A War of 1812 Era Saber
The distinctive P-guard cavalry saber, likely dating to the War of 1812 period, is held by a Union soldier, right. Whether cavalry or artillery, his shell jacket and 1851-pattern eagle
Tag: Civil War photography
Lightning Strikes Twice
The cover story of our Summer 2024 issue profiled Evander M. Law’s rise to general in the Confederate army. The project began after I met collector Craig Wofford, who shared
Applying the “Trinity” to ID Some Faces in a 557-Image Album in the National Archives
By Kurt Luther Civil War photo sleuthing is more than just giving a name to an unidentified soldier or sailor portrait. While a name is a critical clue in rediscovering
A Sanitary Fair Memento Recalls a Company of St. Louis Defenders
Love of country dominates this portrait of a young woman who posed for this photograph during the Civil War. An analysis of this image points to her being a volunteer
Cruising the Potomac and Elsewhere with Brig. Gen. John P. Slough’s Brigade Band
By Ronald S. Coddington, with images from the Mark Jones Collection On an April day in 1864, in a field near Alexandria, Va., thousands of soldiers and civilians gathered to
“Angel of the Battlefield”
By Melissa A. Winn Capturing the story of Clara Barton in brief is an impossible feat. While many men and women who participated in the Civil War have remarkable narratives,
A Painted Camp and Forts Backdrop from Virginia
By Dave Batalo These portraits of Confederate soldiers posed in front of a painted backdrop are normally difficult to locate in a specific state. Such military imagery painted in a
Turning the Tables at Laurel Hill
By Scott Valentine First Lt. and Acting Adjutant Orett Lyman Munger and his comrades in the 44th New York Infantry rushed to capture, along with the rest of 5th Corps,
A Confederate Artilleryman, a Quintessential Yankee, and a Soldier of Unknown Loyalty
A Confederate artillery first lieutenant posed for this portrait in the Richmond gallery of Charles Ricard Rees. The color tinting and signature at the base of the column are hallmarks
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