James Downey, a private in the hard-fighting 2^nd Ohio Cavalry, survived numerous operations during the war. His luck ran out on April 1, 1865, during the Battle of Five Forks. Wounded in action, he succumbed to his injuries in Washington, D.C., and was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Representative Mexican War era portraits of West Pointers, Regulars and volunteers from the Dr. William Schultz include future President Franklin Pierce and career military men who went on to become generals during the Civil War, including the Union’s Richard Delafield, George H. Gordon, William A. Nichols, Charles F. Smith, George H. Thomas, and Confederates Dabney H. Maury and John S. Williams. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

We remember one of the most significant battles of the war and the Western Theater through representative portraits and stories of more than two dozen soldiers who were killed, wounded and captured, and others, during the chaos and confusion that reigned in and about Pittsburgh Landing during two days in April 1862. Stan Hutson of the National Park Service played an important role in bringing this stories to light. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

In our third and final installment tracing the history of Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga, Tenn., before, during and after the Civil War, Dr. Anthony Hodges explores the area and its development as a hotspot for Union and Confederate veteran reunions, the center of the battlefield preservation movement, and a tourist attraction documented in photographs by Robert M. and James B. Linn. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

A newspaper ad for Mathew Brady’s New York City gallery warned readers, “Never delay the important business of getting your Portrait; you cannot tell how soon it may be too late.” The author suggests these words can be loosely attributed to the creation of the memorial photograph, which is rooted in the European custom of memorial cards. A history of these images includes examples of three types: Formal Cards, Informal Cards and Mourning Wreaths. Also included is a section about unverified cards. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

An iconic Mathew Brady photograph of Confederate prisoners of war at White House Landing in Virginia is a study in contrasts. One of them is the presence of what appears to be a woman who may be a known female soldier, Jane A. Perkins. The authors make a compelling case that the individual is Perkins by placing the scene in context to events in 1864 and her documented military service, as well as a comparison of the individual pictured to known descriptions. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Three researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis use classic and cutting edge techniques to reexamine the identities of soldiers pictured in a well-known photo of members of the 8^th Wisconsin Infantry with their live eagle mascot, Old Abe. The results of the study confirm the identities of some of the eight men—and raise questions about the others. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Jacob Roemer’s military exploits are largely forgotten. In his four years as captain of the 2^nd New York Light Artillery, the German immigrant survived numerous wounds and established a reputation as something of a tactical genius. His knack for improvisation, quick thinking and bold action in the face of adversity belied his lack of a formal military education. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Virginia’s William Rice Jones left his beloved West Point as a matter of honor and principle after his home state seceded and cast his lot with the Confederate army. The young man eventually rose to become an artillery chief in Texas, and returned to the Lone Star State to make a new life for himself after the end of hostilities. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Buck Zaidel is perhaps best known as the co-author of the book, Heroes for All Time: Connecticut Soldiers Tell Their Stories. He is also a savvy collector with a keen eye for unique images. Here we showcase selected images from his holdings. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.