Review - "Civil War Photo Forensics: Investigating Battlefield Photographs Through a Critical Lens" by Scott Hippensteel

[Civil War Photo Forensics: Investigating Battlefield Photographs Through a Critical Lens by Scott Hippensteel (University of Tennessee Press, 2026). Hardcover, 128 photos, tables, appendix section, endnotes, index. Pages main/total:xi,179/211. ISBN:979-8-89527-087-5. $39.95]

Thousands of Civil War battlefield photographs have survived the ravages of time, gifting researchers and enthusiasts alike with a vast wealth of imagery that mere words cannot replicate. However, it has been clearly proven that a number of the most popular photos that continue to thickly populate the pages of Civil War books, magazines, and websites are products of artistic license the likes of which would make any professional photojournalist blush. Indeed, the historical value of these images is greatly dependent on properly assessing the degree of manipulation involved. A number of dedicated individuals, foremost among them William Frassanito, have furthered that complicated and often frustrating area of study, developing reproducible methodologies of arriving at the truth that others have adopted. A more recent contributor to the field is Scott Hippensteel, whose approaches and findings are revealed in his new book Civil War Photo Forensics: Investigating Battlefield Photographs Through a Critical Lens.

Hippensteel begins his study with capsule biographies of a large number of Civil War photographers ranging from the most famous among them to the largely forgotten. He also employs charts and tables to trace where and when they worked during the war. Together these individuals produced thousands of priceless images, and Hippensteel initiates the investigative part of his study with a fun exercise aimed at finding the single most popular Civil War photograph. In getting there, the author consulted a randomized selection of Civil War general audience books, magazines, websites, and videos, poring through every page and registering every photograph. The top twenty-five images are ranked by number of appearances in the sample group, and the full quantitative breakdown is presented in the appendix section. The top five are featured in the main text with full-page reproductions of the image, and Hippensteel adds some interesting background and image analysis as well (the latter often supplemented by magnified close-ups, the amazing details of which were made possible by the good condition and very high resolution of the original glass negatives).

In placing these images under fresh scrutiny, Hippensteel properly credits the pioneering photo forensic contributions of those that came before him, particularly the aforementioned Frassanito. In addition to expanding upon earlier efforts at identifying image fraud and manipulation, Hippensteel delves into methodologies that help find the answers to those who (from the perspective of photographer and subject), where, when, and why questions that drive the discovery of critical context. For example, geology, the author's own professional area of expertise, has proven useful in helping answer "where" questions while the light and shadow cast by the sun has been an invaluable forensic tool for estimating the "when." One of the biggest "where" mysteries of Civil War photography involves the proposed location of the famous O'Sullivan-Gardner photo A Harvest of Death (incidentally the war's second most popular image). Hippensteel casts a critical eye toward earlier interpretations and tests his own probability-based GIS approach to arrive at a probable location that lacks disqualifying features. The author is careful to point out that the most probable site determined by his analysis cannot be regarded as definitive. He also maintains that it is entirely possible that the weathering and erosion that has occurred since the battle was fought, combined with landscape modification due to modern development, might make conclusive identification of the site impossible.

An overarching theme of Civil War Photo Forensics is that the "value of a photograph from a historical, rather than an aesthetic, perspective is directly tied to context" (pg. 73). Diminishing that value was rampant manipulation, which ranged from simple, and presumably unintentional in most cases, caption errors to the cynical staging of post-battle scenes. Given that even the most prominent Civil War photographers were guilty of committing at least some degree of serious manipulation, their status as photojournalists is a source of great debate. An interesting aspect of Hippensteel's revisitation of this question is his comparison of photographers and sketch artists. Among the latter group, the works of Alfred Waud and Edwin Forbes provide the most food for thought. The author investigates the ways in which the sketch artist's ability to capture non-static scenes held special historical value that photographers could not match, even though the process between initial sketch and final publication was even more open to bias and manipulation. At the very least, Hippensteel's close comparisons of photographs with artist drawings of the same subject matter (and from a similar angle and perspective) should give readers a renewed appreciation of the detail and accuracy that artists such as Waud were capable of rapidly producing under less than ideal working conditions.

