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
Tag: 1864
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
Mary’s Album: Cartes de visite and tintypes collected by a teenager put faces on two Loudoun Rangers of Virginia
By Bob Iwig, with images from the author’s collection Following popular cultural trends, Mary Nunnamaker collected cartes de visite photographs in an album during the Civil War. The teenaged daughter
A Concise, Richly Illustrated History of the Atlanta Campaign
Major General William T. Sherman possessed a gift for catchphrases. One of his best-known quips is “So Atlanta is ours and fairly won.” These words appeared in a telegram sent
The Little Gamecock: The rise of Brig. Gen. Evander McIver Law, C.S.A.
By Ronald S. Coddington, with images and artifacts from the Craig and Carol Wofford Collection Evander McIver Law focused his piercing blue eyes on the skyline above the Gettysburg countryside.
“Shall We Sustain the Government?”: A sergeant’s open letter to fight for the Union
By Ronald S. Coddington On a September day in 1864, a Union sergeant stationed at the sprawling military hub in Louisville, Ky., put the finishing touches on a letter. It
Paper Trail
Printed on a thin strip of paper cut from a newspaper page and tucked behind the mat of Oliver Gardner’s portrait are poignant details of his Civil War service. He
The Courage of a Trooper at Trevilian Station
The 10th New York Cavalry found itself in a precarious position along the Virginia Central Railroad near Trevilian Station on June 11, 1864. In the immediate aftermath of a successful
Marcus Aurelius Root Wrote a Photographers’ Handbook in 1864. It Includes 6 Tips That Can Help You Better Appreciate 19th Century Portraits.
By Ronald S. Coddington Pioneer daguerreotypist Marcus Aurelius Root is respected for his portraits of notable Americans taken in his Philadelphia and New York City galleries. He is also noted
Camp Douglas to Cold Harbor
First Sergeant B. Fayette Green and his pards in the 126th New York Infantry got off to a rocky start in the summer of 1862. The newly formed regiment mustered