Tag: Military Images

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Official Word on Magazine Mail Times

readingA number of you have asked why your issue was taking so long to move through the mail system.

According to the U.S. Post Office, the estimated time is 9-18 days—but all bets are off during the holidays, and when bad weather sets in.

You may recall the issues were sent bulk mail from Hanover, Pa., on Dec. 20, and at least two subscribers received their issue last Saturday, 24 business days after the mailing.

Thanks to Sheridan Press, the company that prints Military Images, I have a communication from the postal representative in Hanover. The representative details how an issue moves from the post office in Hanover to Arlington by truck to be processed for delivery:

All Periodicals that leave Hanover come here to Harrisburg P&DC – Processing and Distribution Center. The sack label then determines where the mail is transferred to from Harrisburg. If the mail is in a 5 Digit or 3 Digit sack the mail is then sent on transportation to the Distribution center for the zipcode on the sack label. If you are talking about Arlington VA 22205 – and the sack was labeled to either 5 Digit or 3 Digit Arlington – the mail would be loaded on a trailer to send to Southern MD 207. Then from their they would work the mail to go to Arlington 22205 and it would then go to the ADC/SCF office for zipcode 22205 which would be Northern VA 220. Here they would do the actual separation to Arlington and the mail would then go to Arlington to be delivered. The maximum time frame the mail can be held at each office is 3 days. Remember 1st class and Priority are worked first and then Periodicals and then Standard Mail.

So you would be looking at coming to Harrisburg could be held here for a maximum of 3 days then to Southern MD 207 for maximum 3 days – then to Northern VA 220 for a maximum of 3 days and then to Arlington VA for a maximum of 3 days – should be no more than 12 days from mailing until delivery. The standards are 9-18 days for Periodicals depending on where you are mailing to.

Now if the piece was in a MXD sack then you have to add from Harrisburg to (all mixed sacks from Harrisburg go to DV Daniels NJ to be processed) then you start the same process – which would be adding another 3 days until the time frame of 12 days for approximately 15 days. If the 1st class and priority volumes are light then the periodical mail will move faster – if the 1st class and priority mail volumes are heavy you can see the approximate 15 days for delivery.

The time frame you are looking at was over the Christmas Holiday which is the heaviest 1st class and priority time of the year this would then cause delays of the mail pieces. Also you have to take into consideration any weather related delays as this mail is trucked and does not fly. We have had terrible winter weather on the East Coast which also delays the mail delivery.

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Finding Aid: March/April 2009

2009-v30-05-xxx

The complete issue

Vol. XXX, No. 5
(40 pages)

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

Cover image
A carte de visite from the Don Ryberg collection pictures Capt. Alexander A. McRoberts, left, and Capt. Charles W. Gibbs of the 44th New York Infantry. Both men were wounded in battle and show evidence of their injuries. McRoberts uses a cane to steady himself from a wound received at Gaines’ Mill, Va., on June 27, 1862. Gibbs, severely wounded at the Second Bull Run on Aug. 30, 1862, has his left arm bandaged and reinforced by a splint.

Inside Cover Image
A sixth-plate ambrotype from the David W. Vaughan collection is a portrait of an unknown Confederate sergeant. The photograph was obtained from a Virginia estate.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk, Front and Back cover details (p. 2)
The editor wishes everyone a Happy Holiday season.

Captain Jacob Voorhees, 58th Indiana Volunteer Infantry by Matthew Rector (pp. 3-7)
Jacob Everest Voorhees (1838-1907) is pictured in seven photographs that range from a portrait of him in civilian clothes made prior to his enlistment in 1861 to him in uniform to several post-war photographs. Voorhees began his war service as a second lieutenant in Company E in November in 1861. Not long afterwards, he was detached to serve in the Pioneer Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland. He served in this capacity at the Battle of Stones River, where members of the brigade repulsed numerous Confederate assaults. Voorhees survived the fight and the rest of the war. He mustered out as a captain in November 1864.