One of the most eye-opening features of the book is Hippensteel's close study of photographic exposure times. Most readers likely operate under the assumption that the lengthy exposure times of Civil War-era studio photography extended to field work, but the author's research finds that exposure times of less than a second were possible in bright sunlight. Hippensteel performed his own tests replicating period images of flag movements with comparable modern photography utilizing varying shutter speeds and determined that some of the Civil War photos had estimated exposure times of between one-half and two seconds. If that's accurate, it raises the question of why we didn't get more combat images. The author offers a reasonable suggestion that most photographers would not have relished the risks involved with arranging their bulky and expensive equipment in plain view on the battlefield, an act that would have exposed them to enemy fire at considerable intervals between shot and setup.

The volume is full of fascinating case studies that illustrate the value of photo forensics in establishing historical context. Among these, one of the most insightful was the author's use of photo forensic techniques to both interpret and sequence the images of Ben Butler's Dutch Gap Canal project and uncover crucial details surrounding its excavation. The author's expert examination of the canal photos in their geological context finds that the path through which the canal was carved contained sediments and strata (clearly seen in the photo series) that directly contributed to the project's ultimate impracticability. The contention by some that the Dutch Gap Canal photos also offer a rare depiction of the smoking remnants of a shell burst is convincingly debunked in the text as steam escaping from the digging equipment. In other matters, much more grim are the graphic wound details examined in the study's collection of dead soldier images. The grisly truth that consumers paid more for these types of photos undoubtedly inspired both the gory angles purposefully employed as well as the manipulative practice of posing the dead or placing fake dead bodies and other props into the frame to enhance viewer interest.

The vast body of work produced by Civil War photographers has been of incalculable value to the study of the conflict. It has also been a profoundly inspiring force, sparking the interest and imagination of legions of budding avocational and professional historians. However, as outlined above, it is also true that Civil War battlefield photography has been tainted with fraud and manipulation, and establishing the proper historical context of many other images has proved immensely challenging. Scott Hippensteel's Civil War Photo Forensics is not only the latest but one of the best works that employs analytical tools and methodologies based on science, technology, and critical thinking skills in order to help us navigate contested issues of image genuineness and other vital elements such as their location and timing. 

Review - "Port Hudson: The Most Significant Battlefield Photographs of the Civil War" by Lawrence Lee Hewitt

[Port Hudson: The Most Significant Battlefield Photographs of the Civil War by Lawrence Lee Hewitt (University of Tennessee Press, 2021). Hardcover, photos, maps, image credits, notes, bibliography, index. Pages:xl,392. ISBN:978-1-62190-483-0. $49.95]

Lawrence Lee Hewitt is the professional historian most closely associated with Louisiana's Port Hudson Campaign. In addition to serving as the first manager of the Port Hudson State Historic Site and authoring one of the best books on the topic (from LSU Press, 1987's Port Hudson, Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi)¹, Hewitt has been collecting photographic images from the campaign for more than forty years now. The collection has reached such a high content number that Hewitt long believed Port Hudson to be the war's most photographed battlefield before challengers intervened and successfully convinced him otherwise. Still, being the third-most photographed battlefield² is notable for one of the conflict's less-heralded campaigns, one that remains greatly overshadowed by its celebrated companion operation conducted just up the Mississippi. A great many of these carefully curated images are compiled in the stunning new volume Port Hudson: The Most Significant Battlefield Photographs of the Civil War.

