A Bridge to Home
By Buck Zaidel A black leather carte de visite album with space to hold six images has three words in an unadorned font stamped into the cover flap: Soldiers Photograph
Tag: soldier
Hints of Antebellum Militia and Regular Army
The jacket worn by this clean-shaven soldier suggests a Mexican War era militiaman: high collar, tight-fitting sleeves and cuff trim. One would expect cloth epaulettes with short fringe for enlisted
Army Life: An essay in ambrotypes and tintypes
By David B. Holcomb, with images from the author’s collection The Sentries Around 8 a.m. following reveille, breakfast call, and sick call came the call for Guard Mounting. The first
Memento Mori
The freshly starched cuffs and collar and pressed uniform coat with military buttons underscore the careful preparation of the remains of this Union officer. His shoulder straps have been removed,
“Lost an Arm in Freedom’s Fray”: Union amputees after Gettysburg
By Charles T. Joyce The destructive force of explosive artillery shells and soft lead Minié balls, combined with 19th century military medicine, took a toll on Union soldiers. The wounded
A Guide to His Southern Travels?
The thin volume held by this Union enlisted man may have helped him pinpoint the movements of his regiment during its Southern tour. The pocket-sized book, G. Woolworth Colton’s New
Greenback Pay Day
By Mike Fitzpatrick As a result of the war, the federal government suspended specie payments to maintain its bullion reserves. The move forced Congress in 1861 to authorize the U.S.
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
Badge of Honor
This clean-shaven soldier sports a crocheted patriotic badge with tassels pinned to his distinctive uniform. His jacket, trimmed with a taped outline around the chest, and McDowell-style forage cap mark