MI Editor – Page 42 – Military Images

October 23, 2013January 3, 2024

Finding Aid: March/April 2007

The complete issue

Vol. XXVIII, No. 5
(40 pages)

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Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
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Inside

Cover image
An albumen print from the National Museums Liverpool-Merseyside Maritime Museum pictures crewmen on deck of the Confederate cruiser Alabama off Cape Town, South Africa, in 1863. This is the first time this image has been published.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk and Mail Call (p. 2)
The editor previews the contents of this issue with emphasis on the Alabama and a profile of artist-lithographer-soldier Otto Botticher.

Passing in Review (p. 3)
Four books are recommended: Rough Riding Scout, The Story of John W. Mobberly Loudon’s Own Civil War Guerrilla Hero (Elden Editions) by Richard E. Crouch; The Civil War Collector’s Price Guide 11^th Edition (Publisher’s Press, Inc.) by North South Trader’s Civil War; The Darkest Days of the War, The Battles of Iuka and Corinth (The University of North Carolina Press) by Peter Cozzens and The Wilderness Campaign (The University of North Carolina Press), edited by Gary Gallagher.

Photographers On Board CSS Alabama by Andrew Bowcock (pp. 4-7)
Subtitled “The first time publication of a photograph taken aboard the Confederacy’s most famous raider,” the author details three albumen prints that appeared in a catalog issued by a London book dealer. Two of the images, of Capt. Raphael Semmes and 1^st Lt. John McIntosh Kell on the deck of the vessel, are fairly well known. The third, reproduced on the cover of MI, is previously unknown. This image is explored in depth with several enlargements to highlight salient details.

Otto Botticher: American Military Artist-Lithographer-Soldier by Seward R. Osborne (pp. 8-16)
Subtitled, “We’ve all seen his military prints, but who was Otto Botticher?” Historian Seward Osborne went in search of the answer and presented his findings in this profile of the German-born artist. He served as an officer in the 68^th New York Infantry during the Civil War and was captured by Confederates near Manassas on March 29, 1862. He eventually returned to his regiment and fought through the rest of the war, suffering a wound in the Battle of Gettysburg. Numerous examples of his military art survive, which cleverly melded photography and art into lithography. Botticher died in 1886.

The Doctored Botticher by Mark H. Dunkelman (pp. 17-19)
Patrick Henry Jones, a Union brigadier who was once colonel of the 154^th New York Infantry, is at the center of this story of a Botticher print titled “Sherman at Savannah, Ga.” An admirer of Gen. Jones commissioned an artist to replace the likeness of Maj. Gen. Henry A. Barnum with Jones. The story is illustrated with details of the image and photographs of Jones and Barnum.

Rhode Island Uniforms in the Civil War by Robert Grandchamp (pp. 28-32)
Though comparatively smaller in size and population to the other states of the Union, Rhode Island had its share of uniform style. The author details the variations, illustrated with several images that include privates William S. Perrin and William H. Jordan of the 1^st Light Artillery, Capt. Theodore Winn, Pvt. Horace D. Healey, Pvt. Henry Wilson, Pvt. John P. Jones, Sgt. Franklin Gonsolve and Lt. Darius Cole of the 7^th Infantry, Capt. George Newman Bliss of the 1^st Cavalry, Pvt. George Henry Maxfield of the 2^nd Infantry.

Yankee POWs: Vignettes from the Collection of Michael Fitzpatrick (pp. 20-26)
The author profiles six soldiers who fell into enemy hands during the war: Richard Thomas of the 99^th New York Infantry and 6^th U.S. Infantry, captured on March 8, 1862, at Hampton Roads, Va.; Edward Hayes Swisher of the 7^th Pennsylvania Reserves, captured first during the Peninsula Campaign and again in The Wilderness; Joseph S. Stigler of the 2^nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, captured at Chaffin’s Farm; Abraham Loane of the 2^nd Massachusetts Cavalry, captured near Aldie, Va., in 1864, Samuel T. Moles of the 47^th Illinois Infantry, captured at Holly Springs, Miss., in 1862, and Frederick B. Nesbett of the 5^th Main Infantry, captured at Salem Church, Va., in 1863.

A Regimental History of the 29^th Iowa Volunteer Infantry by Brian K. Robertson (pp. 27-32)
Subtitled, “Exposed to sickness and rebel bullets, service in Arkansas & Mississippi took its toll on this regiment from the Midwest,” the author provides a sketch of the 29^th that is illustrated with photographs from the collection of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. They include Orlando H. Bagley, Thomas H. Benton Jr., Isaac C. Catlett, William M. Carlile, Octavius B. Gaddy, Bird Hagans, Frederick D. Hahnonkratt, Francis M. Haskins, Lemen D. Helm, William M. Hindman, John S. Miller, James L. Mitchell, Heslip W. Rodgers, Wesley M. Rodgers, Robert Salen, John B. Thomson and William H.W. Wax.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 33-35)
In “The 68^th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry,” McAfee examines the service record of the regiment and the uniforms and equipment that they were issued. Images that accompany the text include Robert J. Betge, Johann H. Kleefish and Heinrich W. Reissberger. One additional image that the author believes may be Otto Botticher is also included.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 36)
A sixth-plate ambrotype from the Brian Boeve collection is a portrait of Pvt. James Robert Gwin of the 17^th Battalion Virginia Infantry and the 11^th Virginia Cavalry. Gwin survived a wound in the Wilderness and the Civil War. He lived until 1923.