The answer to the question of why so many Port Hudson photographs involves many factors, including the operation being the war's longest siege and the battlefield's relatively short distance from New Orleans affording both access to photographers and abundant time for them to perform their laborious work. Hewitt organizes the book chronologically, with sections devoted to the biographies and activities of the six Port Hudson photographers that left their rich collections to posterity. The most notable contributions were made by William D. McPherson and his partner A.J. Oliver. Though initially drawn to the area for commercial reasons, McPherson and Oliver came to be hired directly by Union army commander Nathaniel Banks and were granted wide access to the front to photograph the siege and its aftermath. The author suggests that there might have been ulterior motives behind General Banks's desire to thoroughly and publicly document the operation, and that does seem like a very strong possibility. It has often been said that Banks craved the presidency, and images that powerfully conveyed both the immense strength of the Port Hudson defenses and the general's own successful siege efforts in overcoming them could be very useful to him for future political campaigns.

In a background section that critically informs readers of erroneous captions and common mistakes made (such as horizontal flipping of images), Hewitt provides readers with a very helpful analysis and appraisal of Port Hudson's photographic legacy in the existing literature. Also of interest is the author's discussion of the many trials involved in getting a book like this published. Obviously, a tome containing all of the hundreds of Port Hudson Campaign photos collected by Hewitt could not be affordably printed and priced (especially given the king's ransom demanded by some rights holders for reproduction), the Hewitt graciously credits the team at University of Tennessee Press for successfully negotiating the process and providing him the opportunity to make available a still pretty hefty 173 figures. Some of the originals are in rough shape but are included for details that can be seen and for their historical significance.

The part of the collection that was able to be published is remarkable in its range. In it readers will find numerous CDVs and photographs of individuals and groups along with equally numerous images of officer quarters, unit encampments, hospitals, graves, churches, civilian buildings, soldier barracks, earthworks of all kinds (among them trenches, lunettes, detached works, forts, and siege batteries), battle detritus, both intimate and panoramic views of the riverfront and battlefield landscape, and loads and loads of cannon. Hewitt organizes this assemblage into smaller groups that he in turn identifies and labels on clear maps for reader orientation. Captions are extensively researched and provide both historical context and fascinating discussions of technical and artistic achievements. The latter go far in justifying the merits of the book subtitle's claim regarding the collection's exceptional importance.

Of particular historical noteworthiness are many of the McPherson and Oliver photographs. According to Hewitt, the pair captured the only image we have of a Confederate army surrender ceremony in progress (see Fig. 23). Their work also affords early examples of skillfully executed combination printing and, as the author alleges, attempts at nighttime (or very low light) and time-lapse photography. While the equipment technology of the period did not allow actual movement to be shown without ruinous blurring, Hewitt believes a group of their photos represent the first photographs of troops "engaged" in battle. Photographs in figures 6-11, 13-17, and 19-22 were all taken during the active siege (thus, in Hewitt's estimation, technically "in action"), and Fig. 17 depicts infantry manning a trench cavalier separated from the enemy by only 40 yards. Port Hudson was not the first time black troops saw combat during the war, but the May 27 assault was the first major battle that they participated in, and the book contains a valuable photographic record of the men of the Louisiana Native Guard and where they fought. A photographer also captured images of the Port Hudson school for black soldiers established there.

A sturdy hardcover securely bound in landscape format of roughly 8" x 10" dimensions and printed on heavy, photo-friendly paper stock, the book gets a handsome presentation worthy of its significance. The publisher also deserves a great deal of credit for releasing it at a price point affordable for libraries and individual collectors alike.

Port Hudson should appeal to many readerships. First off, it is an essential new contribution to a Port Hudson Campaign historiography that still lags well behind that of its Vicksburg partner. The book is also a uniquely valuable addition to the libraries of Civil War photography enthusiasts, researchers, and collectors. Additionally, students of Civil War fortifications and artillery will reap major benefits from the volume's rich collection of images along those lines. Very highly recommended.

