Tag: Civil War Collectors

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How a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Found a Soldier Portrait Through Military Images to Help Tell the Story of the Fight

When Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Jerry Hahn watched a YouTube episode of Life on the Civil War Research Trail featuring Capt. Davis Eugene Castle of the U.S. Signal Corps, a wartime portrait of Castle—standing confidently, binoculars in hand—appeared on the screen.

Hahn, who tells Castle’s story as part of his tour, had not previously seen the image.

Carte de visite by an anonymous photographer. The late Rick Carlile Collection.

Hahn reached out and requested permission to use it, and for a higher resolution copy.

The image, part of the late Rick Carlile Collection, first appeared in our Summer 2019 issue in a feature story titled “Optics: Military men with field glasses and telescopes.”

In 2022, Castle’s image and story appeared in the book Gettysburg Faces: Portraits and Personal Accounts, printed by Gettysburg Publishing.

Castle’s Gettysburg story is memorable. According to an official report by his commanding officer, “On July 3, when the enemy made their furious attack upon our center at Gettysburg, Captain Castle occupied a signal station at General Meade’s headquarters, near Cemetery Hill, and remained there on duty after all others had been driven away. His flagmen had also left with his signal equipments, under the impression that their officer had gone with the rest. Having occasion to send a couple of important messages to the general commanding, then at General Slocum’s headquarters, Captain Castle quickly cut a pole, extemporized a signal flag from a bedsheet procured nearby, and sent his dispatches through under a most galling fire.”

Courtesy Jerry Hahn.

We gladly granted Hahn’s permission to use the portrait in his interpretive work on the battlefield. Using ChatGPT’s image-generation tools, he created a compelling artistic interpretation of Castle, standing with his improvised bedsheet signal flag, with Meade’s headquarters behind him. This imaginative visualization reflects what great battlefield guides do—take historical evidence, understand it in context, and bring it to life in ways that help visitors see the past more vividly. Hahn’s image reinforces Castle’s extraordinary moment of bravery and ingenuity.

Licensed battlefield guides like Hahn help visitors understand the human stories that shaped the battle. Their work depends on primary sources—photographs, letters, memoirs—and on the historians, editors, and collectors who preserve and publish them.

When battlefield guides and other students of Civil War history reach out to request an image—as Hahn did—we see it as a sign that the magazine remains a relevant resource for public history. We’re honored to support Hahn and all who interpret America’s defining conflict.

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The Winter 2026 Issue

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

Vol. XLIV, No. 1
(80 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Subscribe or renew your subscription

Explore the MI Archives:
Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial

Inside

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

Table of Contents (p. 1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Free Talk About the 19th Indiana and the Iron Brigade, April 9, 2025

Live in Chicago and on Zoom | April 9, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. CST
📍 Zoom ID: 845 3227 1496 | No Passcode Required
Brought to you by the Civil War Round Table of Chicago
https://www.chicagocwrt.org/index.html

The Iron Brigade—famed for their black Hardee hats and fierce reputation—is often remembered as Wisconsin’s pride. But the 19th Indiana Infantry was there from the beginning. On April 9, Phil Spaugy, a senior editor who writes “Of Arms and Men” for Military Images, will share the compelling story of this hard-fighting Hoosier regiment.

At Gettysburg, the 19th Indiana fought valiantly along Willoughby Run, bearing the brunt of the July 1 assault with grim tenacity. They suffered a 62% casualty rate in a single day—an astonishing toll. Five color bearers fell carrying the flag. Their colonel, Samuel J. Williams, a farmer from Indiana with Virginia roots, was wounded at Gettysburg and later killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness.

Phil brings decades of experience to this story. A longtime member of the North South Skirmish Association, he has live-fired nearly every type of Civil War firearm. His expertise in infantry arms, uniforms, and accouterments—especially those connected to the Iron Brigade of the West—makes him one of the most sought-after voices in the field.

In addition to his work for Military Images, Phil is the Arms Columnist for The Civil War Monitor and serves as a historical consultant to the Adams County Historical Society and Civil War News. He and his wife, Amy, live in Vandalia, Ohio.

Whether you attend in person or tune in via Zoom, this is a talk you won’t want to miss.

📆 Mark your calendar: Wednesday, April 9
💻 Zoom Meeting ID: 845 3227 1496
🕢 7:30 p.m. CST | No passcode required

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The Spring 2025 Issue

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

Vol. XLIII, No. 2
(80 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
Subscribe or renew your subscription

Explore the MI Archives:
Browse | Advanced search | Tutorial

Inside

Cover
A tintype from the Dan Schwab Collection pictures Confederate Col. Evander Mciver Law recuperating from the wound he suffered at the First Battle of Manassas.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
After Kolt Massie alerted me about a tintype picturing Evander M. Law recovering from his First Manassas wound, I reflected on the thrill of Civil War photography discoveries.

Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes an appreciation for John Walsh’s Fort Donelson feature, Kurt Luther’s Photo Sleuth column, Paul Russinoff’s story about a Michigan cavalryman, and more.

Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
A review of shot fractures of limbs in The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion reveals the success rates of conservation, excision, and amputation.

