The Autumn 2025 Issue of Military Images Magazine
Civil War images speak to us in unique and varied ways. The cover photograph for this issue tells the story of five Union citizen‑soldiers who belonged to the same mess,
Category: 2025 Autumn
Reflections on Generative AI
The emerging genre of historic photographs brought to life through AI touched me personally when an image in my collection appeared on the YouTube channel History in Motion. I watched
Shifting Terminology for Enslaved People
As the Civil War transformed the legal and social status of Black Americans, the language used to describe them evolved as well. In 1861, Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler claimed
The World of Hermits in Gettysburg and Beyond
No doubt many subscribers to Military Images have toured the Gettysburg battlefield. But how many have made their way to Wolf Hill, southeast of town? Part of the area is
A Guide to Exploring Photo Sleuthing and Generative AI
By Kurt Luther Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere lately–in the news, on our phones, in schools and workplaces. Civil War photo sleuthing is no exception. AI has been
Shako, Stock, and Sword: Portrait of a Palmetto State Militiaman
By Ron Field The antebellum volunteer militia of South Carolina wore a great variety of uniforms. Distinguished by the Palmetto-shaped plume on extended stem, and Palmetto device at the front
A Habit of Disappearing—and Reappearing
Franklin Young Commagere had a habit of disappearing. At age 17 in 1861, Ohio-born Frank gained acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy, a sociable young man full of fun and
“By Whose Orders?”
By Evan Phifer When the Civil War broke out, John Barclay Fassett volunteered as a private in the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry for three months in 1861. Soon afterwards,
York’s Ministering Angels
By Elizabeth A. Topping Tucked beneath this intimate image of nine young ladies holding hands or interlocking arms was a patriotic envelope depicting a mother eagle tending to her young.
Riders Above the Clouds
By Phil Spaugy “We had our photograph taken on one plate on Point Lookout” so wrote Corp. William Thomas in his diary on August 29, 1864. This view of 28