Notes:
1- The standard campaign overview remains Ed Cunningham's The Port Hudson Campaign, 1862-1863, which was published in 1963 and remains in print today in paperback format. While Cunningham's classic is very bare bones by today's standards, David Edmonds's The Guns of Port Hudson (2 Vols, 1983-84) is exhaustive by comparison. You can count yourself fortunate to have that long out of print set in your home library, though in the 25 years since I first encountered them I haven't given the pair a second reading to see how well they hold up. From 1986, there's also William Spedale's Where Bugles Called and Rifles Gleamed. After a long gap, more recent developments include a 2012 title from Dennis Dufrene Civil War Baton Rouge, Port Hudson and Bayou Sara: Capturing the Mississippi, content from Donald Frazier's Blood on the Bayou: Vicksburg, Port Hudson, and the Trans-Mississippi (2015), and Russell Blount's The Longest Siege: Port Hudson, Louisiana, 1863 (2021). I have not read or even seen the Spedale, Dufrene, and Blount books, so I can't comment on any of those. All of this plus Hewitt's books together comprise a pretty solid library, though there remains room for an updated comprehensive treatment along the lines of what Timothy Smith is currently doing for Vicksburg.
2 - According to the author, in conjunction with establishing an unexplained set of rules and discussions with Civil War photography archivists and experts, Chattanooga, with its thousands of battlefield photographs, is the clear winner of the crown. Brandy Station (surprisingly) comes in second place making Port Hudson a very close third, although Hewitt believes that developments subsequent to those determinations might have already pushed Port Hudson past Brandy Station. It would be interesting to hear what other parties have to say about this.

Review - "American Zouaves, 1859-1959: An Illustrated History" by Daniel Miller

[American Zouaves, 1859-1959: An Illustrated History by Daniel J. Miller (McFarland, 2020). Softcover, 397 photographs, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. Pages main/total:viii,476/533. ISBN:978-1-4766-7726-2. $95]

It's been said that any individual holding a great artifact collection of historical significance has an unspoken obligation to permanently document it in some distributable form for the wider public and posterity. Taking that wise counsel to heart is Daniel Miller, a retired law enforcement professional with a massive collection of Zouave photographs and printed ephemera. His book American Zouaves, 1859-1959: An Illustrated History is a photographic encyclopedia of American Zouave units organized between the end of the late antebellum era (when Elmer Ellsworth's Chicago Zouave Cadets swept the national imagination) through the middle of the twentieth century. By the latter period, the forces of National Guard standardization finally ended the wider Zouave phenomenon.

The stated purpose of Miller's Zouave study is "to offer a visual glimpse and written record of these long forgotten military units to provide collectors and historians with a reference aid in identifying the surviving images and historical artifacts of these units" (pg 2). All of the images presented in the book, from photos to "patriotic envelopes, cigarette cards, ballroom invitations, woodcuts, and lithographed song sheets," are part of the author's personal collection. According to Miller, song sheets rate among the most historically useful sources as they often include images of Zouave companies based on photographs, with color information provided directly from the men in the unit.

Attached image or not, the unit encyclopedia, which includes both military and non-military Zouave squads, companies, battalions, and regiments of different races and ethnicities from 41 states and the District of Columbia, is incredibly comprehensive. Unit entries, organized in chapters by state, range from well-documented military units that fill several pages in the book to those that have so little information about them that there's the possibility they didn't even exist. Complicating matters are the companies that called themselves Zouaves but didn't wear Zouave uniforms or the ones that wore the uniforms and didn't call themselves Zouaves! The author's work is not finished either, as the volume contains an extensive late chapter including a large number of so far unidentified Zouave images. The overwhelming focus of the book is on the Civil War period, but the uniforms remained popular among National Guard units and a great many post-war "civil organizations, youth cadet companies, political marching groups, and quasi-military groups."

