Two years ago, I visited collector Al Niemiec in the Chicago suburbs. I had met Al in person once before for coffee, and since then we corresponded from time to time, usually me sending congratulating messages for sharing wonderful images on Facebook.
This time, the object of my visit was to scan some of those images. One of them, a powerful portrait of two Union soldiers, graces the cover of our Autumn 2024 issue.
I knew the image was cover-worthy the moment I glimpsed it. But I did not have a cover story to accompany it. So the scan sat in a folder while I moved on to other projects. A few months ago, I came across the folder, opened the file, and my excitement and enthusiasm for it returned. At first, I thought to publish it in our Stragglers section, which would take it out of the running for the cover. Upon reflection, this felt unsatisfactory. Then I noticed the military backdrop belonged to photographer Enoch Long, who operated a gallery at Benton Barracks in St. Louis. This led me to wonder about United States Colored Troops (USCT) at Benton Barracks. I took a trip down the research rabbit hole to find out. Within a couple hours, I had surfaced enough material to write about Black men in blue who received their army education at Benton Barracks. The cover story was born!
Two other images motivated me to write stories to put them in context.
One is a portrait of Capt. Matt Boyd of the 73rd Indiana Infantry. His journey from Streight’s Raid in Alabama to Libby Prison, transformation from embracing a pro-slavery agenda to supporting freedom for enslaved people and the USCT, and his return to Libby after its resurrection as a war museum in Chicago, is notable. Boyd’s likeness and other artifacts are part of the collection of Craig and Carol Wofford.
The other image, picturing a gold miniature of the Appomattox surrender table, is in George Wilkinson’s collection. George is a collector and researcher who maintains a blog about the 4th Michigan Infantry. The story of the man who commissioned the miniature, its presentation of it to Ulysses S. Grant in 1879, and what became of it after Grant’s passing is fascinating.
The other feature stories you’ll find are from regular contributors. Phil McCoy’s story about a rare portrait of JEB Stuart taken in Hagerstown, Md., documents the general’s movements during the aftermath of the Confederate loss at Gettysburg. Ron Maness shares his observations about a unique antebellum salt print of the staff of the Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Mass., during its rise as a global munitions provider.
All of our departments are ably represented! Kurt Luther’s Photo Sleuth offers tips about how to discover soldier photos from a specific Civil War battle. His case study is First Manassas, or Bull Run. Elizabeth A. Topping writes about the calisthenics movement that swept the country during the war in this installment of The Citizenry. Five cartes de visite from Elizabeth’s collection are featured. Phil Spaugy reveals the backstory of two Mississippians of the Bolivar Troop armed with Maynard carbines in Of Arms and Men. Bill Thompson shares a Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver and other artifacts identified to Massachusetts soldier Robert S. Capen in Material Culture. Adam Ochs Fleischer explores the military backdrop of the Moore Brothers of Hartford, Conn, in Behind the Backdrop. Melissa A. Winn tells the story of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor in Women of War. Scott Valentine documents the wounding of William E. Hacker of the 3rd Maryland Infantry at the Battle of Antietam in Vignette.
Our other departments offer unique information and stories. Military Anthropologist features a data visualization of Union Army contributions as a percent of the 1860 population. Passing in Review considers David A. Powell’s The Atlanta Campaign, 1864. Antebellum Warriors features a wonderful daguerreotype of a 6th Massachusetts Infantry soldier from the collection of Cole Rutkowski. Most Hallowed Ground reveals the final hours of the life of Maj. Gen. John A. Rawlins, Ulysses S. Grant’s chief of staff and Secretary of War. Drummer boy and Medal of Honor recipient Johann Christoph Julius “Jenny” Langbein is featured in The Honored Few. Portraits of Union soldiers from Wisconsin, Connecticut and elsewhere are highlighted in Stragglers. And two political cartoons from the 1864 Presidential election are front and center in The Last Shot.
I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I did bringing it together.
Ronald S. Coddington
Editor and Publisher
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