Inside the Sutler’s Tent (pp. 8-9)
An unusual carte de visite from the Matthew Rector collection features five men inside a sutler’s tent. One of the gents is Abraham P. Voorhees, a Terre Haute, Ind., merchant and the father of Jacob Voorhees of the 58th Indiana Infantry.

Confederate Images from the Collection of Domenick Serrano (pp. 10-17)
Eight ambrotypes and tintypes of Southerners in gray include one identified soldier, James Buchannon McCutchan of the 5th Virginia Infantry. He was wounded in the head at Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863, and was captured at Morton’s Ford, Va., on Feb. 7, 1864. He was sent to Fort Delaware and released on June 12, 1865.

William A. Hammond, Surgeon General, United States Army (pp. 18-19)
A quarter-plate daguerreotype by the studio of Mathew Brady is a portrait of Asst. Surg. Hammond shortly after he entered the U.S. army in June 1849. The image is part of the collection of Jules Martino. A brief sketch of his Civil War service accompanied by a wartime portrait is included.

Captain Gabe Alexander 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, C.S.A. by John Sickles (p. 20)
In the autumn of 1862, noted Confederate Col. John Hunt Morgan recruited Alexander, who became captain and commander of Company H of the 2nd. The company was detached to stay in Kentucky and ride south to divert Union troopers while Morgan embarked on his infamous raids of 1863. Alexander eventually joined the notorious raider Sur Mundy, and died in late July 1863 after being shot in the head by federals of the 12th Ohio Cavalry.

Soldier Poets in Gray by John Sickles (pp. 21-24)
Three poems include “Toast of Morgan’s Men” by Capt. Patrick Henry Thorpe of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, “The Letter That Came Too Late” by Col. William S. Hawkins of the 11th battalion Tennessee Cavalry and “Morgan’s War Song” by Brig. Gen. Basil Duke. The trio of poems are illustrated with wartime cartes de visite from the author’s collection.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 25-30)
In “Army Chaplains,” McAfee describes the origins of the plain uniform worn by Union men of the cloth and illustrates the text with 11 portraits. The identified images include Thomas Mooney of the 69th New York State Militia, Sullivan Weston of the 7th New York State Militia, Augustus Woodbury of the 1st Rhode Island Infantry, John Pierpont of the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry, John Harvey of the 62nd New York Infantry, Edward Lord of the 110th New York Infantry, Peter Franklin Jones of the 1st New York Infantry, Lyman Bliss of the 51st New York Infantry and Louis Napoleon Boudrye (also spelled Beaudry) of the 5th New York Cavalry.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 31)
A hard plate image from the David W. Vaughan pictures a young volunteer armed with a musket and revolver and wearing a Corsican cap.

Stragglers (pp. 32-37)
Eight images—5 Union, 1 Confederate, 1 pre-war and 1 post-war—contributed by readers compose this issue’s collection. Included is an ambrotype believed to be Corp. Charles Davis Jr. of the 20th New York State Militia, a carte de visite believed to be noted poet and author Col. Charles G. Halpine, Pvt. John VanAkan (also known as VanAiken) of the 20th New York State Militia, E.M. Longbothan of the 11th Alabama Cavalry and Will Mosher Clark of the 65th New York Infantry.

Sutler’s Row (p. 38)

The Last Shot (p. 39)
A Union trooper grips his cavalry saber and is armed with what appear to be a pair of Starr Arms Co. Single Action 1858 Army revolvers. The hard plate image is part of the Marty Schoenfeld collection.

Inside Back Cover
A quarter-plate tintype from the Steven Karnes collection features a Wisconsin soldier armed with a converted Model 1816 musket and a pocket bible.

Back Cover
A carte de visite from the Karl Sundstrom collection shows Confederate guerilla leader Champ Ferguson and his Michigan guards. Ferguson was later convicted of war crimes and hung. His likeness was featured on the front cover of MI, Volume XXX, Number 4.