The captions applied to the volume's nearly 400 images (41 of which are in color) often include a great amount of detailed commentary, and unit entries themselves typically offer some initial organizational information accompanied by extensive uniform descriptions. Some of the best sources for the latter are newspaper reports, which are often quoted extensively in the text though the author appropriately cautions the reader about their veracity. It is apparent that the volume does not aim to provide extensive service histories (even for the famous units), and early chapter discussions of late antebellum "Zouave Fever" in the U.S. as well as the history of the French Zouave combat units that inspired it are also quite brief.  Some readers will wish Miller had included more of this background information but space considerations in an already very large book probably entered into play.

The book notes the seeming incongruity of normally pragmatic American volunteers embracing such an exotic model with bright colors that made inviting targets on the battlefield (indeed, Miller cites some contemporary pushback against the craze in the newspaper media). However, as most Civil War readers are aware, French military history and practices over the first half of the 1800s heavily influenced all aspects of the American military establishment and the added romanticism of the Zouaves easily overcame any misgivings. The author confirms that early Union Army martyr Elmer Ellsworth's much celebrated role in exciting a national embrace of the Zouave phenomenon has not been exaggerated. Miller also does try to clear up what he sees as the popular misconception among Civil War writers that Zouave uniforms rapidly declined into near universal disfavor, with nearly all units freely adopting more conventional appearances relatively early in the conflict According to the author's research, Zouave units often went to great lengths to try to preserve their distinctive uniforms, and it was mostly outside factors (such as material shortages) that forced many units to adopt mixed uniforms and other more expedient alternatives.

Though apparently outside the scope of the book, one wishes Miller had devoted at least some space to a brief discussion of whether Civil War Zouaves conducted themselves on the battlefield in any unique ways. He does reproduce in full an extensive newspaper article that describes in some detail the reporter's observation of a new Zouave regiment's drilling exercise, one that included the "Zouave Rush" frequently mentioned in the secondary literature.

Daniel Miller's exhaustive documentation of his Zouave image collection, expanded to include a descriptive organization and uniform register of all known Zouave units of any kind over a century-long period of American history, represents an invaluable reference tool for subject enthusiasts and serious researchers alike. With the publication of this volume, Miller's self-imposed collector's obligation to the public can be regarded as redeemed in full.

Review - "Civil War Places: Seeing the Conflict through the Eyes of Its Leading Historians" by Gallagher & Gallman, eds.

[CIVIL WAR PLACES: Seeing the Conflict through the Eyes of Its Leading Historians edited by Gary W. Gallagher and J. Matthew Gallman, photographs by Will Gallagher (University of North Carolina Press, 2019). Cloth, 37 B&W photos, notes, index. 216 pp. ISBN:978-1-4696-4953-5. $32]

Earlier this decade, Gary Gallagher and Matt Gallman had the bright idea to invite a group of professional historian colleagues to contribute to an anthology of Civil War image commentaries. The resulting book Lens of War: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War (2015) was well received and undoubtedly encouraged the pair to give the same general format another go, but with a different topical theme this time and also a new publisher. For Civil War Places: Seeing the Conflict through the Eyes of Its Leading Historians, Gallagher and Gallman challenged their fellow historians^* to "select a single meaningful place related to the war and narrate its significance."

In discussing the historical and cultural significance of the two dozen places examined in the volume, each chapter includes elements of scholarly and personal perspectives (their relative weight left entirely up the writer). With varying degrees of input from each writer, a professional photographer (Gallagher's son Will) was also assigned to compose a representative image of each place. Without prompting, the contributors selected a diverse range of sites with no overlap. Their essays are organized into four major categories—I. "Battlefields: Places of Fighting", II. "Cemeteries: Places of Mourning", III. "Memorials: Places of Memory", and IV. "Buildings: Enduring Places". Many sites are closely associated with the writer's professional work but others instead hearken back to early memories associated with what first sparked their interest in history as a vocation.

Books formatted like this one, in combination with the fact that the 23 contributors (plus the two editors) to Civil War Places were afforded wide latitude in framing their own chapters, don't really lend themselves particularly well to being reviewed as a whole, so perhaps some sampling will suffice. For the purposes of this review, one chapter from each category will be briefly discussed.