Back Cover Story (p. 38)

Sutler’s Row (p. 39)

The Last Shot (p. 40)
A carte de visite from the Don Ryberg collection pictures Cpl. Joseph H. De Castro of the 19^th Massachusetts Infantry. He received the Medal of Honor for his capture of the colors of the 19^th Virginia Infantry during Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. He survived the war and died in 1892.

Back Cover
A ninth-plate ambrotype from the David W. Vaughan collection pictures a young boy posed with flowers. The image shows all indications of being a post mortem with the exception of his eyes, which are wide open.

October 22, 2013January 3, 2024

Finding Aid: July/August 2006

The complete issue

Vol. XXVIII, No. 1
(48 pages)

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Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
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Inside

Cover image
A sixth-plate tintype from the Donald Bates Sr. collection pictures two Union soldiers, one with a banjo and the other with a fiddle.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk and Mail Call (p. 2)
The editor welcomes readers to this special issue dedicated to U.S. military bands and bandsman, 1861-1918. Also mentioned is the passing of Dr. Francis Lord, 94, who authored pioneer books about Civil War relics, including his landmark 1963 reference volume the Civil War Collector’s Encyclopedia. Mail Call features a single letter about experiences in Multigraph photography.

Passing in Review (pp. 3-4)
One book is recommended: The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 (University of North Carolina Press) by Gary W. Gallagher.

U.S. Military Bands and Bandsmen 1861-1918 by Chris Nelson (pp. 4-7)
The introduction to this multipage cover story examines the integral role played by musicians in every U.S. war since the Revolution. The author notes, “Fortunately for students of U.S. military history, the documentation, and surviving examples of instruments, uniforms, and sheet music, allows us to virtually recreate the entire experience. The increasingly successful efforts of Civil War re-enactors to replicate accurate band and field music are now a staple of most events. This article is a quick look at the original bands and bandsmen from 1861 through WWI.” The photo survey that follows is divided into sub-sections that include profiles.

Drummers and Fifers (pp. 8-19)
A total of 31 images of all formats includes the following identified individuals: Connecticut drum maker C.B. Hendrick, the Rebagg Brothers of Rochester, N.Y., Christian Heckler of the 62^nd Illinois Infantry, the Smith brothers of Illinois regiments (John of the 89^th, Joseph of the 36^th and William of the 26^th), John Miller of the 100^th Indiana Infantry, Robert Henry Hendershot of the 8^th Michigan Infantry, Archibald Godley of the 14^th New York Heavy Artillery, John S. Kountz of the 37^th Ohio Infantry and John G. Webb of the 78^th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Brass Instrumentalists (pp. 20-23, 25)
A total of 18 images of all formats includes the following identified individuals: James Porter of Gen. Grenville Dodge’s band, George Lowman of the 36^th Illinois Infantry, Jeremiah Potter of the 2^nd Rhode Island Infantry, Robert J. Hancock and David L. Thomas of the 3^rd Rhode Island Cavalry and Edwin Ordway of the 1^st Vermont Heavy Artillery.

Calixa Lavallee: Civil War Musician & Composer of the Canadian National Anthem (p. 24)
A sketch of the life and military service of the song O’Canada is illustrated with a quarter-plate ambrotype of Lavallee and his brother George during their service with the 4^th Rhode Island Infantry.

Buglers & Trumpeters (pp. 26-33)
A total of 24 images of all formats includes the following identified individuals: John H. Buckner of an unidentified post-war regiment, Joseph Gibble of the 12^th Ohio Cavalry and Emil Smith of the 39^th Ohio Infantry.

Military Bands (pp. 34-36)
A total of 6 images includes the following identified organizations: the U.S. Military Academy Band in 1864, the band of the 12^th U.S. Infantry at Chickamauga, Ga., in 1898 and Watson’s Band, 1^st Minnesota Infantry, Minnesota national Guard, in 1898.

The Boys Who Broke the Hindenburg Line: 370^th Old 8^th Regiment, Chicago, Illinois (p. 37)
Three images of the band of the 370^th U.S. Infantry, an African American World War I unit, which served alongside the famous 369^th U.S. Infantry (Harlem Hell Fighters) in the French army.

Sergeant John von Staden: Drum Major, 1^st California U.S. Volunteers 1898-1899 (p. 38)
An image of the band of the 1^st California photographed in the Philippines in 1899 pictures von Staden holding his baton. A sketch of the regiment and his service is included.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 39-42)
In “The Military Band,” McAfee provides a short history of Union Civil War bands. A dozen cartes de visite illustrate the text, including Charles Grimmer of the 17^th U.S. Infantry.

Stragglers (pp. 43-45)
A total of 11 portraits of bandsmen include 1^st lt. George Andrews of the 25^th U.S. Infantry astride his horse “Bob,” Dunallen M. Woodburn of the 58^th Ohio Infantry and the band of the 329^th U.S Infantry of the 83^rd Infantry Division.

Sutler’s Row (p. 46)

The Last Shot (p. 48)
“Band Gone Wild” is the headline that accompanies this image of the band of the 1^st Minnesota Infantry, Minnesota National Guard. The members are attired in a bizarre assortment of costumes for a mock parade.

October 19, 2013January 3, 2024

Finding Aid: January/February 2007

The complete issue

Vol. XXVIII, No. 4
(40 pages)

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Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
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Inside

Cover image
A half-plate daguerreotype from the Thom Cole collection is a circa 1850 portrait of a militia dragoon non-commissioned officer in full dress uniform.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk and Mail Call (p. 2)
The editor notes that it has been a long while since so many military daguerreotypes have been published in the magazine. He also references upcoming projects.