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Finding Aid: May/June 2009

2009-v30-06-xxx

The complete issue

Vol. XXX, No. 6
(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 quarter-plate ambrotype from the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress features an African American artilleryman poses in front of a camp scene backdrop. He wears a shell jacket with shoulder scales and is armed with a holstered revolver.

Inside Cover Image
A half-plate ambrotype from the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress features two Confederate soldiers in semi-military garb. One soldier totes a single-shot pistol and the other a Ben McCullough Colt revolver.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor presents a selection of Civil War photographs from the Liljenquist Family Collection. Acquired by the Library of Congress in 2010, the collection of more than 700 images of soldiers in blue and gray.

Front and Back cover details (p. 3)
Additional information is provided about the images pictured on the front and back covers.

Legacy: The Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photography at the Library of Congress (pp. 4-38)
A total of 36 images are displayed. In most cases, each page is dedicated to a single photograph. All the images contain very brief captions that include a 5-10 word title and the photographic format. Identified soldiers are featured in nine of the images.

A Chain Letter Solves a Chasseur Mystery by Ted Karle (pp. 39-40)
The author, who has long been puzzled by the gold chain that hangs from the front of coats worn by many French-inspired Chasseur uniforms, believes he has discovered their purpose. According to an 1861 soldier letter purchased by Karle, the chain held a priming wire. Corp. Henry W. Warren of the 18th Massachusetts Infantry penned the letter in December 1861. Three Chasseur images illustrate the story.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 41-43)
In “Sometimes You’re Right…Sometimes You’re Not!” McAfee reflects on the frustration of finding so many unidentified photographs, and shares two experiences where he tentatively identified Union soldiers. As the headline suggests, success can be hit or miss. And in McAfee’s case, downright embarrassing.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 44)
A sixth-plate ambrotype from the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress pictures a young Confederate soldier with a tin drum canteen and drinking cup.

Sutler’s Row (p. 39)

The Last Shot (p. 48)
George and Samuel Detrick are pictured in civilian clothes in a sixteenth-plate tintype in the shape of an oval broach. George served in the 23rd Ohio Infantry and was killed in action at South Mountain, Md., on Sept. 14, 1862. Samuel, who served in the 63rd Pennsylvania Infantry, survived the war.

Inside Back Cover
A ninth-plate ambrotype from the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress features two Union soldiers sharing a good smoke.

Back Cover
A ninth-plate ambrotype from the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress features a Confederate artillerist uniformed in a gray shell jacket with red trim on the cuffs and a gray cap with a red hatband.

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Finding Aid: July/August 2011

2011-v31-01-xxxi

The complete issue

Vol. XXXI, No. 1
(40 pages)

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

Cover image
A carte de visite of a Union soldier and his canine companion from the Steve Karnes collection.

Inside Cover Image
A sailor with a Krag rifle, posed in front of a painted backdrop, from the Jules Martino collection.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor introduces two new departments, Vignette from the Naval War, 1861-65, by historian Ron Field, and a selection of unidentified images titled What’s My Name?

Front and Back cover details (p. 3)
Additional information is provided about the images pictured on the front and back covers.

What’s My Name? Unidentified Images From The David W. Vaughan Collection (pp. 4-11)
A total of 8 images, a combination of hard plates and cartes de visite, pictures Union and Confederate soldiers whose names have become separated from their likenesses. Included in the grouping are five Confederate officers, two images of Union officers and a portrait of a Native American dressed in a double-breasted federal frock coat.

Colonel Frank Wolford, 1st Kentucky Cavalry USA by John Sickles (pp. 12-12)
Wolford, who organized the 1st in the summer of 1861, was among a contingent of Union officers who accepted the surrender of John Hunt Morgan on July 26, 1863. Upon his surrender, Morgan gave his silver spurs to Wolford. Less than a year later, Wolford was dismissed from the army after publicly criticizing President Abraham Lincoln. Two portraits of Wolford illustrate the profile, both from the author’s collection.

