Tag: 19th-century photography

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The Autumn 2026 Issue

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

Vol. XLIV, No. 4
(80 pages)

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Inside

Cover
Gettysburg’s Lutheran Theological Seminary photographed by Mathew B. Brady’s team in July 1863.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
A visit to Gettysburg offers hope for the future as a new generation of collectors embraces Civil War photographs and the stories they preserve.

Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes praise from new and veteran subscribers, a request for information about a Sanitary Fair statuette, the identification of a Tennessee officer, and more.

Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
William F. Fox’s Civil War data identifies nine Union infantry regiments that lost more than 100 men killed or mortally wounded in a single battle.

Passing in Review (p. 6)
Reviews of new books on Civil War nurse Cornelia Hancock by Carolyn Ivanoff and Don Troiani and Ron Field’s detailed study of Union and Confederate uniforms.

Photo Sleuth by Stephen Berry and Kurt Luther (pp. 8-9)
A composite photograph of South Carolina legislators reveals the power, politics, racism, and violence surrounding Prince Rivers during Reconstruction.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 10)
Marine officer William Stokes Boyd helped lay the first transatlantic telegraph cable aboard the USS Niagara in 1858, linking Britain and America.

Most Hallowed Ground (p. 12)
Augustus G. Kellogg fought aboard the USS Powhatan at Fort Fisher before embarking on a distinguished 26-year career in the U.S. Navy.

The Honored Few by Evan Phifer (pp. 14-16)
Wounded twice at Gettysburg, Henry S. Huidekoper refused to leave his regiment and later received the Medal of Honor for his courage under fire.

The Citizenry by Richard Look (p. 18)
Two women posed in a Union soldier’s uniform in 1863, connecting their portraits to a Massachusetts family touched deeply by the Civil War.

Of Arms and Men by Phil Spaugy (pp. 20-22)
Union soldiers rallied behind a rail barricade on Seminary Ridge, buying precious time during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Gettysburg’s Lutheran Seminary in the Line of Fire by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 24-32)
A Brady photograph reveals Gettysburg’s Lutheran Seminary as a battlefield observation post and hospital during three days of fighting in July 1863.

Within These Walls: Gettysburg’s Seminary Hospital (pp. 34-47)
Portraits and personal accounts reveal the Union soldiers, surgeons, and nurses who experienced Gettysburg’s Seminary hospital during and after the battle.

The Civil War’s First Amputee by Jan K. Herman (pp. 51-52) 
Moses S. Herrick suffered the surgical removal of his foot in an accidental shooting inside the U.S. Capitol, becoming the Civil War’s first documented amputee.

Faces of the Sultana by Gene Eric Salecker (pp. 53-57)
Portraits and stories reveal the soldiers, survivors, and victims of the Sultana disaster, which claimed an estimated 1,164 lives in April 1865.

Grim Reunion at Galveston: A Father and Son on Opposite Sides of the War by Curt Robbins (pp. 61-63)
A Confederate father finds his mortally wounded Union son after the Battle of Galveston, a tragic reunion of family divided by Civil War.

Practical Stewardship for the Modern Collector by Kevin Canberg(pp. 64-65)
How collectors can inventory, plan, and protect their collections while preparing artifacts for the next generation of caretakers.

Different Journeys, Shared Passion by Larry West, Ross J. Kelbaugh, Dr. Robert Drapkin, and Greg French (pp. 66-69)
Four collectors share the discoveries, stories, and unexpected journeys behind their passion for 19th-century photography.

Material Culture by Ron Field (pp. 70-71)
Explore the distinctive Havelock hats worn by Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin troops and the manufacturers who supplied them during the Civil War.

Women of War by Melissa A. Wynn (pp. 72-73)
Martha Coston perfected a pyrotechnic signal system that helped Union Navy ships communicate, enforce the blockade, and coordinate operations.

Behind the Backdrop by Buck Zaidel (pp. 74-75)
A portrait reveals how backdrops, military gear, personal objects, and even a pair of worn boots helped photographers tell a soldier’s story.

Vignette by Ronald S. Coddington (p. 76)
Seth Ledyard Phelps helped build the Union’s Brown Water Navy and fought at Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and in the Vicksburg Campaign.

Stragglers (p. 78)
Three images reveal a fallen Mississippi soldier, an unidentified USCT infantryman, and soldiers punished in barrel shirts.

The Last Shot (p. 80)
A Union infantryman poses as if advancing into battle, armed with a converted musket and Colt revolver in this dramatic Civil War tintype.