Passing in Review (p. 3)
Three books are recommended: Confederate Heroines, 120 Southern Women Convicted by Union Military Justice (Louisiana State University Press) by Thomas P. Lowry; War’s Relentless Hand, Twelve Tales of Civil War Soldiers (Louisiana State University Press) by Mark Dunkelman and The Daguerreian Annual 2005 (The Daguerreian Society), edited by Mark S. Johnson and Dawn Patton.

American Military Daguerreotypes From the Collection of Dr. William T. Schultz (pp. 4-23)
A Q&A with Dr. Schultz by James Ronan II (reprinted with permission by the Company of Military Historians) covers the basics of military daguerreotypes and explores various aspects of the collection. A survey of 22 follows, including identified images of Lt. George H. Gordon, U.S. Mounted Rifles; Henry Ledyard, U.S. Charge d’ Affair in Paris; Asst. Surg. Robert Little Brodie, U.S. Army; Midshipman John Gardner Mitchell, U.S. Navy; Lt. Col. Joseph R. Smith, U.S. Army; 1^st Lt. William Root, 5^th U.S. Infantry; 2^nd Lt. William Thompson Mechling, 3^rd U.S. Infantry; 1^st Lt. William H. Gray, 11^th U.S. Infantry and 1^st lt. Robert S. Hayward, 13^th U.S. Infantry.

“Respetad a la Humanidad!” by Kirk D. Lyons, JD (pp. 24-29)
Subtitled, “The curious history of a Mexican War daguerreotype,” the author, a self-described “keen student of Mexican War photography since my college days,” traces the history of a medical image from the War with Mexico. The photograph pictures Pedro Vander Linden, Chief Surgeon of the Mexican Medical Corps. Captured at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in 1847 when his field hospital was overrun by Americans, Vander Linden, “turned, faced the soldiers with his upraised bloody hands shouting: ‘Respedad a la humanidad, o un hospital de sangre; somos cirujuanos!’ (Respect humanity of this hospital if blood! We are surgeons!)”

Babe Hudspeth: Missouri Guerrilla by John Sickles (pp. 30-33)
Guerrilla fighter William Napoleon “Babe” Hudspeth participated in some of the bloodiest raids of the Civil War. He rode with the likes of William Quantrill, Bloody Bill Anderson and Jesse James and survived his war experience. He died in 1907. The story is illustrated with two cartes de visite from the author’s collection. One is Hudspeth dressed in a Mexican Bolero jacket, and the other pictures him with Oscar Thompson, who also rode with Quantrill.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 33-35)
In “The Military Daguerreotype,” McAfee shares his memory of the first military daguerreotype he purchased, how he came to sell it to well-known collector Herb Peck Jr., and memories of other similar images that passed through his hands. Four images illustrate the column.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 36)
A ninth-plate ruby ambrotype from the Steven Karnes collection is a portrait of an unidentified South Carolina private who served with the Holcombe Legion.

Back Cover Story (p. 38)
The background of the image includes a circa 1846 daguerreotype of the same man dressed in civilian clothes.

Sutler’s Row (p. 39)

The Last Shot (p. 40)
A half-plate ambrotype from the David W. Vaughan collection pictures an unidentified Confederate officer with cavalry-style saber.

Back Cover
A daguerreotype from the Fred Sherfy collection is identified as “Uncle Issac Hull in Civil War.” Though not a Civil War era image, Hull may have served in a militia company.

October 18, 2013January 3, 2024

Finding Aid: September/October 2007

The complete issue

Vol. XXIX, No. 2
(40 pages)

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

Cover image
A sixth-plate ambrotype from the Brian Boeve collection features a heavily armed Union soldier dressed in Zouave-like attire.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor introduces the Antietam theme in honor of the 145^th anniversary of the battle and reports that the recent medical-themed issue seemed to be enjoyed by most readers.

Passing in Review (p. 3)
Two books receive favorable reviews. Uniforms, Arms, and Equipment: The U.S. Army on the Western Frontier, 1880-1892, by Douglas C. McChristian (University of Oklahoma Press) and US Infantry in the Indian Wars 1865-91 by Ron Field (Osprey Publishing).

Brothers at Sharpsburg by Brian Boeve (pp. 4-7)
Images of two pairs of warrior brothers and brief sketches of each soldier include William D. Lowe and John C. Lowe of the 13^th Mississippi Infantry, and Solomon and Harrison Moore of the 6^th North Carolina Infantry.

With the Signal Corps at Antietam by Joseph Stahl (pp. 8-9)
A New England lieutenant, Edward C. Pierce of Company B, 3^rd Maine Infantry, was featured in two photographs taken near Sharpsburg, Md., in September or October 1862. The images, by Alexander Gardner, show Pierce at the Elk Ridge Signal Station. Text that accompanies the images explains how the purchase of a carte de visite of Pierce (also pictured) by the author led him on a voyage of discovery that ended with the Gardner images.

A Call to Arms: Images From the Brian Boeve Collection (pp. 10-19)
Representative examples of Civil War soldier portraits from the Brian Boeve collection include 12 unidentified Union soldiers. Three artillerymen, three cavalrymen and six infantrymen are featured.