Morgan’s Commissary Officer by John Sickles (pp. 14-15)
A carte de visite of Kentuckian Theodore B. Boyd (1834-1909) is accompanied by a summary of his military service. A staff officer to generals John Breckenridge and Braxton Bragg, Boyd eventually joined the staff of John Hunt Morgan. He was captured with Morgan in July 1863 and spent the rest of the war in the Confederate officer’s prison at Fort Delaware, Del.

The Many Faces of Captain Henry Blake Hays, 6th United States Cavalry by David M. Neville (pp. 16-17)
Four images of Hays, who served as ordnance officer on the staff of Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, are pictured. Each image is accompanied by a brief caption.

William N. Brady: Master of the Yard by Ron Field (pp. 18-20)
Brady (1809-1887), a career navy officer, served two stints as the master of the Brooklyn Navy Yard: From 1843-1853, and again from 1858-1865. Newspaper reports described him as “a cool head to attend to and direct anything,” and a man of “precision and energy.” He is perhaps best known for his 1841 book for early-career American naval officers, The Kedge Anchor, or Young Sailors’ Assistant. Two portraits illustrate his story.

Midshipman Nathaniel Prickett of the Brazil Squadron (p. 21)
In 1850, two years after midshipman Prickett sat for the daguerreotype shown here, he died in Rio de Janeiro while on duty with the Brazil Squadron. Image from the David W. Vaughan collection.

Disaster @ Fort Monroe (pp. 22-23)
An image of a 12-inch coastal gun and its crew at Fort Monroe was taken prior to 1910. On July 21 of that year, an accidental gun explosion at the fortress killed an undetermined number of men.

William C. Armor, Aide-De-Camp, 2nd Division, 20th Army Corps by David M. Neville (pp. 24-25)
William Crawford Armor (1842-1911) served on the staff of Maj. Gen. John White Geary. Armor survived wounds below the knee at Antietam and in the right hand at Chancellorsville. He went on to participate in the campaigns of Chattanooga, Atlanta, Savannah and the Carolinas. He ended the war as a captain with a brevet, or honorary rank, of major. The profile is illustrated with portraits of Armor and Geary.

Passed From His Sight: An Incident in The Military Career of Captain Augustus Michaelis by Scott Valentine (pp. 26-27)
Michaelis, the captain and commander of Company I of the 45th New York Infantry, was eyewitness to an unusual event in his Virginia camp during the early evening of May 2, 1863. A huge stag emerged from a wooded area, soon followed by a menagerie of wild animals. This surreal scene was followed by gray soldiers and the rebel yell—and thus began Michaelis’s Chancellorsville experience. A carte de visite of Capt. Michaelis is part of the author’s collection.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 28-29)
In “Just Before the Battle…,” McAfee examines the uniforms of the 8th New York State Militia at Bull Run. A portrait of an unidentified sergeant from the regiment and a Mathew Brady image of men from the 8th titled, “Arlington Heights July 16th 1861” is included.

Stragglers (pp. 30-36)
A grouping of seven images submitted by readers is included in this installment of the popular department, including a bugler from the 1st Delaware Cavalry, a soldier in the 10th Ohio Independent Company Sharpshooters, a federal sergeant major and two young Confederate soldiers.

Sutler’s Row (p. 39)

The Last Shot (p. 40)
A tintype from the Jules Martino collection features two injured men—one is missing an arm and the other has a gauze-like wrapping of brace around his neck.

Inside Back Cover
A carte de visite of a Civil War band with a fort in the background by itinerant photographer C.G. Blatt of Bernville, Pa., is part of the Donald Bates Sr. collection.

Back Cover
A woman holds an image of a soldier housed in a composition frame. The soldier is probably her husband. This tintype is part of the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress.

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MI’s New Look Extends to Renewal Form

renewalThe redesign that debuted with the current issue of the magazine has impacted all other materials associated with the publication. This includes the renewal form, which is being mailed today to those who have expired subscriptions.

