A first lieutenant in the Veteran Reserve Corps covers the lower part of his face with a book, the title of which is visible but undecipherable. Though his name is lost in time and his war experience before joining the Corps in unknown, why he chose to obscure his face is a mystery. One possible explanation is that he suffered a disfiguring wound in battle. How this impacted his mental health is another unknown. It is easy to imagine that the book covering his face is a metaphor for the hidden pain he struggled with everyday, reminded of his deformity every time he saw his reflection.
SPREAD THE WORD: We encourage you to share this story on social media and elsewhere to educate and raise awareness. If you wish to use any image on this page for another purpose, please request permission.
LEARN MORE about Military Images, America’s only magazine dedicated to showcasing, interpreting and preserving Civil War portrait photography.
VISIT OUR STORE to subscribe, renew a subscription, and more.