“The Bullets Fell Like Hailstones:’ A Uniformed Image of Lt. Colonel James B. Griffin, Hampton’s Legion, CSA by Al Luckenbach (pp. 20-21)
The quote used in the headline is taken from a letter written on June 2, 1862, by Griffin to describe the Battle of Seven Pines. It was published in the 1996 book A Gentleman and an Officer: A Military and Social History of James B. Griffin’s Civil War (Oxford University Press). The author goes on to explain how he came to possess and confirm a partially identified carte de visite that he purchased at a flea market in the Dallas, Texas, area and provides a short profile of the subject. The Griffin portrait, made by Wearn & Hix of Columbia, S.C., illustrates the story.

Captain William White Dorr, Company K, 121^st Pennsylvania Infantry by Edward Max (pp. 22-23)
Three carte de visite portraits of William White Dorr, the cover of his prayer book and his lieutenant’s shoulder straps are pictured in this tribute to an officer who was killed in action at the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse on May 10, 1864.

The Short Life of Clarke Hockensmith by John Sickles (pp. 24-25)
A cabinet card of Hockensmith illustrates a sketch of his life and service with Quantrill’s Guerrillas, which ended with his death near the end of the war when he was shot and killed by Yankees.

Captain Henry C. Miles, 35^th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry by Thomas P. Lowry (p. 26)
Described by the author as an “errant captain,” Miles ran afoul of the military justice system on numerous charges, including “frequent licentious practice” that resulted in venereal disease. He was dismissed from the army in November 1864.

The Officers Club of Boston by Rick Carlile (pp. 27-29)
An elite band of veterans who served in regiments organized in Massachusetts during the Civil War formed one of the most exclusive social clubs in the world. At its height, the club numbered 19 members, and six of them are pictured here. They include Robert Hooper Stevenson of the 24^th Infantry, Henry Sturgis Russell of the 2^nd Infantry and 5^th Cavalry, Charles Francis Adams of the 1^st and 5^th cavalries, Dr. Hall Curtis of the 24^th Infantry, Henry Lee Higginson of the 2^nd Infantry and Charles Albert Whittier of the 20^th Infantry.

Spencer Rifles and Carbines by John Sickles (pp. 30-33)
The author details the need for high-tech guns during the Civil War and profiles inventor Christopher M. Spencer, for whom the popular weapon was named. The narrative is illustrated with a carte de visite of an unidentified cavalryman, a 4^th Massachusetts Cavalry soldier, a portrait of Col. John T. Wilder of the first brigade in the Union army to be armed with Spencer rifles, an image of William Thieme of the 72^nd Indiana Infantry of Wilder’s Brigade and Albert J. Tift of the 5^th Michigan Cavalry.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 34)
A ninth-plate ambrotype from the Al Camblin collection pictures Wiley G. Grist of New Hanover County, N.C., is featured in this installment. He served in the 1^st North Carolina Light Artillery and the 41^st North Carolina Troops, also known as the 3^rd North Carolina Cavalry.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 35-37)
In “Zouave Regiments of the National Guard, State of New York, 1866,” McAfee subtitles the narrative “Once a Zouave, always a Zouave?” Noting that “some veterans of the Civil War seem to have felt the need to continue the fraternity of soldiers into peacetime,” he details three regiments of Zouaves, the 1^st, 3^rd and 4^th New York militia regiments. The text is illustrated with two engravings and a half dozen carte de visite portraits. Identified images include Charles Blumenroether of the 1^st, Almar Webster and Mortimer Mackenzie of the 1^st and John Hock of the 4^th.

Back cover story (p. 38)
The life and military service of David T. Poyner is detailed here.

Sutler’s Row (p. 39)

The Last Shot (p. 40)
A sixth-plate tintype of two unidentified Union soldiers playing cards and holding firearms is part of the Derek Manov collection.

Back Cover
Sixth-plate ambrotype from the J. Dale West collection pictures Capt. David T. Poyner, who served in Company A of the 5^th Battalion Virginia Infantry.

October 17, 2013December 16, 2013

Civil War Trust Interview

Ina 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.

October 16, 2013January 3, 2024

Finding Aid: March/April 2006

The complete issue

Vol. XXVII, No. 5
(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
A carte de visite courtesy of the Drum Barracks Garrison Society pictures a camel, the only known image of the pack animal in the U.S. army during the 1850s and 1860s.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk and Mail Call (p. 2)
The editor describes how he found the cover carte de visite on eBay in 2005 and was pleased to find that the winning bidder was MI contributor Mile Sorenson. He goes on to note the top-notch images in this issue and praise senior editors Mike McAfee and John Sickles. A single letter to the editor adds details about the flag of Horse Battery M, 2^nd U.S. Artillery. The unit was featured in the last Uniforms and History column.

Passing in Review (pp. 3-4)
Three books are recommended: For Dixie Land I’ll Take My Stand! Somebody’s Darling: Images of Mississippi (Chickasaw Bayou Press) by H. Grady Howell Jr.; Antietam: Then & Now (Thomas Publications) by Garry Adelman and Where Custer Fell: Photographs of the Little Bighorn Battlefield Then and Now (University of Oklahoma Press) by Brian C. Pohanka and Sandy Barnard.

Stoneman’s Raid to Macon by John Sickles (pp. 5-15)
The author notes that Stoneman had hoped to destroy railroads and free prisoners of war, but in the end many found themselves in prison camps. A history of the raid follows, illustrated by identified images of Nicholas Barkes, Peter Reising, William R. Sanford and Newton Smith of the 14^th Illinois Cavalry, George S. Amrick, Will Angel, Thomas Butler, Edward N. Elliott, Benjamin Farley, Russell P. Finney, Tillman H. Fisher, Erastus Holmes, William Jefferis, David W. Patty, Charles Rugg, J. Albert Smith, Melville H. Soper and George Whitenack of the 5^th Indiana Cavalry and James Biddle and Nathaniel Craigmile of the 6^th Indiana Cavalry. Also included is a post-war image of Joseph Clouse of the 5^th Indiana Cavalry.

