Survivor of Vermont’s Deadliest Day
The deadliest day in Vermont history, May 5, 1864, lives in infamy. Hundreds of miles south of the Green Mountain State, in the rough and tumble landscape of The Wilderness
Tag: civil war
Evidence-Based Tips for Using Civil War Photo Sleuth
By Kurt Luther Photo sleuthing is, at its core, a process of elimination. We start with a mystery photo whose subject could be any of the three million soldiers who
The Loss of a Giant in the Collecting Community
In a 1988 MI interview, Mike McAfee was asked to share any words of wisdom he’d like to pass on to photo collectors. “Speaking as a curator,” Mike began, referencing
Accusations
The pencil inscriptions above the portraits of these Union officers leave no question about the point of view of the unnamed writers. The major pictured on the left is branded
The Talisman
Keepsake mementos and other trinkets dangled from the ends of pocket watch chains worn by veterans long after the Civil War. The object that hung from Sam Wright’s chain never
On Henry: Inspiration, Mentor and Friend
My favorite story about Henry Deeks, or Dan as he was also known, predates the digital era, when collectors relied on printed catalogs to purchase Civil War artifacts. What distinguished
Second Opinion
By Kurt Luther In my last column, I presented some initial facts and figures showing that Civil War Photo Sleuth (CWPS), our free website for identifying unknown soldiers in photos,
A Reminder of War’s Human Cost
A carte de visite with photographs pasted on the front and back remind us of the human cost of war. On the front, a revolver and sword lying on top
A “Burr Under the Saddle of the Horse Artillery”
Artillery Capt. Hubert Dilger enjoyed a sterling reputation in the Army of the Potomac. One senior commander recalled long after the war, “In campaign and battle he displayed extraordinary energy;
Civil War Photo Sleuth: An Update
By Kurt Luther Last August, we launched Civil War Photo Sleuth (CWPS), a free website that brings together community expertise and face recognition technology to identify unknown Civil War soldier