Respected From East to West and Everywhere In Between
In July 1861, a U.S. Army first lieutenant made his way from Fort Randall in Dakota Territory to the East for new duties. Edmund Cooper Bainbridge, 26, had a wealth
Tag: West Point
Advocate for Confederate Burials at Arlington: Will Anderson traded West Point for Southern gray, and never surrendered
By Paul Russinoff and Jim Quinlan, with images from the Elizabeth Traynor Collection A few days after the fall of Fort Sumter, Cadet Edward Willoughby “Will” Anderson stood before his
Near Death Encounter at Camp Jackson
Less than a month after the bombardment of Fort Sumter inaugurated civil war, pro-secession militia in Missouri agitated to join the nascent Confederacy. When word leaked that the militia planned
King’s Knight to King 7: Investigating connections between Confederate agent Caleb Huse, President Jefferson Davis and the Ames Company
By Ron Maness, featuring images from the author’s collection During a chess match, moving a knight to confront the opposing king in its initial position (King 8) can result in
The Loss of a Giant in the Collecting Community
In a 1988 MI interview, Mike McAfee was asked to share any words of wisdom he’d like to pass on to photo collectors. “Speaking as a curator,” Mike began, referencing
The Answer Man for American Boundary Questions
When it came to the question of borders, Col. James Duncan Graham was the military’s go-to engineer for answers. For the better part of the first half of the 19th
Ogle’s Ruination: How alcohol ended a West Pointer’s promising military career
By William Gorenfeld Ruination by drink is an unfortunate but common tale in military as well as civilian life. In all ranks and all regiments of the antebellum army or,
Foundation of the Rock
Wise. Calm. Self-poised. Steadfast. These words were used by a comrade and biographer of George Henry Thomas to describe the venerable soldier long after he had been christened with the
Military Schoolboys Fostered ‘Virtuous Citizens’
With no television, internet or any other form of electronic mass entertainment, 19th-century Americans turned to activities that tended to make them more enlightened and productive citizens. One such pursuit
Heydey of Hope
Much has been written about John Pelham’s courage on the battlefield of Fredericksburg and his mortal wounding in the cavalry fight at Kelly’s Ford. Far less has been recorded about