A Most Curious Corps by Michael K. Sorenson (pp. 16-17)
The brief but unique history of the U.S. Camel Corps in the American West is detailed, and it is illustrated by a detail of the cover image and a bell purportedly used on camels in the army service during the 1850s and 1860s.

The Second Missouri Cavalry C.S.A. by John Sickles (pp. 18-20)
The author provides a brief history of the Confederate regiment, which is illustrated by portraits of Col. Robert “Black Bob” McCulloch, Lt. Col. Robert A. “Red Bob” McCulloch, David C. Boggs and two unidentified members of the regiment.

Dixieland Cavaliers by John Sickles (pp. 21-23)
Images and details are provided about the life and service of the following Confederate soldiers: 2^nd Lt. B.A. Powell of the 3^rd Tennessee Cavalry, Pvt. W.B. Middleton of the 3^rd Kentucky Mounted Infantry, Pvt. John Pierson of the 7^th Alabama Cavalry and Pvt. M. Bolen of the 64^th North Carolina Infantry.

Canby’s Special Scouts by Michael J. Martin (pp. 24-27)
The author explains the background of these mounted citizen scouts authorized by Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby. Pictured is the officer who organized the scouts, 1^st Lt. Isaac N. Earl of the 4^th Wisconsin Cavalry. Two wartime images of scouts Nelson Porter and Warren Knowles, and a postwar photograph believed to be Charles Baker, are also incuded.

Brevet major General James Lowry Donaldson, “The Forgotten Quartermaster” by Henry A. Pomerantz (pp. 28-31)
Described as one of the many “invisible person” who toiled behind the lines as quartermasters, Donaldson (1814-1885) became something of a right-hand man to Quartermaster Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs. Nine portraits of Donaldson taken at various times during the war illustrate the story.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 32-33)
In the “Bradford’s Battalion, Tennessee (Union) Cavalry,” McAfee provides a short history and statistics about this regiment, which faced Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry at Fort Pillow on April 12, 1864. It is illustrated with a carte de visite of Lt. Mack J. Leaming, who survived the fighting, which included the murder of numerous African American soldiers.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 34)
A sixth-plate ambrotype of a well-armed first lieutenant wearing the number 7 on his lapel is part of the Brian Boeve collection. The image is inscribed “Elzi Benson 3 August 1861.”

Stragglers (pp. 35-38)
A total of 12 portraits include Lt. John J. Fray and Pvt. William A. Brawner of the 43^rd Partisan Battalion, Mosby’s Cavalry. The men were photographed in civilian clothing about 1861. Also included is Cpl. Charles Rude of the 100^th Indiana Infantry and Maj. James E. Doran of the 24^th New York Cavalry and his son.

Sutler’s Row (p. 39)

The Last Shot (p. 40)
A sixth-plate tintype from the Roy Mantle collection is an unidentified federal first sergeant fully equipped for the war.

October 16, 2013January 2, 2024

Finding Aid: November/December 2005

The complete issue

Vol. XXVII, No. 3
(48 pages)

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

Cover image
A carte de visite of Brevet Brig. Gen. Frederick A. Starring, designer of the Grand Army of the Republic badge, and an inset image of GAR badge No. 1.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor introduces the cover story, which features Illinois brothers Frederick and William Starring. Also mentioned are the other features and departments in the issue, and this parting note: “I would like to thank all those who have generously supported the magazine in the past year, for without your continued interest and input there would be no MI.

Passing in Review (p. 3)
Two books are mentioned: Pioneer Photographers From the Mississippi to the Continental Divide, A Biographical Dictionary (Stanford University Press) by Peter E. Palmquist and Thomas R. Kailbourn and “We Are Coming Father Abra’am” the History of the 9^th Vermont Volunteer Infantry 1862-1865 (Schroeder Publications) by Don Wickman.

Duty, Honor, Country: The Life and Times of Frederick A. & William S. Starring by David M. Neville with Lucinda Page Knox (pp. 4-17)
The authors provide accounts of the Starring brothers based on “a significant cache of primary source material, once the property of General Starring” and not available to previous researchers and writers. The narrative is illustrated with numerous images, including military, postwar and family images of the brothers, badges that belonged to Gen. Starring and relics once owned by Lt. William Starring.