The renewal form is a challenge from a design perspective. There are a number of details to communicate, and clarity is essential. Before beginning the task, I prepared by collecting renewal forms and invitations to subscribe forms from other publications.

Armed with samples, I set about creating the new form shown here. The final version is divided into two sections. The upper two-thirds states the price and describes highlights of the new MI, which includes the redesigned magazine and web site. The bottom third is a detachable return slip which is returned with payment in a self-addressed stamped envelope included with the form.

The biggest change, aside from the new look, is the placement of the free (and optional) classified ad, a long-time tradition for renewing subscribers. The free ad is still available, but the large space on the front of the return slip to enter the ten words and contact information has been reduced to a green box at the very bottom of the form. Text in the green box instructs subscribers to use the back of the return slip to enter this information. They can also email militaryimages@gmail.com.

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Finding Aid: Winter 2014

2014-v32-01-xxxii

The complete issue

Vol. XXXII, No. 1
(44 pages)

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

Cover image
The hand-tinted image is a half plate ambrotype of Capt. James A. Holeman, Company A, 24th North Carolina Infantry, who was wounded at the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff and captured at the Battle of Five Forks.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
This “Change in Command” issue features a farewell from David Neville, who introduces Ronald S. Coddington as the new editor and publisher of Military Images and thanks the “collectors and historians who contribute the wonderful photographs that grace the pages of each issue.” The incoming editor, Ronald S. Coddington, follows with a pledge to continue in the established tradition of MI and thanks subscribers for their participation in the recent survey and their valuable input, which have provided guidance for future publication changes.

Tar Heels! A Survey of North Carolinians in the Confederate Army by Greg Mast (pp. 3-12)
This Military Images feature article is an exclusive preview of Greg Mast’s recently discovered photographs of identified North Carolina citizen soldiers in advance of his second published volume of Tar Heel images. The article includes seven images detailed with individual biographies, unit histories, and descriptions of uniforms and weaponry. One very intriguing image is a possible self-portrait of “photographic artist” Capt. Abner David Peace of the “Granville Targeteers” 23rd Regiment North Carolina Troops, who saw service in a wide variety of battles. Another subject of the article is Pvt. Josephus S. Morris of “Tecumseh’s Scouts” 67th Regiment North Carolina Troops who saw duty only within North Carolina. The article’s seven subjects provide insight into the wide range of duty, background, and experiences that represent the soldiers known as Tar Heels.

Passing in Review by Ronald S. Coddington (p. 13)
The review is of Confederate Faces in Color by Shannon Prichard and Shane Kisner, a new volume that features over 300 color images of Southern soldiers, including the image of Capt. James A. Holeman, featured on the cover of this issue of Military Images.

“God Bless Gallant Old North Carolina” (pp. 14-15)
The quotation by Gen. Robert E. Lee referencing the arrival of North Carolina troops during the fighting at Appomattox, this article features five images of four North Carolina soldiers from the Liljenquist Family collection at the Library of Congress. One image has now been identified as a result of conversation on the MI Facebook page.

An Album of the Faces of the 25th USCT by Shayne Davidson (pp. 16-18)
Eighteen different gem sized tintypes of African American infantrymen serving in Company G of the 25th U.S. Colored Troops are the focus of this fascinating article. The images were originally owed by the Capt. William A. Prickett, who was nursed back to health by some of his soldiers. Capt. Prickett’s image is also included with the article. The author of the article created life-sized drawings of the men and entitled her noted 2013exhibit “Civil War Soldiers.”

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 19-23)
Fourteen images and two illustrations accompany “The Uniform Coat, Part 2: Enlisted Men” and its extensive discussion of the evolution of the 1858 frock coat for enlisted soldiers. The article discusses different variations used by state militia as well as variations in trimmings and buttons, including two features that are often not included in current reproductions of the frock.