In chapter 4, A. Wilson Greene vividly describes his slippery drive to the criminally undervisited Camp Allegheny. An appreciation of the unique micro-climate that exists at the 4,400 ft. peak, the essay's entertaining description of Greene's travails in getting there interestingly mirrors the similarly dismayed reactions of Confederate soldiers forced to camp there. In addition to being an environmental oddity with unseasonable weather extremes, the remarkably pristine site offers visitors both breathtaking vistas and well-preserved camp and fortification remnants.

One of the many 'hidden in plain sight' places of Civil War significance in the country is discussed in Joan Waugh's Chapter 9, which recounts her familial and professional attachments to Los Angeles National Cemetery. In addition to tracing the site's Civil War connections, she explains her use of the cemetery and its monuments as open-air classroom. For the personal element to the piece, Waugh cites the incorporation her own family history into her lesson program following her discovery of an ancestor buried there. Her initial disappointment at his ordinariness was soon replaced by recognition that the war could not have been won without the collective efforts and sacrifices of 'common' soldiers like him.

Carol Reardon's Chapter 13 conveys a heartfelt appreciation of the Allegheny County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh, a place that helped guide her personal journey from uninterested youth to distinguished military historian. Like Waugh's chapter, Reardon's essay also exhibits a strong familial element, in her case an early lesson in the value of persistence in navigating the winding course and frequent frustrations associated with serious historical inquiry.

In the last example, Jacqueline Jones revisits the magnificent Green-Meldrim House in Savannah, which was the site of a historic visit between General Sherman, Secretary Stanton, and a delegation of black leaders. In addition to briefly discussing the results of that meeting along with some background history of the house and its more distinctive architectural features, Jones laments the limited nature and scope of the official "script" upon which guides at this place and many other southern historical sites base their tour information.

The volume concludes with commentary from photographer Will Gallagher about his experience with the project. In the section he also shares some thoughts regarding shot composition and favorite places he visited.

Readers who enjoyed Lens of War will like Civil War Places just as much. There's no mention that more volumes of this kind might be in the offing, but Gallagher and Gallman have certainly come up with a workable series concept. Hopefully, this particular book will also spark increased visitation at the many lesser-known Civil War sites examined within it.

_______________________________
* - In addition to the editors themselves, the large contributor list includes Edward L. Ayers, Stephen Berry, William A. Blair, David W. Blight, Peter S. Carmichael, Frances M. Clarke, Catherine Clinton, Stephen Cushman, Stephen D. Engle, Drew Gilpin Faust, Sarah E. Gardner, Judith Giesberg, Lesley J. Gordon, A. Wilson Greene, Caroline E. Janney, Jacqueline Jones, Ari Kelman, James Marten, Carol Reardon, Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Brenda E. Stevenson, Elizabeth R. Varon, and Joan Waugh.

Review of Hutchison - "ARTIFACTS OF THE BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN: Custer, the 7th Cavalry & the Lakota and Cheyenne Warriors"

[Artifacts of the Battle of Little Big Horn: Custer, the 7th Cavalry & the Lakota and Cheyenne Warriors by Will Hutchison (Schiffer, 2016). 9"x12" hardcover, 355 color images. 224 pp. ISBN:9780764351471. $49.95]

Artifacts of the Battle of Little Big Horn is an engrossing photographic study of personal items owned and used by battle participants from both sides. Some objects were present during the actual battle, and others are associated either with the earlier military lives of slain men or the later service of survivors. These artifacts and the stories behind their possession and use before, during, and after the famous 1876 campaign valuably inform our understanding of the material cultures of post-Civil War U.S. frontier cavalrymen, as well as their Lakota and Cheyenne opponents.