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From Gettysburg to Saratoga Springs, our Education Program Continues to Grow

We’re proud to announce that the New York State Military Museum has joined the Kenneth J. Bertholf Jr. Civil War History Education Program—our 65th site!

The addition of the museum puts another subscription into workers on the front lines of history— a growing network of battlefields, museums, libraries, archives, and historic sites committed to preserving and sharing the stories of the American past through education, research, and public engagement.

The Bertholf Program provides participating institutions with complimentary subscriptions to Military Images magazine and educational resources focused on Civil War portrait photography and material culture. The program is open to national battlefields, historical sites, and non-profit organizations connected to American history.

Learn more: https://militaryimagesmagazine.com/2023/11/30/the-kenneth-j-bertholf-jr-civil-war-history-education-program/

Fund a participating site or organization: https://shopmilitaryimages.com/collections/support-history/products/the-kenneth-j-bertholf-jr-civil-war-history-education-program

Want to nominate a deserving group? Contact militaryimages@gmail.com.

Participating institutions currently include sites and organizations such as Gettysburg National Military Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, and many others across the country.

We’re grateful to every supporter helping to connect students of the Civil War and American history through period portrait photography.

Photo: Wikimedia

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A Family Genealogist Finds His Ancestor in Military Images

Every so often an email lands in my inbox that reminds me of the value of Military Images.

Last night, I heard from James Burdin, a family genealogist researching his ancestor Melville Soper, a major in the 5th Indiana Cavalry. James’ research led him to discover a carte de visite of Soper published in Military Images nearly two decades ago. Until that moment, he had never seen Soper in uniform. Surviving photographs of Soper show him only at the end of his life.

James glimpsed Soper, standing in his dress uniform, sword at his side. 

This moment—when a descendant sees a Civil War ancestor—is deeply satisfying. I never tire of it.

James’ email also underscored another truth about Civil War photography: images often carry fragments of stories that still wait to be fully told. According to the original caption with the photograph, written by John Sickles and published in our March/April 2006 issue, Soper started the war as a musician in the 37th Indiana Infantry, and is pictured at the beginning of his service in the 5th as a first lieutenant. “Major Soper was captured on the Stoneman raid. Influential people tried to intercede in obtaining his freedom to no avail. Senator James Lane of Kansas called Soper a ‘noble, daring soldier,’ and General John Farnsworth concurred. He was discharged in May, 1865.”

Sickles, a meticulous and generous historian and a former senior editor, is no longer with us. Yet John’s scholarship continues to spark discovery—sometimes decades later, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. John’s work reminds me of the importance of sharing images and stories.

This brings me to a call to action.

If you have letters, photographs, documents, or other items connected to Major Soper, reach out. Share them. And keep on sharing artifacts related to other soldiers, sailors and their families.

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Military Images Connects Local Historians Writing a Book With a Civil War Era Photograph

Since its founding in 1979, Military Images magazine has played a vital role in connecting authors, historians, and researchers with compelling photographs to illustrate their work. As the only publication dedicated solely to the study and appreciation of Civil War portrait photography, Military Images has cultivated a vast network of collectors, archivists, and history enthusiasts who contribute to preserving these invaluable visual records.

The latest example of our ongoing mission involves Kingston 300, Inc., a non-profit organization preparing to publish Tales of Jones River Village: Kingston’s 300 Years, a book celebrating the tricentennial of Kingston, Massachusetts, in 2026. As part of their effort to tell the town’s rich history, Ken Brack. One of the volunteers working on the project, reached out to request permission to publish the poignant image here of two women glancing at an empty chair, which appeared in the Autumn 2023 issue of the magazine to illustrate “Symbol of Remembrance: The Vacant Chair” by Elizabeth A. Topping. The image is in Elizabeth’s collection.

“The Vacant Chair,” a poem written by Henry Stevenson Washburn following the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, Va., in October 1861, edited national attention after George F. Root pirated the song in 1862 and set the words to music. Washburn lived in Kingston at one time. According to Brack, Kingston 300, Inc. plans to publish a short story about Washburn in the forthcoming book.

Brack discovered Elizabeth’s story and photograph in our digital edition and reached out for permission, which Elizabeth granted. 

Making the connection between Elizabeth and Brack is another testament to how Military Images bridges the past and present through curated photographic content.

By facilitating access to historically significant imagery, Military Images strengthens the narratives of authors and researchers, ensuring that stories of the past are not only told but visually brought to life. This latest collaboration with Kingston 300, Inc. underscores the magazine’s long-standing commitment to historical preservation and education. As Military Images approaches its 50th anniversary, it remains a trusted resource for those seeking to honor and understand America’s military history through the power of photography.