the American Civil War by Philip Haythornthwaite was deemed to be a disappointment by the reviewer. While some errors were seen as small, the implication that the battleflag of the Army of Northern Virginia was used by all Confederate armies was a major flaw. Battle at Balls Bluff by Kim Bernard Holein was reviewed as a comprehensive work that describes the battle, the participants, its significance, relics and period items, and a case study of how preservationists, collectors, and others can work to preserve a historic site. Twenty Million Yankees by Donald Jackson and the editors of Time-Life Books is a volume in the Civil War series of books, and looks at the impact that the Civil War had on everyday life in the North and how those changes led to lasting impact on the Northern economy. Lastly, Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles was edited by Walton Rawls, and provides an excellent look at the nostalgic publications found in cigarette cards and other sources published in the latter part of the 19th century.

Stragglers (pp. 30-31)
Two different sets of images are presented as “Stragglers” in this issue. The first is of Sergeant Herman L. Small of Company C, 6th Vermont Infantry. Two are portraits of the soldier, who enlisted as a private in October 1861 and left the service as a second lieutenant. His kepi is of particular interest and merited a close-up shot, as it has many non-regulation features attached to it. The other set of images consists of six cartes de visite that provide humorous views of Federal generals and one admiral such as “Little Mac” and “Uncle Sam’s Admirable Porter” in caricature form.

Back Image
A stirring portrait of a Union infantry soldier wearing his full pack (and white gloves). He strikes the pose he would take when preparing for a cavalry advance.