Alabama Troops in the Civil War 1861-1865 (pp. 18-33)
A total of 48 Alabama images are showcased in this extensive survey. Identified soldiers include J.W. “Jimmie” Franks of the 4^th Cavalry, George A. Wright of the 6^th Cavalry, Julian W. Whiting of the 1^st Battalion of Artillery, Julius A. and Flavius F. Kimbrough of the 6^th Infantry, Reuben Davis Phillips of the 6^th Infantry, John P. Alldredge of the 48^th Infantry, David W. Ramsey of the 1^st Infantry, James M. Steadham of the 25^th Infantry, Charles Patrick Walker of the 3^rd Infantry, Charles and Joseph A. Hendrix of the 4^th Infantry, Henry Wesley Grubbs of the 5^th Infantry Battalion, W.A. Pate of the 8^th Infantry, Macon Abernathy of the 10^th Infantry, Washington Bennett Vardaman, Caleb Woodruff Brewton and Bailey George McClellan of the 10^th Infantry, Jesse Owen of the 13^th Infantry, William Jasper Bunn of the 14^th Infantry, David D. Wheeler of the 16^th Infantry, Dennis Lindsey of the 18^th Infantry, Irvin Owen of the 22^nd Infantry, William G. Norton of the 22^nd Infantry, Edwin C. Turner of the 25^th Infantry, John Clark Francis of the 10^th and 30^th infantries, Robert Wheeler of the 37^th Infantry, Wesley W. Probst of the 41^st Infantry, Joseph W. Griffith of the 44^th Infantry, Joseph Parker of the 57^th Infantry, Samuel Durham McClellan of the 57^th Infantry, Silas Mattison Bunn of the 62^nd Infantry, Ellsberry Jackson Andrews of the 2^nd Cavalry, James Ainsley Stevenson of the 72^nd Militia, Francis Young Gaines of the 3^rd Cavalry, Calvin W. Sharp of the 51^st Cavalry, David Jennings of the 51^st Cavalry, Charles V. Phillips of the 56^th Cavalry (Partisan Rangers), Nathaniel H. Clanton of Clanton’s Battery Light Artillery, “Dogwood,” the home of author Thom Cole, David Francis Weaver of the 2^nd Infantry, Whatley McGee Hall of the 29^th Infantry and J.A. Teney of the 45^th Infantry.

The Forney Brothers Civil War by Thom Cole (pp. 34-36)
Subtitled “The life and times of four of Alabama’s most distinguished soldiers—John, George, William and Daniel Forney,” the author profiles the men and their early service with the Calhoun Guards from Jacksonville, Ala., and later service in several organizations. Images of all three of the four men are included. A likeness of Daniel is missing.

“Yankee Cavalry:” The 1^st Alabama Volunteer Cavalry USA with images from the collections of Don Scoggins & J. Dale West (pp. 37-39)
A short history of the regiment is illustrated by no less than ten cartes de visite, of which all but one are identified. They are Erasmus D. Chandler, Edward D. Coe, Alonson W. Edwards, Micajah F. Fairfield, William T. Gray, George W. Kellogg, Philip Sternberg, James C. Swift and Francis W. Tupper.

In Camp At Brandy Station, Virginia, February, 1864 by John Sickles (pp. 40-41)
The author identifies a group of individuals pictured in a carte de visite at their winter quarters. They include Asst. Surg. Cecil Rogers of the 6^th U.S. Cavalry, Lt. George T. Ingraham of the 4^th and 11^th New Jersey infantries, 1^st Lt. Alexander C.M. Pennington of the 3^rd New Jersey Cavalry, his wife Clara Pennington, 1^st Lt. Carle Augustus Woodruff of the 2^nd U.S. Artillery and 1^st Lt. William Scott Worth of the 8^th U.S. Infantry.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 42-44)
In “The Fifth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry (Revisited),” McAfee cites the untimely passing of his colleague, Brian Pohanka, as the primary reason to take another look at the uniform of this regiment. (Pohanka was a noted student of this regiment.) Several well-known and often reproduced images illustrate the text, and one lesser-known image of Capt. (later colonel) Cleveland Winslow, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864, and his father, Chaplain Gordon Winslow.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 45)
A sixth-plate ambrotype from the Ron Field collection pictures an unidentified South Carolina soldier photographed during the antebellum of early war period.

More Images From the Starring Collection (p. 46)
Miscellaneous wartime and post-war images.

Sutler’s Row (p. 47)

The Last Shot (p. 48)
A carte de visite from the Seward Osborne collection is titled “An Old Yank.”

October 15, 2013May 30, 2016

Winter 2014 Cover is Featured on New Card

The design of a new promotional card that will be distributed at the Low Country Civil War Show and the DC Photo Show early next year went to the printer yesterday. I am very pleased with the design (front and back shown here). Thanks to Anne who pushed me to edit the text. (The first version was much wordier!) And also to David Wynn Vaughan for contributing the wonderful image of the Confederate officer on the front of the card. The federal cavalrymen on the back of the card is part of my collection.

October 15, 2013January 2, 2024

Finding Aid: September/October 2005

The complete issue

Vol. XXVII, No. 2
(40 pages)

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

Cover image
A unique ninth-plate ambrotype from the David W. Vaughan collection is a Confederate kepi embellished with a small First National pattern flag, ribbon and dogwood flower. The image was likely to have been made in April 1861.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor provides a moving tribute to Brian Pohanka, “A man of boundless energy and courage who dedicated his all-to-shirt life to the preservation of Civil War battlefields and in the discipline of historical scholarship. Indeed, Brian was one of the finest military historians of our time, a man whose body of work included the authorship of many books, countless magazine article and extensive film work. But his influence on the historical community was even greater than the sum of his work, for he was a true inspiration and mentor to countless men and women, whose passion, like his, was history.” The editor also singles out a story in the current issue about an image of the 17^th Michigan Infantry. He points out that Military Images does not agree with the author Charles Joyce’s Aug. 3, 1865, dating of the image, but agreed to publish it on the basis of “its historical merits alone.”

Passing in Review (pp. 3-4)
Two books are mentioned: Generals In Bronze: Interviewing the Commanders of the Civil War (Belle Grove Publishing Company) by William B. Styple and Collecting the Confederacy: Artifacts and Antiques from the War Between the States (Savas Beatie) by Shannon Pritchard.