Showdown With the Sioux by Scott Valentine (pp. 24-25)
The career of Irish immigrant, Capt. Ferdinand Edwin DeCourcy is described. DeCourcy arrived in the United States in 1857, and joined the army. He became a second lieutenant in May, 1861, with the 13th Infantry and saw action at Vicksburg. The article moves next to DeCourcy’s post-Civil War career, and begins by describing the extremes of the natural environment found on the Plains. However the focus of the article is on the defense led by DeCourcy and his soldiers against a stirring attack by Sioux Indians on Fort Cooke, Montana Territory, in 1868.

A Portrait of Lee We Were Not Supposed to See by Donald A. Hopkins (pp. 26-29)
The author challenges the generally accepted fact that two formerly known post-war images of Gen. Robert E. Lee attributed to the studio of John C. Boude and Michael Miley in Lexington, VA. Hopkins discusses the history behind a very rare image of Lee taken by C.R. Rees of Richmond. Lee had requested that Rees destroy the negative as he thought it “makes me look more like a prosperous Southern gentleman than a defeated warrior.” Rees ignored the request and the result is a fascinating single portrait with a rich history taken between November 25 and December 6, 1867. Hopkins’ discussion of the portraits’ verso documentation provides evidence that all three images were taken during the same sitting in Richmond in late 1867.

Four Decades on the High Seas: Boatswain William Long, An Englishman in the U.S. Navy by Ron Field (pp. 30-31)
The author provides an extensive history of the subject of a carte de visite of Boatswain William Long, probably taken in 1864. Long had many adventures at sea, including service as boatswain aboard the San Jacinto, which was noted for its many captures of Confederate blockade runners.

Stragglers (pp. 32-42)
Includes a wide variety of citizen soldiers through 22 different images from both the Civil War and Spanish-American War eras. A few of the unique images include a ninth-plate ambrotype of a Stonewall Brigade soldier in a case with a later newspaper clipping describing some of his service, a sixth-plate ambrotype of a Native American sharpshooter from Michigan, and a carte de visite of a Union soldier and four ladies, some of whom are dressed in military inspired clothing from the 1864 Army Relief Fair in Albany, NY.

The Last Shot (p. 44)
The ninth-plate ambrotype is of a very intense15-year-old Tar Heel, Pvt. James T. Rogers. He is shown armed with two different pistols. He enlisted with Company H of the 13th North Carolina Infantry in May of 1861 and served until discharged due to his age in August 1962. His unit was present during the Seven Days Battles.

 

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The First Issue of MI Has Arrived!

coddington-miI was outside my home raking in the back yard when I saw the FedEx truck pull up. The delivery man stacked up several boxes, and I instantly knew they were the right size to contain the extra issues of MI that I had ordered. A few minutes later I was thumbing through the Winter 2014 issue, my first as editor and publisher. I am thrilled with the outcome, and excited about getting to work on the next issue. The best early Christmas gift!

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New MI Policy Addresses Digital Scans

submission-featureI recently received a submission of a scanned historic photograph. I learned that various nicks, chips and other blemishes had been carefully removed in Photoshop. The result was a nearly pristine restored image. During an email exchange about the Photoshop work, the contributor provided the original, unmodified scan. I compared the two, and determined that Military Images should have a formal policy that addresses Photoshop use.

Since the advent of the digital era, photojournalists and other professional documentary photographers have crafted policies to preserve the authenticity of images. Curators and other museum professionals, notably at the Library of Congress, have established technical guidelines and best practices to insure the accuracy of historic photographs.

After careful consideration and after consultation with contributing editors and others connected to Military Images, I am pleased to announce the following statement summarizing MI’s position on the subject:

Military Images does not accept scans of photographs that have been digitally enhanced, and does not condone the practice of digital enhancement of historic images. Scratches, chips, nicks, cracks and other blemishes, while they may interfere with the content of an image, are also part of its history and should be preserved. Military Images will accept digitally corrected scans that have been adjusted for brightness, contrast and color.

This policy is consistent with MI’s mission to showcase, interpret and preserve historic military photographs. It seeks to provide the MI audience with the most historically accurate and reliable images consistent with current standards and best practices.

