Identifying an Officer Pictured in a Library of Congress Negative
By Kurt Luther In my first “Photo Sleuth” column in 2015, I wrote about the power of combining perseverance and luck. After years of fruitless searching for photos of my
Tag: civil war
Calmness and Carbines
Observers of a Confederate charge against Union troops during the early morning of Oct. 7, 1864, were in for a surprise. The rebels had just driven them from a position
Guidebook to Our American Journey
I spend considerable time peering into the faces of a generation of Americans who lived and died long before I came into this world. Their likenesses, captured by photographic artists
The Art of Photo Sleuthing
By Kurt Luther Photography was the dominant form of professional portraiture during the Civil War. Its ubiquity owed in part to its high fidelity and low cost. However, other forms
Starr Power
A Confederate brandishes a cocked Starr revolver, the most prominently pictured of three weapons. The others, a Colt pistol and a bone-handled knife, are tucked into his belt, which is
Planting the Colors on Fort Harrison
Participants in the successful assault by Union forces at Fort Harrison, Va., on Sept. 29, 1864, witnessed a thrilling event. In the moment of victory as a blue wave of
How to Trust the Worthiness of an Identification
By Kurt Luther What makes a Civil War photo identification truly airtight? If a soldier portrait is unidentified, we often consider the gold standard as locating an identical (or very
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
The Capture of Jubal Early’s Headquarters Flag
The procession of cavalry officers and enlisted men that marched into the War Department one morning in March 1865 drew immediate attention. The sunburnt troopers, carrying 17 rebel flags they
Gettysburg Memory
The death of Col. Harry Burgwyn at the head of his 26th North Carolina Infantry during the first day’s fight at Gettysburg is deeply embedded in battlefield lore. Less remembered