Passing in Review (p. 6)
Righteous Strife by Richard Carwardine, published by Knopf Doubleday, explores how religious nationalism shaped Lincoln’s Union and the Civil War’s moral battles.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-10)
Photo sleuthing Civil War portraits requires triangulating names, units, and ages to ensure accurate IDs, revealing lost soldier stories and correcting mislabeling.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 12)
A daguerreotype of an unidentified 1840s-50s militia soldier showcases distinctive insignia, a Model 1840-style sword, and period-specific uniform details.

Most Hallowed Ground (p. 14)
Edmund C. Bainbridge, a career U.S. Army officer, served in key Civil War campaigns before retiring as a colonel. He was buried with honors at Arlington.

The Honored Few (p. 16)
At Petersburg, John W. Boutwell of the 18th New Hampshire Infantry rescued a wounded comrade. Decades later, he and another soldier received the Medal of Honor.

The Citizenry (p. 18)
Love of country fills this portrait of a patriotic woman, likely a fundraising image from the 1864 Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair, featuring the Old Guard’s flag and liberty cap.

Of Arms and Men by Phil Spaugy (pp. 20-22)
Colonel Lew Wallace found a dead Confederate’s ornate Tryon & Co. muzzle-loading rifle at Fort Donelson in 1862, and took it home as a battlefield souvenir.

Wounded Warriors: Slings, crutches, and missing limbs are emblems of personal loss and patriotic sacrifice(pp. 22-36)
A photographic survey of Civil War amputees and other wounded soldiers and sailors, their societal impact, medical treatment, and portraits of the veterans.

Gifted Scholar, Faithful Christian, Reluctant Soldier: The life and times of Virginia professor and artillerist Lewis Minor Coleman by Ronald S. Coddington, with images from the Dave Batalo Collection (pp. 38-45)
Lewis Minor Coleman, an educator turned Confederate officer, sought to balance duty, faith, and the horrors of war. His service culminated at Fredericksburg.

A Useful Life: Sarah Chamberlin Eccleston, Civil War nurse and educator by Sidney Dreese (pp. 46-48)
Sallie Chamberlin defied age restrictions to serve as a Civil War nurse, later pioneering kindergarten education in Argentina. She lived a life of service.

Cruising the Potomac and Elsewhere with Brig. Gen. John P. Slough’s Brigade Band by Ronald S. Coddington, with images from the Mark Jones Collection (pp. 50-55)
Formed from the 60th New York Infantry, Slough’s Brigade Band played at key Civil War events in Alexandria, Va., and Washington, D.C.

Winslow’s Homer’s Use of Portrait Photographs in Civil War Era Illustrations by Rick and Victoria Britton (pp. 57-60)
A recently discovered sketch of Gen. Montgomery Meigs adds to Winslow Homer’s rich artistic legacy. The famed Civil War illustrator captured wartime life in Harper’s Weekly.

Wherever He Went, He Found History: Remembering Alex de Quesada, 1965-2024 by Ronald S. Coddington(pp. 62-64)
Alex de Quesada (1965-2024) was a passionate historian, collector, and author, known for his militaria expertise, vast artifact collection, and love of Star Wars.

Material Culture by Frank Graves (p. 66)
An early 1840s daguerreotype features an unknown man holding a U.S. Model 1805 Harpers Ferry flintlock pistol, the first military handgun made by a U.S. national armory.

Women of War by Melissa A. Wynn (pp. 68-69)
Clara Barton, Civil War nurse and founder of the Missing Soldiers Office, helped families locate lost loved ones and later established the American Red Cross.

Behind the Backdrop by Dave Batalo (p. 70)
A look at a painted camp and forts backdrop that appears in Confederate soldier portraits; it may be connected to a Fredericksburg photographer.

Vignette by Scott Valentine (p. 72)
First Lt. and Adjutant Orett Munger of the 44th New York Infantry was captured at Laurel Hill but freed by Gen. George Armstrong Custer’s cavalry. After the Civil War he settled in Chicago.

Stragglers (p. 74)
Confederate and Union soldiers pose for portraits, showcasing unique uniforms, tinting, and photography techniques by Charles R. Rees and other artists.

The Last Shot (p. 80)
A Confederate captain poses in a rustic studio scene with a tree-trunk chair and table, holstered sidearm, and missing coat button.

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Preserving History, Shaping the Present at a National Military Park

At Military Images, we know that every historical photograph is more than just an image—it’s a window into the past, offering valuable insights for today’s Americans. That’s why we were honored to receive a recent request from the National Park Service to include one of our published photographs in a Cultural Landscape Report for Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park’s Point Park.

The image, a rare carte de visite of a Confederate military encampment atop Lookout Mountain, was originally featured in our Autumn 2018 issue as part of a “Linns of Lookout.” Its inclusion in this report underscores the continued relevance of Civil War photography.

The owner of the image, Dr. Anthony Hodges, a lifelong collector and dedicated steward of Chickamauga and Chattanooga history, has spent more than 40 years serving the National Military Park. His passion for historical preservation is a reminder that these images are not just relics of the past—they are essential to understanding our national story.

This request is just one example of how Military Images contributes to our ongoing mission to showcase, interpret, and preserve historic photography. We are delighted to play a role in ensuring that the stories of the Civil War—and the landscapes that shaped them—remain visible and meaningful for future generations.