Accompanying the photographic images in the book are a trio of brief narratives from author Will Hutchison. The first is a general overview of the Little Big Horn campaign and battle. The other two introduce the book's remaining pair of chapters, which are separately devoted to the 7th Cavalry and Lakota-Cheyenne artifacts. Among other themes, the chapter introductions briefly discuss contrasting U.S. and Northern Plains Indian military cultures and the uniforms/clothing, weapons, and accoutrements typically used by the troopers and braves.

What becomes immediately apparent to the reader is the book's rather significant imbalance in artifact distribution. While it probably goes without saying that cavalry-related objects would have a higher likelihood of surviving the passage of time, other factors were involved in creating the wide disparity. According to Hutchison, while collectors of historical trooper and Indian items both could be quite guarded about access, tribal owners were especially reticent when it came to divulging information and were much less willing to grant permission to photograph artifacts from their heritage. Also, objects disputed under the nebulous umbrella of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, of which there are many, apparently cannot be photographed for publication until claims upon them are fully resolved. It should also be mentioned that 60% of the images in the book were photographed by Hutchison (who concentrated his own efforts on the major collections) in person, and the rest were obtained from other sources.

The artifact photographs, 355 by official count, are marvelously crisp, high-resolution color images. These are reproduced in the book on heavy, high-gloss paper in an oversize 9"x12" format, exposing all the fine details of each object. For the cavalry, we see photos of coats, uniforms, headgear, buttons, shirts, guns, ammunition, swords, knives, military accoutrements, flags, medals, and personal items of all kinds. For the Lakota and Cheyenne, we also find images of bows and arrows, headdresses, moccasins, tomahawks, war clubs, battle art, beaded clothing and objects, vests, shields, lances, and coup sticks. When applicable, a photograph (if one exists) and capsule biography of the item owner is included at the top left corner of the page.

The photo captions are informative. Varying in length between a few sentences and several long paragraphs, they generally describe the artifact's physical properties, history, provenance (including points of dispute), and current location. They also frequently contain interesting personal anecdotes related to the item.

A significant number of Little Big Horn books of assorted merit are published each year, but Hutchison's impressive photographic compendium of artifacts directly related to the men that fought in the battle possesses one-of-a-kind qualities that should greatly appeal to scholars and enthusiasts alike. Readers with a more general interest in the material culture of the Northern Plains Indian Wars should also find Artifacts of the Battle of Little Big Horn to be a more than worthwhile addition to their own collections.

Bockmiller: "WASHINGTON COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR"

[Washington County in the Civil War by Stephen R. Bockmiller (Arcadia Publishing, 2016). Softcover, photos, illustrations. 127 pp. ISBN:978-1-4671-3476-7. $21.99]

Washington County in the Civil War, authored by Stephen R. Bockmiller, is a new volume from Arcadia Publishing's popular Images of America series of local photographic histories. As is the long standing custom, narrative history does not accompany the photo collection, but rather the Washington County, Maryland story immediately before, during, and after the Civil War is told through a variety of images and their captions. Photographs of persons, buildings, and landscapes predominate, but there are also numerous reproductions of sketches, woodcuts, document images, archival maps, and the like.

In keeping with the consistent Images of America look and feel, Washington County in the Civil War is printed on heavy, high-gloss paper stock, the kind that makes for better image reproduction. It's apparent that a great deal of thought and effort went into Bockmiller's selection of images. They are sourced from both public and private collections (author and Antietam enthusiast Stephen Recker must have quite a personal archive). It would have been easy to fill the book with Antietam (by far the most famous Washington County wartime event) photographs and the CDVs of famous officers that fought at that battle and other places nearby. There is some of that, but the author largely went in a different direction. Of the entire body of photos and illustrations in the volume, there is a substantial percentage that will be unfamiliar even to those that regularly read about Civil War events that occurred in the county.

