Musings on Preservation
I dedicated my last column to the importance of interpretation, one of the guiding principles in our motto: Showcase. Interpret. Preserve. These words are a credo for collectors who look
Category: 2021 Spring
Rangers and Photographs of a Hometown
A Compendium of Rangers The term Ranger conjures a vision of today’s highly trained and disciplined military forces capable of clandestine strikes deep into enemy territory. Students of the Civil
Investigating the Iconic Portraits of a USCT Drummer Boy
By Kurt Luther The pair of portraits of an African American young man—one version in tattered clothes and another in the uniform of a Union drummer boy—is among the most
Drum and Guidon
Using his drum as a stool, this boy served in a New York City militia organization, as evidenced by the pompon ornament at the top of his dress cap. It
“I Heard a Faint Call That Sounded Thick and Muddy”
Fort Lamar, a roughly M-shaped earthwork bordered by swamps on each side, was a key strategic point for Confederate forces on James Island, S.C. If it fell into enemy hands,
Camp Douglas to Cold Harbor
First Sergeant B. Fayette Green and his pards in the 126th New York Infantry got off to a rocky start in the summer of 1862. The newly formed regiment mustered
A Capitol Policeman Inside the Dome
Policeman John Patterson Gulick sits in the infrastructure of the U.S. Capitol dome with an open book on his knee and an arm resting on a worktable. On and around
Confederate Remounts
By Perry M. Frohne In the last issue of MI, I uncovered the diabolical practice of remounting Union albumens. I highly recommend you re-read that column before starting this one.
A Savior of the Capitol
By Paul Russinoff Violent showers of rocks, coal, paving stones and occasional pistol shots intensified as the 62 gray uniformed men inside the battered Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Rail Road
Drummers: Steady and ever present, they kept the armies moving
A gallery of portraits of Civil War drummers collected in collaboration with Editor Dale Niesen of the Facebook group “The Image Collector” and contributions by collectors, reviewed by Contributing Editor