The “Submission Guidelines and Deadlines” section of our site has been updated to include this statement.

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Coming Up in the Winter 2014 Issue of MI

mi-cover-winter-2014Pleased to present the Table of Contents for the Winter 2014 issue of Military Images. Inside you’ll find rare and unpublished portraits of North Carolina Confederates, enlisted men from Company G of the 25th U.S. Colored Infantry, and more! Here’s a list of features and columns (pictured here is the cover from the David W. Vaughan collection):

“Tar Heels: A Survey of North Carolinians in the Confederate Army,” by Greg Mast. An MI exclusive preview of images from Greg’s forthcoming book, a long awaited follow-up to his first volume on North Carolina soldiers published two decades ago.

“Gallery: ‘God Bless Gallant Old North Carolina,’ is a collection of identified images from the Liljenquist Family collection at the Library of Congress.

“An Album of Faces of the 25th USCT,” by Shayne Davidson, features 18 never-before-published photographs of African Americans who served in Company G of the regiment, and their white captain.

“An Irish-American Civil War Veteran Engages in a Showdown with the Sioux,” by longtime MI Contributing Editor Scott Valentine traces the military career of Ferdinand Edwin DeCourcy of Ballylongford, County Kerry, Ireland, from Civil War officer to frontier fighter.

“A Portrait of Lee We Were Not Supposed to See,” by Don Hopkins, sheds light on a series of post-war portraits of the General.

“Four Decades on the High Seas: Boastwain William Long, and Englishman in the U.S. Navy,” by Ron Field, MI Contributing Editor and author of Bluejackets, chronicles the career of a sailor who served on the fames “San Jacinto” and a number of other vessels during his time in uniform.

“Passing in Review,” MI’s book review, examines  by Shannon Pritchard and Shane Kisner.

Mike McAfee’s “Uniforms & History” column traces the origins of the Union enlisted man’s frock coat, and examines how Civil War soldiers adopted it to suit their style.

“Stragglers,” a collection of images submitted by the MI audience, includes images from the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.

“The Last Shot,” the images that traditionally appears on the last page of the issue, is a previously unpublished ambrotype of a 15-year-old Confederate from North Carolina.

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The Winter 2014 Issue Is Ready to Go to Press!

One of the editorial highlights of any publication is the moment you decide it is ready to go to press. The moment comes after weeks and months of planning, and a final few frenetic days of proofing pages, editing text and tweaking the design.

mi-editsThe ‘Moment’ for Military Images arrived last night when I put my red pen down, confident that the Winter 2014 issue (my first as editor and publisher) was completed.

And while my description may make it seem a solitary journey, it was anything but a lonesome adventure. My wife Anne has been great in every way, and her honest feedback along the way truly appreciated. Copy Editor Jack Hurov has been terrific. His work has sharpened the text and put MI on the path of a solid style guide that will be very useful for future issues. I am indebted to Senior Editor Mike McAfee for his great column, “Uniforms & History,” and for the number of times over the last few months that I’ve emailed him images with a request for his authoritative opinion, which he always gave quickly and decisively.

So many other friends of MI have rallied to support our efforts, and I’ve been overwhelmed with their generosity. Contributing Editors Ron Field, Steve Karnes, Scott Valentine and David W. Vaughan contacted me early on and shared their contributions and observations. They were not alone! Other contributors in this issue include Rick Carlile, David Cress, Shayne Davidson, Francis Guber, Janet & Bedford Hayes, Don Hopkins, Mike Hunt, Rich Jahn, Tom Liljenquist, Greg Mast, John Robella, Gary and Bill Stier, Bryan Watson and Buck Zaidel.

In the end, it is your passion, enthusiasm and energy that keeps MI alive. This thought is foremost in my mind this morning.

The work of course is not complete! Today, I’ll make pdfs of the pages and shipped them via DropBox to the printer. And planning is already underway for the Spring 2014 issue and beyond!