Last Muster for the “Stonewall Regiment;” The Seventeenth Michigan Infantry Returns To The Wolverine State, Summer 1865 by Charles T. Joyce (pp. 5-14)
The author introduces a newly discovered image of the Michiganders in camp as “singularly deceptive. To even the expert eye, it reveals a war-hardened fragment of a Union infantry regiment drawn up in a weedy field by company in ‘column of divisions.’” What follows is a detailed analysis of the regiment and its key personnel that support the theory that the image was produced on Aug. 3, 1865, on the shores of Grass Lake, Mich. Supporting images include a view of the officers of the 17^th in camp in 1865 from the State Archives of Michigan and portraits of Col. William H. Withington, Lt. Col. Frederick W. Swift, Maj. Thomas Mathews, Capt. Christian Rath, Capt. Joseph A. Sudborough, Capt. George Goodsell, Lt. and Adjutant Samuel Sizer, Lt. John S. Maltman, Lt. William Leanhouts, QM. Sgt. John M. Lawrence, Corp. Frank Wright and photographer Corydon Randall.

A Tribute to Brian Pohanka (pp. 15-21)
Brian Caldwell Pohanka (1955-2005) is remembered by numerous colleagues and friends associated with him over the course of his eventful life.

The Custer Cyclorama, Revisited by Charles G. Markantes (pp. 22-31)
Subtitled “The subject of a 1983 article in Military Images, the story of the long-lost Custer Cyclorama is explored again,” the author begins by noting that cyclorama paintings were 19^th century versions of virtual reality. He continues on to share the history of the Custer Cyclorama, including surviving images of the painting with original 1983 captions by the late Brian Pohanka.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 32-33)
In “The Third Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry, 1864-1865,” McAfee notes that personal accounts by veterans of the Civil War can be extremely valuable to the student of history, but Four Years Campaigning in the Army of the Potomac by color sergeant D.G. Crotty of the 3^rd is unfortunately not a useful reference. McAfee details why the volume raises more questions than it answers, and illustrates his text with a tintype of the color guard of the 3^rd and a carte de visite of Anna Etheridge, a nurse who found a home with the boys of the regiment.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 34)
A sixth-plate tintype from the David W. Vaughan collection pictures Pvt. Charles Holtzclaw, who served in Company H of the 6^th Virginia Cavalry.

Henley Fugate 63^rd Tennessee Infantry C.S.A. by John Sickles (p. 35)
Fugate suffered the loss of an arm at Chickamauga after he was struck by a Union cannon shot. A carte de visite of Fugate and his second wife, likely taken in the 1870s or 1880s, accompanies the narrative.

A Palmetto Artillerist and the Columbia Flying Artillery by John Mills Bigham (pp. 36-37)
John W. Self served as second lieutenant of Waties’ Battery B, Palmetto Battalion of Light Artillery, which was first known as the Columbia Artillery and Columbia Flying Artillery. Details of his military service and a brief history of this artillery organization are included.

Stragglers (p. 38)
Three images include a Union soldier with a Sharps rifle, a young Yank with a Bowie knife and a Colt pocket revolver and an unidentified Confederate soldier wearing color shoulder straps.

Sutler’s Row (p. 39)

The Last Shot (p. 40)
A carte de visite from the Chris Nelson collection pictures two Kentucky National Guardsmen portraying Confederates.

October 14, 2013January 2, 2024

Finding Aid: July/Aug. 2005

The complete issue

Vol. XXVII, No. 1
(48 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
A sixth-plate ferrotype from the Brad L. Pruden collection is a portrait of a member of the Tyler Guard, which became Company G of the 7^th Ohio Infantry. The soldier sits on a packing crate labeled “Camp Dennison.”

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk and Mail Call (p. 2)
The editor introduces “a unique view of the great State of Ohio in the Civil War” through representative examples of the 300,000 volunteers who served from the Buckeye State.

Through The Camera’s Eye: Part One, Ohio Soldiers 1861 by Larry M. Strayer and Brad L. Pruden (pp. 5-13)
The authors document the varied uniforms worn by Ohioans in 1861. A total of 22 period images are showcased. Identified soldiers include William S. Wickham of the 8^th Infantry, Frank Bell of the 18^th Infantry, the field officers of the 1^st and 2^nd infantries in late April 1861, a squad of five soldiers who served in Company K of the 11^th Infantry, George L. Waterman of the 1^st Infantry, Oscar Ladley of the 16^th Infantry, Joseph Wright of the 20^th Infantry, Company E of the 5^th Infantry in June 1861, Joel C. Tracy of the 3^rd Ohio Infantry, Asbury Oldroyd of the 16^th Infantry, officers of the 14^th Infantry about the summer of 1862, Lancelot L. Scott of the 18^th Infantry, Homer Yates of the 1^st Light Artillery and a drummer believed to be William V. Haines of the 49^th Infantry.

Through The Camera’s Eye: Part Two, Ohio Soldiers 1862-1864 by Larry M. Strayer and Brad L. Pruden (pp. 14-22)
The authors document the evolution to standardized uniforms and equipment in the second wave of enlistments through the “veteran’s craze” of 1864. A total of 19 period images are showcased. Identified soldiers include Lycurgus Bishop of the 1^st Light Artillery, four men from Company C of the 9^th Infantry, members of the Pearl Street Rifles of the Cincinnati Home Guard about 1862, sergeants of Company A of the 34^th Infantry (Piatt’s Zouaves), Company I of the 42^nd Infantry at Plaquemine, La., in January 1864, field and staff officers of the 47^th Infantry, Col. Augustus Parry and Capt. George M. Ziegler of the 47^th Infantry, John K. Duke of the 53^rd Infantry, Aaron J. Glathart of the 57^th Infantry, James A. Bridges of the 70^th Infantry, John Warner of the 76^th Infantry, Charles D. Miller of the 76^th Infantry, Charles D. Rathbone with the flag of the 24^th Infantry, James Gallagher of the 78^th Infantry, the funeral bier of Capt. Martin Armstrong of the 81^st Infantry, Benjamin P. Brandt of the 120^th Infantry and William F Barr of the 121^st Infantry and 4^th Battalion of the Pioneer Brigade.

