Bob Dillard’s Wars
It is an uncommon occurrence when one of the millions of enslaved people in Civil War America is identified by name and face. Thanks to an inscription inside the case
Category: The Last Shot
Ready for His First Fight
Armed with a Bowie knife in one hand and single-shot pistol hanging from a holster on his hip, this Southron wears a crisp wool jacket and shows off his tinware:
Musician in Gray, Maestro at Ford’s Theater
John Lawrence “Laurenz” Rosenberger contributed to the power of music in peace and in war. Before the Civil War, he played violin on stage. In wartime Richmond, he exchanged his
Campaign Tableau?
A Confederate captain, carrying a holstered sidearm, sits on a crude chair and table fashioned from a tree trunk. Part of the trunk is artfully placed on top of the
The Assassin’s Vision
The cover sheet in the Library of Congress of composer Joseph W. Turner’s “The Assassin’s Vision” cites an illustration as his inspiration: “This ballad was suggested on seeing the representation
Lincoln’s Winning Hand
These political cartoons, published as cartes de visite, highlight the outcome of the 1864 presidential election in which incumbent Republican Abraham Lincoln trounced his Democratic Party rival, Maj. Gen. George
He Arrested Mary Surratt and Lewis Powell
By Richard Look Captain Henry Warren Smith climbed the stairs to the entrance of a home in Washington, D.C., during the night of April 17, 1865. Bathed in the soft
Portrait of a Veteran Reserve Corps Officer
A first lieutenant in the Veteran Reserve Corps covers the lower part of his face with a book, the title of which is visible but undecipherable. Though his name is
Guardian of the Stars and Stripes
A sergeant stands with his right hand resting in the canton of the U.S. banner. The leather cross-belt flag holder he wears reveals that he served as a color sergeant,
A Company of Tennessee Troopers
Company D of the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry (U.S.) stand and shoulder arms much like veteran infantryman. The troopers hold a variety of weapons, including Colt Revolving rifles, Burnside carbines, and