Tag: Military Images

The complete issue

Vol. XXX, No. 3
(48 pages)

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Inside

Cover image
A carte-de-visite-sized tintype of a petty officer, most likely a boatswain, aboard Adm. David Farragut’s flagship Hartford from the Steven Karnes collection.

Inside Cover Image
A carte de visite by Samuel Cooley from the Richard Rosenthal collection pictures the shell damaged gun turret of the ironclad Passaic.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk (p. 2)
The editor notes that nearly 16 years have passed since MI published an issue dedicated entirely to the navies of the Civil War. More than 100 images are collected here.

A Letter From Ron Field (p. 3)
The author shares his experience of learning that an image in his collection is a fake that was purchased on eBay. He hopes that his experience will serve as a warning to other collectors and urges that we continue sharing images with the collecting fraternity to surface other possible fakes.

Civil War Sailors in Blue From the James Stokes Collection (pp. 4-24)
A total of 58 Union sailor portraits, mostly cartes de visite, are included in this expansive gallery. All of the subjects are enlisted men, and only one is identified: Seaman Edward H. Kenney of the Housatonic and New Ironsides. One of the most unusual images is a carte de visite of a young woman dressed in naval style attire.

Civil War Sailors From the Collections of Our Readers (pp. 25-37)
Another large gallery, mostly cartes de visite, features 27 Union and Confederate portraits of enlisted men and officers. Identified sailors include Landsman David Cesar of the Confederate gunboat Isondiga, Cmdr. Austin Pendergrast of the Congress, Water Witch and Nyack, Acting Ensign James Jordan of the Nyack, Landsman Freeman MacArthur of the Florida and Queen, Marcus (Mark) Lewis of the Michigan and Silver Lake, Confederate Lt. George T. Sinclair, Confederate Midshipman Richard H. Bacot of the Arkansas, Chicora and Neuse, Acting Master’s Mate William H. Gray of the Hastings and Juliet, Landsman Albert H. Angell of the Catskill, Seaman Alex Fraser Jr. of the Choctaw, Confederate 1^st Lt. Charles Manigault Morris, Acting Ensign John R. Russ of the Aroostook, a sailor identified only as Milo Johnson, Seaman William H. Ayles of the Ohio, Colorado, Minnesota, Brandywine and Young America, Sailors William Ramsey and William Brune of the Frolic, Sailor James O. Ormand of the Benton and sailor George M. Early.

More Photographs of the U.S. Steamer Michigan (pp. 38-40)
Images from the Ted Karle collection include four images of the Michigan, which is the first iron-hulled warship in the U.S. navy. Also included are two portraits of men who served on the vessel. One of the men is identified: Pilot William Hinton.

Back Cover Story: Hubbard Taylor Minor Jr., Confederate States Navy (p. 41)
Minor began his service in the 42^nd Tennessee Infantry in November 1862. He left the army eight months later to accept a commission as an acting midshipman and went on to serve the rest of the war in Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C. A leg wound suffered during the capture of the Union gunboat Water Witch on June 3, 1864, was perhaps the highlight of his war service. Minor died in 1874. The story is illustrated with a carte de visite portrait of Minor from the collection of David W. Vaughan.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 42-45)
In “Sailors: their uniforms and the collecting of their portraits,” McAfee highlights the distinctive and varied uniforms of the Union navy and reflects on his own collection of images. A total of eight portraits illustrate the text, including two identified photographs: Chaplain Thomas G. Salter and his son, Timothy G.C. Salter.

Sutler’s Row (p. 46)

The Last Shot (p. 48)
An “action” shot of crewmembers exercising with a 12-pounder Dahlgren howitzer on the deck of the monitor Lehigh. The image, a carte de visite by E.G. Fowx of City Point, Va., is part of the Steven Karnes collection.

Inside Back Cover
An unidentified sailor wearing a cap and shirt emblazoned with the name of his vessel, the Essex. The carte de visite by Excelsior Gallery of Memphis, Tenn., is part of the collection of James Stokes.

Back Cover
A carte de visite of Confederate States Navy Midshipman Hubbard Taylor Minor Jr. by Howell & Brown of Savannah, Ga., is part of the David W. Vaughan collection.

The complete issue

Vol. XXX, No. 4
(40 pages)

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Inside

Cover image
A rare, signed carte de visite of Confederate guerrilla leader Champ Ferguson from the John Sickles collection.

Inside Cover Image
A carte de visite from the Steven Karnes collection features a company of Union soldiers, including a drummer and fifer playing their instruments. The company and location is not known, nor is the photographer identified.

Table of Contents (p. 1)

Editor’s Desk, Inside and Inside Back Cover Details (p. 2)
The editor wishes everyone a great summer. Though the issue was mailed in the summer, the issue date is in the winter. The gap relates to problems with frequency of issues.

Images From the Collection of Jason Puckett (pp. 3-15)
A total of 13 Civil War images, 10 Union, 2 Confederate and one allegiance unknown compose a gallery of representative photographs from the Jason Puckett collection. Three of the subjects have airtight identifications, Lt. William D. Sullivan of the 147^th New York Infantry and

A New Hampshire Tribute by Mark Flenard (pp. 16-17)
Two soldiers from Company C of the 2^nd New Hampshire Infantry are pictured in a portrait that was found by the author in an antiques shop. Though men were originally nameless, the author identified them with the help of the American Civil War Research Data Base. Benjamin F. Chase was killed on July 2, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg. Norton R. Moore died on Aug. 29, 1862, at the Second Battle of Bull Run.

