The Changing Face of Collecting
On a trip to Gettysburg this past July, as I drove along Route 15 following the Catoctin Mountains, haze from wildfires far to the north transported my thoughts to another
Tag: Civil War history
“The Accomplished Inventress”
By Melissa A. Winn While recently discussing Civil War research with Military Images Editor Ron Coddington, our conversation took an unexpected turn. “While editing,” he remarked, relaying his work on
The Summer 2026 issue of Military Images Magazine
Welcome to our summer issue! Military Images Senior Editor and curator extraordinaire Chuck Joyce worked closely with a wonderful group of collectors, including first-time and veteran contributors, to tell the
Emergency Troops in the Union Army
During the Gettysburg Campaign, Pennsylvania and New York activated state militia to defend the region against the incursion of the Army of Northern Virginia. It was not the only time
A Trio of USCT Group Portraits Identified
By Kurt Luther and Bryan Cheeseboro Group portraits of U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), like all photos of USCT, are rare, and identifying their subjects rarer still. Back in 2015, this
An Incident Along the Road to Warrenton
Troopers of the 10th New York Cavalry spent October 13, 1863, in the saddle, moving through hostile Virginia. Repeated calls to form for battle proved false alarms. Near 9 p.m.
“Through Shot and Shell” on Bolivar Heights
By Evan Phifer Within popular memory of the Maryland Campaign, the Confederate operation against Harpers Ferry is often overlooked by the savage fighting at South Mountain and Antietam. Less remembered
Unique Images: Jeff. Davis and the South!, a Studded Belt, and a Rees Portrait
Portraits featuring the “Jeff. Davis and the South!” placard are few in number. Only 29 have been documented over the past 35 years. That total has now increased by two—to
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
“‘Died at Gettysburg!’ No Prouder Epitaph Need Any Man Covet.”: The Tragedy of Capt. Richard Wistar Davids of the 118th Pennsylvania Infantry
By Charles T. Joyce Visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park encounter stone sentinels of all shapes and sizes. One of them, an austere granite marker on the north side