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
Tag: union
Green-Wood Cemetery: Final resting place for more than 5,000 Union and Confederate veterans in Brooklyn, N.Y.
By Jeffrey I. Richman, with images courtesy of The Green-Wood Historic Fund Collections During the first half of the 19th century, American cities rapidly expanded. As the living packed into
Navy Round Jackets
By Ron Field A garment described as a “blue cloth Jacket” was part of dress or mustering wear for petty officers and other ranks of the U.S. Navy from the
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,
Press Coverage of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, May-November 1863
The Siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Gettysburg decided the fate of the Southern armies, and ultimately the Confederate nation. Gettysburg went down in history as the best remembered
The Courage of a Trooper at Trevilian Station
The 10th New York Cavalry found itself in a precarious position along the Virginia Central Railroad near Trevilian Station on June 11, 1864. In the immediate aftermath of a successful
Murdered While Chasing Geronimo
By Perry M. Frohne Long before Emmet Crawford met his death in the West, he proved himself a man of action. As a 16-year-old in May 1861, he lied about
Buglers: “Hark! ‘tis the bugle-blast, sabres are drawn!”
Featuring images collected in collaboration with Editor Dale Niesen of the Facebook group “The Image Collector” and other sources, reviewed by Contributing Editor Chris Nelson. The bugle and shoulder straps
MMB: A concise history of the unconventional, untethered and unruly warriors of the Mississippi Marine Brigade
By Paul Russinoff A column of dilapidated wagons and carriages drawn by broken-down horses creaked along a neglected Mississippi road one summer’s day in 1863. The thoroughfare stretched for some
“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