Military Images

06/23/2026

LIFE ON THE CIVIL WAR RESEARCH TRAIL.—
"The Perfect Charge": Honor Under Fire at Chancellorsville

At the Battle of Chancellorsville, there came a moment when Col. William J. Sewell and his New Jersey Brigade, including Michael Clancy, faced overwhelming odds with no orders to retire and no reinforcements on the way. There was no honorable option but to charge—and they did.

Life on the Civil War Research Trail is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by Fleischer's Auctions, a premier destination for fine antiques, art, and Americana. Visit fleischersauctions.com for upcoming auction information.

Life on the Civil War research Trail is recorded in Streamyard and produced in Canva. Images are sourced from private collectors who have contributed to Military Images magazine, public collections in the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Archives, and other institutions and organizations.

06/23/2026

YOUR EVENING IMAGE FIX.—
Million-Dollar Soldier
The rank and file of the 1st Rhode Island Detached Militia numbered among the first responders to arrive in Washington, D.C., in April 1861. The regiment included Moses Brown Jenkins. The 26-year-old Quaker happened to be one of the wealthiest young men in America thanks to a vast inheritance provided by his late father, who had made it big in textiles. When news of the attack on Fort Sumter rocked Rhode Island, young Jenkins had just purchased tickets for a family trip to Europe. He promptly tore up them up and enlisted. He is pictured here in standard uniform and non-standard haversack upon which his name is prominently stenciled. Jenkins survived the First Battle of Manassas and the rest of his three-month tour of duty. He did not return to the army after the end of his enlistment. He lived until 1895.

Carte de visite by Mathew B. Brady of Washington, D.C.

06/23/2026

LIFE ON THE CIVIL WAR RESEARCH TRAIL.—
"Though the Friends of Liberty Die, Liberty Itself Is Immortal":
Dr. Gurley on the late Abraham Lincoln

Though Dr. Phineas D. Gurley, former Chaplain of the United States Senate, is largely forgotten, the funeral oration he delivered at the White House for his friend, President Lincoln, helped shape how we remember the fallen leader.

Watch on youtube.com/ or ad-free on HistoryFix: historyfix.com/life-on-the-civil-war-research-trail

"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by Freeman's Auctions, an internationally recognized fine art auction house. Check out upcoming auctions of Civil War material at https://freemansauction.com

Life on the Civil War research Trail is recorded in Streamyard and produced in Canva. Images are sourced from private collectors who have contributed to Military Images magazine, public collections in the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Archives, and other institutions and organizations.

06/21/2026

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.—
A U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander with His Family.

Albumen print by an unidentified photographer.

06/19/2026

LIFE ON THE CIVIL WAR RESEARCH TRAIL.—
USCT in St. Louis: Black Phalanx at Benton Barracks

In late 1863, formerly enslaved men arrived in St. Louis from points South to join the United States Colored Troops. Many brought their families. All suffered from neglect until early 1864, when Brig. Gen. William A. Pile and other officers stepped in to help.

"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by The Excelsior Brigade, dealers in fine Civil War memorabilia. See their latest additions at excelsiorbrigade.com.

Life on the Civil War research Trail is recorded in Streamyard and produced in Canva. Images are sourced from private collectors who have contributed to Military Images magazine, public collections in the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Archives, and other institutions and organizations.

06/18/2026

YOUR EVENING IMAGE FIX.—
A Cavalry Officer and His Weapon
Previously published in William A. Turner’s Even More Confederate Faces in 1983, this cavalry lieutenant wears a coat based on the uniform regulations of 1861 with the addition of a slit breast pocket. His white shirt sleeves are folded back over his cuff facings which, along with his collar, appears to be a light color and likely yellow for his branch of service. A leather shoulder strap supports the weight of a Model 1860 enlisted men’s cavalry saber.

Sixth-plate ambrotype by an unidentified photographer. Paul Reeder Collection.

See more of Paul's images:

A study of Confederate soldiers through their uniforms, weapons, and wartime portraits, revealing Southern military dress, equipment, and material culture.

06/18/2026

LIFE ON THE CIVIL WAR RESEARCH TRAIL.—
"He Wished He Could Suddenly Disappear from the View of Men": Jefferson Davis, 1867

According to news reports, the two years Jefferson Davis in Fortress Monroe following his capture in May 1865 took a significant toll on his physical and his mental health. Two eyewitness accounts reveal his state of mind and his appearance.

Life on the Civil War Research Trail is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, the finest historical Americana since 1938. See the latest additions at alincolnbookshop.com

Life on the Civil War research Trail is recorded in Streamyard and produced in Canva. Images are sourced from private collectors who have contributed to Military Images magazine, public collections in the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Archives, and other institutions and organizations.

06/18/2026

YOUR EVENING IMAGE FIX.—
An antebellum U.S. Army assistant surgeon in profile: Marcus Aurelius Root, renowned Philadelphia photographer and author of the 1864 treatise and handbook, The Camera and the Pencil; or the Heliographic Art, created this portrait of a U.S. Army officer. His shoulder straps indicate he ranked as a first lieutenant, and his medical officer’s sword points to his service as an assistant surgeon.

Half-plate daguerreotype by Marcus Aurelius Root of Philadelphia, Pa. Dan Binder Collection.

More antebellum warriors: https://www.militaryimagesmagazine-digital.com/category/antebellum-warriors/

06/17/2026

LIFE ON THE CIVIL WAR RESEARCH TRAIL.—
Lincoln vs. McClellan: Union POW's stage a mock vote for president

Union soldiers held as prisoners of war in the South during the presidential campaign of 1864 could not cast a vote for Abraham Lincoln or George B. McClellan. But their captivity did not prevent them from staging mock elections. Here's one of those elections, held at Camp Sorghum outside Columbia, S.C.

"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by The Excelsior Brigade, dealers in fine Civil War memorabilia. See their latest additions at excelsiorbrigade.com.

Life on the Civil War research Trail is recorded in Streamyard and produced in Canva. Images for the series are primarily sourced from Military Images magazine, the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Archives, and other institutions and organizations.