A pair of chapters bookend the Civil War coverage. The first of these covers persons and places prominent during the antebellum period and the second post-war commemoration in the county, including reunions, parades, and monument dedications. Large numbers of photographs are grouped by theme. Thus there are collections of images related to John Brown's Raid (to include sites, like the Kennedy Farm, and persons related to Harpers Ferry Raid preparations on the Maryland side), Antietam, the retreat from Gettysburg, and the ransoming of Hagerstown during the 1864 Confederate invasion. There is some geographical neglect. The town of Hancock and the rest of the far western sliver of the county does not get the attention that the middle and eastern sections receive. It also would have been helpful if author and publisher had been able to squeeze a county map into the volume so that readers of all backgrounds might readily locate the many sites mentioned.

Washington County in the Civil War should garner the local appeal that its series is designed to foster, but the book's selection of fresh images should also interest a wider audience of Civil War photography enthusiasts.

Brenneman, Boardman and Dowling: "THE GETTYSBURG CYCLORAMA: The Turning Point of the Civil War on Canvas"

[The Gettysburg Cyclorama: The Turning Point of the Civil War on Canvas by Chris Brenneman and Sue Boardman with photographer Bill Dowling (Savas Beatie, 2015). Hardcover, photos, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. 224 pp. ISBN:978-1-81121-264-8 $34.95]

The Gettysburg Cyclorama is arguably the most famous Civil War painting. If not viewed firsthand among the millions of visitors to the battlefield itself, it was probably introduced to many through the pages of the superbly illustrated Time-Life series of Civil War books. With text from Chris Brenneman and Sue Boardman and photographic images from Bill Dowling, the painting's details and history are presented in unprecedented depth, context and clarity in The Gettysburg Cyclorama: The Turning Point of the Civil War on Canvas.

The book begins with a brief overview of the cyclorama phenomenon, which was an evolutionary step from the moving panorama [long scrolled paintings that were unrolled in front of the stationary viewer] for making grand moments from history alive to the observer. Cycloramas were a European creation that peaked in popularity in the late 1800s, with American audiences flocking to depictions of the great battles of the Civil War.

The process of creating these art works is described in brief. Documentary research and interviews with participants were enhanced by meticulous landscape photography (in the case of the Gettysburg Cyclorama, the 1882 images of William Tipton). From this a 1:10 scale study was created which was then enlarged through grid projection (using images photographed on glass plates) on an approximately 50 x 400 foot canvas. A team of artists, each a specialist of landscapes, objects, faces, figures, etc., would then paint the final product. The massive painting, which could weigh 6 tons, was then hung in a specially designed building, the massive weight causing an inevitable sag in the middle giving the painting an elliptical shape much like a squat hourglass. To enhance the realism, tons of earth, battle debris, and vegetation were carted into the building and carefully arranged along the flooring below the painting. Many visitors, who were situated in a raised circular deck in the middle, remarked how they could not tell where the diorama ended and the painting began.

There were four Gettysburg cycloramas created by the team led by French artist Paul Philippoteaux. All depicted Pickett's Charge in a similar manner but with differences based on criticisms, updated information, or local flavor. The painting was not intended as a snapshot in time but rather an aggregations of key events that occurred during the famous assault. Each version is named after the city where first exhibited (Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York). The book details their history as well as their unique features. Only one, the Boston cyclorama, survived the ravages of time to be displayed in restored fashion in Gettysburg today.

The "tidbits" chapter of the book explores a number of interesting sidebars, among them the artist self-portraits incorporated into the painting, the controversial "European" straw stacks, and the interpretation of the Tipton photographs in the context of the changes that occurred on the ground during the nearly two decades following the battle. Another chapter documents changes (ex. extra flags, diminished smoke, addition of Meade and staff) made to the cyclorama after its Boston unveiling in 1884, most likely in response to feedback from veterans and others.

Deserving of special mention is the quality and quantity of illustration in the book. Every page is packed with period photographs, drawings, and illustrations as well as crisp and vibrantly colorful modern images of the cyclorama. