Tag: Military Images

The complete issue

Vol. VIII, No. 1
(32 pages)

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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)

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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)

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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.

The complete issue

Vol. XXXIII, No. 4
(60 pages)

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Digital edition: Visit JSTOR.org to purchase
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Inside

Cover image
A quarter-plate ruby ambrotype of a second lieutenant is posed with his staff officer sword and plumed dress cap from the Thomas Harris Collection.
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Table of Contents (p. 1)
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Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
Though it may seem innocuous, the question of whether or not the musket a soldier carries or the uniform he wears actually belonged to him is a hot topic among those who study soldier portraits. At the heart of this debate lay an essential question: What is a prop?
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Mail Call (p. 3)
Feedback includes the identification of an image from the Brian Boeve gallery (Winter 2015) as a New Hampshire soldier and a U.S. Colored Infantry officer, an image of a Union soldier from Iowa with an Abraham Lincoln mourning badge pinned to his uniform, kind words about the latest issues of the magazine, and an observation that chevrons with a star were worn by color sergeants in addition to ordnance sergeants.
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Passing in Review (p. 4)
If you thought that the Images of America books by Arcadia Publishing trace the history of the country through vernacular photography of small towns, think again. At least 45 Civil War-related volumes are in the series. If they are all as well produced as Remembering Michigan, make room in your library for the set.
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Palmetto Faces by Ron Field (pp. 6-17)
A survey of 22 ambrotypes, cartes de visite and tintypes of militia and volunteers from South Carolina. They were the first troops to see service in the defense of the short-lived Republic of South Carolina in 1861 and some of the last to defend the Confederate States of America in 1865. During that time, about 17,000 South Carolinians soldiers died—almost a third of its male white population of fighting age.

Love Found and Lost by Kevin D. Canberg (pp. 18-21)
154 years after war killed a budding romance between a New Hampshire boy on his way South to fight the war and a Pennsylvania farm girl began at a train station, a chance discovery brought their portraits together.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 22-25)
In “Revealed: The Identity of an Officer in an Iconic Group Portrait,” Luther describes his journey to determine the name of the white officer pictured in a lithograph of African American soldiers at Camp William Penn outside Philadelphia, Pa. The lithograph is based on a photograph that was sold by antiques dealer James Spina to an unknown collector in the 1970s. The image has not been seen since.

“Glory to Stand Upon Some Lofty Pinnacle” by Katharina Schlichtherle (pp. 26-29)
Jesse Sharpe Barnes was killed in action as he led his company in the 4th North Carolina Infantry against a redoubt during the Battle of Seven Pines. on May 31, 1862. The journey of the 23-year-old captain from political turmoil to death on a Virginia battlefield is the story of a young man changed by the instability of the times.

Armed to the Teeth? The Use of Prop Weapons in Civil War Studio Photography by Katelyn Brown (pp. 32-36)
“Few people would dispute the accepted fact that battlefield photographers of the Civil War sometimes included props—even human beings—in their photographs. Alexander Gardner famously moved corpses in his photographs at Gettysburg, and Thomas C. Roche posed his black assistant in several shots around Petersburg. As this was common practice in the field, who is to say that the studio portrait of the fierce-looking Civil Warrior armed to the teeth did not include props?” While obvious instances of props exist, a more challenging question to analyze involves the use of weapons as props.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 37)
A second lieutenant who graves the cover of this issue was an instructor at the King’s Mountain Military School in Yorkville, S.C. His identity is not known, though an examination of surviving photographs of officers who served at the school suggests that the officer went on to become one of the Confederacy’s best generals.

Mistaken Identity? Early Use of Photographic Evidence in Two Court-Martial Case for Desertion by Elena Colón-Marrero (pp. 38-40)
Two court-martial cases that arose at the end of the Civil War—one in Albany, N.Y., and the other in Springfield, Ill.—reveal how some litigants relied on more than the spoken word to determine identity. The cases of Simon Burke and William Gemmill, both tried in September 1865, used photographs as a key method to identify suspected deserters.

The Honored Few (p. 41)
Amidst the roar of battle at Trevilian Station, Va., on June 11, 1864, 1st Lt. Noble Delance Preston of the 10th New York Cavalry lay in a plowed field bleeding profusely. His courage ultimately resulted in his receipt of the Medal of Honor.

America’s Champion Aeronaut in the Civil War by Sarah Hopkins (pp. 42-44)
Bavarian-born John H. Steiner was a daredevil aeronaut who barnstormed across the United States before the war. In the Union army, he conducted the only successful balloon observations in the western theater.

From the “Star” to the “Shenandoah” by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 46-47)
It may be fairly stated that John Grimball of Charleston, S.C., served from the beginning to the end of the war. On Jan. 9, 1861, he was part of the garrison of Fort Moultrie that drove the Union steamer Star of the West away from Charleston Harbor. He was also aboard the Shenandoah during her final cruise that ended on Nov. 6, 1865.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (p. 48)
In “Cap Insignia: Topping It Off,” McAfee notes that U.S. Army Regulations of 1861 were very specific on what trim should be placed on the 1858 forage cap, and yet no one seemed to follow the rules.

Stragglers (pp. 49-51)
Unique images contributed by MI readers include Corp. Jacob Nicholas Haupt of the 7th Maryland Infantry, who was captured in The Wilderness and sent to Andersonville Prison; a light artilleryman with a seldom seen sword knot; and four cartes de visite of William K. Taylor of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Tintype Stares and Regal Airs by Isidora Stankovic (pp. 53-57)
In this essay, Stankovic examines the impact of Civil War portrait photography and soldier memorialization. “In this total war, the volunteer fighters secured a new individualized identity for the common soldier through portrait photographs.”

The Last Shot (p. 59)
A post mortem image of a gaunt Union soldier is a grim reminder of the devastation of disease in the ranks of both armies.

The complete issue

Vol. 2, No. 3
(32 pages)

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Inside

Cover Image
An unidentified Zouave from the 9th New York Infantry from a quarter-plate tintype is on the cover of this issue of Military Images.

Editor’s Page (inside front cover)
The editor responds to questions regarding the content and the goals for the publication. Articles are submitted by the readership, and therefore the range of articles reflects that process. Readers are encouraged to submit articles that feature the “American fighting man” from the advent of photography in 1839 to the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Mail Call (p. 2)
Readers weigh in on previous issues. A new subscriber expands the reach of the magazine to Australia, while another reader provides further insight into a previous article on the Homestead Steel Strike of 1892. Another reader from the Confederate Historical Association in Brussels, Belgium identifies a mysterious upper arm chevron from a past issue as being that of a Masonic symbol.

Thomas Franlin Dornblaser: Cavalryman in the Army of the Cumberland by Jeffrey S. Mosser (pp. 3-7)
Quoting the humorous writing of the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry trooper, the article follows the Civil War journey of Thomas Dornblaser from his enlistment as a private in October 1861 to his discharge as a sergeant in August 1865. Dornblaser served in many of the pivotal campaigns in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama and had a wide variety of roles as well. The article includes images of two of his close friends, the various weapons that the unit was issued, and an image of Private Dornblaser with an experimental hinged cavalry hat, an example of which is now held in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.,

The Mier P.O.W.’s in Mexico, 1844 by Kevin R. Young (pp. 8-9)
A daguerreotype showing a group of seven men is the centerpiece of the article, which describes the 1842 expedition which led to the capture of 305 abandoned soldiers of the Republic of Texas and how those “unofficial” soldiers continued their advance against the Mexican city of Mier, and how they fared in the hands of the Mexican government. Considered to be pirates rather than military prisoners, the men had to endure harsh conditions, escape, and then the recapture of 176 of them. These men had to participate in a lottery, as every tenth man was condemned to execution. Drawing from a pot of beans, the 159 who drew white beans were marched to Mexico City, while the 17 who drew black beans were shot on the spot. Those who survived until September 1844 were granted freedom at the deathbed behest of the Queen of Mexico. The daguerreotype image is probably the first photographic image of prisoners of war, showing the four identified Texican men wearing heavy chains around their ankles and being held by three heavily armed Mexican guards. As one of the men, Wily Jones, escaped successfully in March 1844, the image predates that event, making this an important artifact of both Texas and photographic history.

The U.S.M.C. Campaign Hat, 1898-1961 by John Stacey (pp. 10-13)
The iconic Marine campaign or “field hat” was first provided to Marines after landing in Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Originally, the “fore-and-aft” crease was used on the hat, with the eagle-globe-and-anchor emblem worn on both the front and the left side of the hat. With the adoption of what was later known as the “Montana peak” in the 1912 regulations, the device began to be worn exclusively on the front of the hat. Various regulations required the hats to include battalion, company, and regimental numbers for identification purposes. The difference between hats worn by enlisted Marines and their officers were slight, with enlisted men wearing a ribbon band on their version while the officers wore a double cord with a sliding keeper and acorns on each end. The article includes ten different images that illustrate the evolution of the campaign hats worn by the Marine Corps.

Find the Fake (pp. 14-15)
The staff of Military Images provides the readers with six images and challenges them to find out which are actual historical images and which purport to be. (Answers provided on page 32.)

“Every damn… rebel is on the run!”: The 15th New Jersey at the Battle of the Opequon by Joseph G. Bilby (pp. 16-26)
Ten different images, ranging from individual portraits of officers from the 15th New Jersey Infantry to scenes of Winchester and the Valley Pike, illustrate this detailed article that describes the Battle of the Opequon in that began in mid-August 1864 and ended a month later. A number of sidebar items provide more detail on the “3rd New Jersey Cavalry” as well as information on “Draftees, Substitutes, and Volunteers” in the Civil War and how they impacted this battle in particular. Told from a number of different viewpoints on both sides of the conflict, as the 15th is pushed out of Winchester at the beginning of the battle and then forces their way back in against waning Confederate forces at the end.

A Doughboy at Barton’s Hill by Bob Stephens (p. 27)
This article relates the story of the author’s father, who was awarded the Croix de Guerre for single-handedly maintaining his aid station on the battlefield while his partner, Private Avery (also awarded the Croix de Guerre), went back to the lines to get the assistance of doctors. Private Stephens treated the wounded from October 8-10, 1918, going out to locate wounded on the battlefield. He would give directions to the dugout where the aid station was located to those who could walk, and would carry those who could not, all the time putting himself in harm’s way from poison gas, machine gun fire, and artillery shelling. A photograph featuring four members of the Medical Detachment, 144th Infantry, 36th Division to include Pvt. Stephens accompanies the article.

Stragglers (pp. 28-31)
The four pages of images submitted by readers for this month’s “Stragglers” feature follow some organization. The first page has two images featuring women; one is a group photograph of four women and four soldiers taken about 1880 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana and paired with a vivandiere photographed between 1864 to 1866 on Long Island. The next page has three different tintype images of New York Zouave soldiers. Following up on a previous issue which featured an officer from a Pennsylvania “rifle” regiment, the third page includes a colonel of the “2d German Rifle Regiment” and a third lieutenant from the Massachusetts “3d Battalion of Rifles.” Finally, there are two images of shipping from New York City on the final page. A ferry boat is shown ready for impressed service into the Navy in 1861, with crew at the ready and prepared with “collapsible shields against small arms fire.” A more unique images shows cannoneers firing over the East River in 1904, with the misconceived notion that this would force over 1000 bodies lost in the General Slocum sinking to emerge.

Back Image
Three of the five Scott brothers who served in the Civil War are pictured, shown with new Enfield rifles taken from the garrison at Vicksburg. While one served in a New York Regulars unit and another is not pictured, these Iowa brothers were all in Company H of the 21st Iowa Infantry.

 

The complete issue

Vol. XXXIII, No. 3
(60 pages)

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Inside

Cover image
In this half-plate ambrotype from the Dan Schwab collection, two firemen flank a Northern recruit in this early war image likely taken in Buffalo, N.Y.
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Table of Contents (p. 1)
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Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
Newly colorized photographs can be helpful to our understanding of Civil War images and can help attract interest in the period, but you will not find them in MI.
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Mail Call (p. 3)
Feedback from the previous issue includes a final update about the Pennsylvania soldier holding a stuffed grouse, an addendum to the Assassination Sympathizers photograph, and a correction to the gallery of nurse images.
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Passing in Review (p. 4)
“Prominent Historians Focus on Memorable Photographs in Lens of War” is a review of the new book by J. Matthew Gallman and Gary W. Gallagher.
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Stories Yet to Be Told (pp. 5-24)
A feature selection of artful images from the collection of Dan Schwab. “When I hold an image in my hand,” Schwab observes, “I know that the soldier in the image unquestionably at one time held that very piece of tin or glass in his hand as well. He most likely took great care of it so that it could be sent home to his parents, siblings, wife or a sweetheart.”

They Laid Down Their Lives for the Flag by Candice Zollars (pp. 25-28)
The story of the 6th U.S. Colored Infantry from training at Camp William Penn to the front lines at Petersburg, Va., and the end of the war in North Carolina.

Unadorned Backdrops (pp. 31-34)
Photographers in camp and other temporary locations usually left their elaborately painted backdrops at home in the studio and used whatever they had on hand to frame soldier portraits.

The Honored Few (p. 35)
During the Battle of Fair Oaks, Va., in 1862, Union Surg. Gabriel Grant risked his life to save the wounded—and received the Medal of Honor.

Cruel Twist of Fate by Scott Valentine (pp. 36-37)
Confederate surgeon Richard Walter Scott Martin of Virginia is imprisoned with the men he was sent to save after a failed raid on Memphis, Tenn., by cavalrymen commanded by Nathan Bedford Forrest.

“Headquarters for Pictures” by Steven Karnes and Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 39-42)
The life and times of Tennessee photographer Theodore M. Schleier is the first in an occasional series Civil War Image Makers. Schleier’s galleries in Memphis and Knoxville cranked out a high volume of soldier portraits during the war years.

The Tintype That Proved a Pension Claim by Andrew L. Slap (pp. 44-45)
In 1923, David Warrington posthumously supported his youngest daughter with a photo he had taken almost 60 years earlier.

Antebellum Warriors (p. 46)
“The Hero of Little Round Top,” Maj. Gen. Gouverneur Kemble Warren, pictured as a lieutenant of cadets at West Point at the end of the 1849 summer break.

Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 47-49)
Choosing the right tool is essential for any job, and Kurt Luther details what you need to carry in your digital research toolkit. “These digital tools, along with print materials, can help uncover more and greater photo mysteries than either alone, but only if we understand how and when to use them.”

Stragglers (pp. 50-56)
Confederates dominate this issue, and include a trio of infantry officers, a North Carolina officer killed at the 1864 Battle of Piedmont, Va., and a Tennessee father and son who served their home state and the Southern cause.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (p. 57)
The uniforms of the The 1st Regiment, Philadelphia Reserve Brigade (Gray Reserves), a unique home guard brigade formed in 1861.

The Last Shot (p. 60)
Joseph C. White of the hard-fighting 12th Mississippi Infantry poses with an artillery short sword and a placard upon which is written a phrase that leaves no doubt about his loyalties—”Jeff Davis and the South!!!”