Stunning Photographs From The American Civil War

1861–1865 War Photography In Its Infancy

Photo by Scott Umstattd on Unsplash

A historian never retires in truth. As I have lived on both sides of the Atlantic, I have been fortunate to have had opportunities to visit and research many places. Historians are encouraged to "Write in pictures. With your words, let the reader see not letters, but images. Be specific about every detail, but don't describe it — make it happen on the page . . ." — A. A. Patawaran. Although the suggestion of writing in pictures is the goal, an actual image (photograph) can also tell the real story. Sometimes more vividly.

The American Civil War was a long time ago, the 1860s. Like almost everyone else, I never considered that the country I lived in and loved dearly would ever encounter such a tragedy again. However, today I'm not so sure. We do live in worrying times and experience such events as having been seen before in American and world history.

The Civil War was so long ago that photography had only recently begun to replace artists and sculptors in depicting war and horror. And yet many of us are not familiar with photography from that era. Many stunning photos tell a sad and horrendous story of a nation that lost about a million dead on each side of the conflict—even brother against brother.

Original copy of the very first Confederate imprint defining the moment that the first southern state formally seceded from the United States of America

Collecting soldiers killed in battle, 1864-Library of Congress B817–7926

Alfred A. Stratton lost both arms at age 19 on June 18, 1864, by a cannon shot in the American Civil War. Stratton died as a father of two at the age of 29-Mütter Museum. Historical Medical Photographs, S. 23

President Abraham Lincoln with General George B. McClellan at his headquarters at Antietam, October 3, 1862. (Bettmann/Contributor)

African-American Union soldier & family post 1863-Library of Congress AMB/TIN no. 5001

An undated photo provided by The National Archives shows Confederate President Jefferson Davis

Death Gettysburg-National Archives 533310

A portrait of General Ulysses S. Grant was printed from the original glass plate negatives of Mathew B. Brady. (Mathew Brady/A.P.)

The Guy Brothers Union soldiers-Library of Congress AMB/TIN no. 1327

Confederate dead, Fredericksburg, VA-National Archives 524930

The Confederate dead of Alsop Farm-from The Photographic History of The Civil War in Ten Volumes: Volume Three, The Decisive Battles. The Review of Reviews Co., New York. 1911. p. 61

26th USA Colored Volunteer Infantry-National Archives 533126

General Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson, 1863, West Virginia Collection 001104 Collection # 1561

Young Union soldier-Library of Congress AMB/TIN no. 2068

Young Confederate soldier-Library of Congress AMB/TIN no. 2907

Photograph by Mathew Brady of General William T. Sherman at Washington, D.C., in May 1865. The black ribbon of mourning on his left arm is for President Abraham Lincoln

Confederate Edward Ruffin fired the first shot at Fort Sumter & killed himself near the close of the war-National Archives 530493

Confederate General Robert E. Lee-Library of Congress B8155–1

Execution of 4 Lincoln Conspirators, including Mary Surratt, 7/7/65-National Archives 530503

Lincoln with Alan Pinkerton on the left on the battlefield-AlexanderGardner/Library of Congress

Lincoln's funeral, April 19, 1865, Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C.

Taken by Mathew Brady on February 27, 1860, the Cooper Union portrait of Abraham Lincoln is one of the few full-length photographs of him before becoming president.

Brothers in arms, Confederate and Union Soldiers, 1913 reunionComrades now, veterans in gray and blue shake hands at the 1913 Gettysburg reunion, much of the old hatred healed after a half-century of peace. Courtesy of the Gettysburg National Military Park

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