Through The Camera’s Eye: Part Three, Ohio Veterans 1865 by Larry M. Strayer and Brad L. Pruden (pp. 23-27)
The authors document the last months of the war and the rush by soldiers to remember their service with badges and photographs. A total of 12 period images are showcased. Identified soldiers include William S. Friesner of the 58^th Infantry, Joseph McElroy of the Veteran Volunteer Corps, Robert N. Traver of the 2^nd Veteran Volunteer Corps, Richard Lemon of the 3^rd Veteran Volunteer Corps, David R. Sims of the U.S. Navy with his wife Adelaide and daughter Lissa, Gen. Stephen J. McGroarty of the 82^nd Infantry and his staff, Col. John W. Fuller of the 27^th Infantry, Gen. John W. Sprague of the 17^th Corps and his staff, James A. Kittle and Alonzo Corser with the regimental colors of the 55^th Infantry, The daughter of Col. Jack Casement of the 103^rd Infantry standing with the national flag of her father’s regiment and Capt. Warren W. Cooke with lieutenants George M. Young and William H. Wood of the 14^th Infantry.

“Family Honor:” Mortimer and Wells Leggett in the Civil War photos from the collections of Larry Strayer and David Neville (p. 28)
A portrait of Maj. Gen. Mortimer D. Leggett pictured as colonel of the 78^th Ohio Infantry and two images of Wells W. Leggett, a wartime view as chief engineer of the 17^th Corps and a postwar portrait as a West Point cadet.

Six Buckeyes From The Collection of Stephen Altic (pp. 29-31)
Portraits include Pvt. Benjamin Franklin Coffman, Corp. Thomas J. Coen and an unidentified member of the 1^st Infantry, an unidentified member of the 54^th Infantry and privates William H. Hay and Allen Worthington of the 71^st Infantry.

George Crook by Mark Kasal (pp. 32-33)
Four portraits picture the noted Union cavalry general.

Charles Jesson: Requiem for a Cannoneer by Mike Fitzpatrick (p. 34)
English-born Jesson began his war service with the 25^th Ohio Infantry in 1861 and died of disease in May 1863—just two months after he received his corporal’s stripes.

William S. Bowman: Game Lad with a Gimp Leg by Mike Fitzpatrick (p. 35)
The Ohioan was only 16 when he enlisted in his home state’s 77^th Infantry in the fall of 1861. After a bout of typhoid fever left him lame, he spent the rest of the war as a clerk, nurse and other less physically strenuous duties.

Ohioans From the Collection of Ken Turner (pp. 36-37)
Portraits include Pvt. William Lewis of the 5^th Cavalry, Lt. John A. Mendenhall of the 75^th Infantry (captured at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863), Frank Rockefeller of the 7^th Infantry (brother of John D. Rockefeller), Sgt. George H. Jordan of the 1^st Light Artillery and Lt. Col. James S. Crall of the 82^nd Infantry with his counterpart in the 101^st Illinois Infantry, John B. LeSage.

Ohio Cartes de Visite From the Collection of Steven A. Morr (pp. 38-39)
Portraits include Capt. William J. Colliflower of the 63^rd Infantry, Capt. Jacob G. Bittinger, Capt. William H. Farber, Capt. Alonzo W. Hancock and Pvt. Isaac M. Thomas of the 64^th Infantry, Pvt. Perry J. Maine of the 15^th Infantry, 1^st Lt. William A. Bell of the 4^th and 65^th infantries, Asst. Surg. John McCurdy of the 23^rd Infantry and Asst. Surg. Nathan S. Richardson of the 118^th Infantry.

Michael Hammerson’s Buckeyes (pp. 40-42)
Portraits include a hospital steward identified as Henry Hisler of the 103^rd Infantry, a bewhiskered sergeant photographed in Cincinnati, Pvt. Edson M. Schryver of the 114^th Infantry and 1^st Louisiana Cavalry, Pvt. John P. Hall of the 7^th Ohio Cavalry and four soldiers from the 37^th Infantry: Capt. Paul Wittich, 1^st Lt. Theodore Nieberg, 1^st Lt. Jacob Ritter and 2^nd Lt. William Weiss.

Ohioans From the Collections of Our Readers (pp. 43-46)
Portraits include Sgt. John Franklin Shearer of the 94^th Infantry, a young infantryman standing at “Order Arms,” a fully equipped soldier photographed in Cincinnati, troopers from the 1^st Cavalry, twin brothers Edward L. (52^nd Infantry) and Fredrick P. Anderson (181^st Infantry), a soldier dressed in a mounted enlisted man’s overcoat and Maj. John B. Rice of the 72^nd Infantry with Capt. Richard B. Wood of the 3^rd Cavalry, a soldier with what nay be a 23^rd Corps badge, a soldier who served in the 4^th or 8^th infantries, Capt. David H. Moore of the 87^th Infantry and Maj. George L. Wood of the 125^th Infantry.

Sutler’s Row (p. 47)

The Last Shot (p. 48)
A circa 1888 cabinet card from the Chris Nelson collection pictures veterans of Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 23 gathered around the cannon “Millennium” which is composed of buckeyes.