A Militia Corporal with an Artillery Sword
Militia uniforms worn during the years preceding the Civil War are full of surprises. The militiaman in this ambrotype is no exception. Of particular interest is the corporal’s gold-tinted chevrons
Category: Antebellum Warriors
Drum and Guidon
Using his drum as a stool, this boy served in a New York City militia organization, as evidenced by the pompon ornament at the top of his dress cap. It
A Portrait Promised to a Sister?
Compared to most of the Union’s noted Civil War generals, John Fulton Reynolds rates high for skill and ability. West Point educated and a seasoned campaigner in Mexico and the
A Corcoran Legionnaire
The Irish population in the sprawling metropolis of Buffalo, N.Y., and its environs included many personalities. One of its most honorable members, shoemaker Michael G. Stapleton, enjoyed a sterling reputation
The Answer Man for American Boundary Questions
When it came to the question of borders, Col. James Duncan Graham was the military’s go-to engineer for answers. For the better part of the first half of the 19th
Foundation of the Rock
Wise. Calm. Self-poised. Steadfast. These words were used by a comrade and biographer of George Henry Thomas to describe the venerable soldier long after he had been christened with the
An Early West Point Graduate
Daniel D. Tompkins arrived at the U.S. Military Academy in 1814 with an aptitude for learning and a well-known namesake—his uncle, the governor of New York, who would soon serve
The Uniform That Demoralized a Regiment
This Brooklynite in the 14th Regiment, New York State Militia, is dressed in a newly designed uniform that had unexpected consequences. A brigade inspector reported on Oct. 18, 1858: “This
A Militiaman and His Mississippi Rifle
A thin-bearded volunteer poses with all the trappings of a militiaman. He is a private—don’t be tricked by the officer’s shoulder straps on his uniform, which are purely decorative. His
One of the “Master Spirits” of the War
The first real indication that Micah Jenkins was destined for military greatness came not on the battlefield, but inside the classroom. As a Citadel cadet, the South Carolinian rose to