Civil War

I have long been fascinated by the beautiful and terrible images created in the American Civil war, one of my favourite websites www.shorpy.com has a stunning collection of Civil War photographs.

April 1865. "Cold Harbor, Virginia. Collecting remains of dead on the battlefield after the war." Memento mori. Wet plate by John Reekie.

September 1862. "Antietam, Maryland. Confederate dead by a fence on the Hagerstown road." The first major battle of the Civil War on Union territory. Wet plate glass negative.

"1865. Charleston, South Carolina. Vendue Range looking east from near the corner of East Bay Street." Aftermath of the Great Fire of 1861 and bombardment by the Federal Navy. Wet plate glass negative

August 1863. Bealeton, Va. "Capt. Henry Page, assistant quartermaster, at Army of Potomac headquarters with horse." Wet plate glass negative.

He Sleeps Where He Fell 1864 Dead Confederate soldier near Mrs. Alsop's house." Wet-plate glass negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. Photos from Grant's Wilderness Campaign, May-June 1864.

1865. "City Point, Virginia. Brig. Gen. John A. Rawlins, wife and child at Grant's headquarters." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown.

July 1863. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. "John L. Burns, the 'old hero of Gettysburg,' with gun and crutches." Burns, born ca. 1793, was a 70-year-old veteran of the War of 1812 when he was wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg, having volunteered his services as a sharpshooter to the Federal Army. He died of pneumonia in 1872. Wet-plate glass negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. 

April 3, 1865. Petersburg, Virginia. "Dead Confederate soldier in trenches of Fort Mahone." Wet plate glass negative, right half of stereo pair, by Thomas C. Roche. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress.

These amazing images make me think of this Beautiful song 'Hills of Shiloh' sung here by Bud and Travis



Be sure to check out www.shorpy.com for so many more amazing images.