Numbers Prevailed: Lieutenant James Johnston, Company E, 121^st New York Infantry by Scott Valentine (pp. 18-19)
Wounded multiple times during the Civil War, James Walter Johnston suffered a bayonet wound in action during the dramatic assault at the Mule Shoe Salient during the horrific fighting at the Battle of Spotsylvania.

Marsh M. Patrick, 154^th ‘Senior’ Tennessee Infantry CSA (p. 20)
A full-plate tintype from the John Walsh collection pictures Lt. Col. Marsh M. Patrick in an early war militia uniform and shako with plume. Patrick began his war service as captain of Company H, also known as the Crockett Rangers. He later advanced to lieutenant colonel.

The Charlestown City Guard by Ron Field (pp. 21-23)
The City Guard was organized in Charlestown, Mass., in the fall of 1850 and became Company H of the 5^th Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War. A history of this company and its distinctive uniforms are included, and the text is illustrated by an 1857 image that is a composite of portraits of every member of the organization. Two other portraits, an ambrotype of Samuel R. Brintnall and a daguerreotype identified only as “Watson,” are also included.

The Confederate Soldier (p. 24)
An unidentified cavalryman with two holstered Colt Navy .36 caliber revolvers, and a third drawn and prominently displayed, is pictured in a carte de visite copy portrait with a Springfield, Tenn., back mark from the John Sickles collection.

Uniforms & History by Michael J. McAfee (pp. 25-33)
In “The Way They Looked,” McAfee considers the average soldier of the Union army. The narrative features a group portrait of an officer and nine enlisted men. A total of 16 more portraits, all cartes de visite from the author’s collection, show a variety of poses, back drops, uniform styles and equipment. Identified images include Thomas Doughty and John Hollings of the 82^nd Pennsylvania Infantry; William Hull, Christopher Soies and John Woodward of the 12^th Connecticut Infantry; Thomas Hughes of the 149^th Indiana Infantry; William Leiby of the 47^th Wisconsin Infantry; Philip M. Roberts of the 102^nd New York Infantry; Frank Benedict of the 124^th New York Infantry and Clarence E. Wilson of the 2^nd New York Infantry.

Stragglers (pp. 34-37)
Six images—5 Union and 1 Confederate—contributed by readers compose this issue’s collection. Included is a carte de visite of an African American soldier, a sergeant who served in the 9^th Wisconsin Infantry, a Corps of Engineers officer, a private with a Model 1861 musket, a Confederate cavalryman and a Union cavalaryman.

Sutler’s Row (p. 38)

The Last Shot (p. 40)
In this circa 1920 postcard an African American woman poses with a Mexican War era Model 1842 percussion pistol. A garbled message on the back of the postcard says she is threatening one Loretta for taking her man or son. Although a non-military image, notes the editor, the presence of a military firearm in the picture makes for an interesting subject.

Inside Back Cover
An unidentified member of the Continental Morgan Guards, Company K, 5^th Virginia Infantry is the subject of a sixth-plate ambrotype from the Mahlon Nichols collection.

Back Cover
Principal Musician William Melford of the 7^th U.S. Infantry Band stands with his bugle in this circa 1898 photograph from the Chris Nelson collection. The 7^th was composed of African American troops. Melford was a major influence on Kansas City jazz.

The complete issue

Vol. XXX, No. 5
(40 pages)

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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 44^th 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, 58^th 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 58^th 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 5^th 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 2^nd 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 2^nd. 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 12^th 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 2^nd Kentucky Cavalry, “The Letter That Came Too Late” by Col. William S. Hawkins of the 11^th 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 69^th New York State Militia, Sullivan Weston of the 7^th New York State Militia, Augustus Woodbury of the 1^st Rhode Island Infantry, John Pierpont of the 22^nd Massachusetts Infantry, John Harvey of the 62^nd New York Infantry, Edward Lord of the 110^th New York Infantry, Peter Franklin Jones of the 1^st New York Infantry, Lyman Bliss of the 51^st New York Infantry and Louis Napoleon Boudrye (also spelled Beaudry) of the 5^th 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 20^th 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 20^th New York State Militia, E.M. Longbothan of the 11^th Alabama Cavalry and Will Mosher Clark of the 65^th 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.

The complete issue

Vol. XXX, No. 6
(48 pages)

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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 18^th 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 23^rd Ohio Infantry and was killed in action at South Mountain, Md., on Sept. 14, 1862. Samuel, who served in the 63^rd 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.

The complete issue

Vol. XXXI, No. 1
(40 pages)

Print edition: Visit our store to check availability
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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, 1^st Kentucky Cavalry USA by John Sickles (pp. 12-12)
Wolford, who organized the 1^st 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, 6^th 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, 2^nd Division, 20^th 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 45^th 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 8^th 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 8^th titled, “Arlington Heights July 16^th 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 1^st Delaware Cavalry, a soldier in the 10^th 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.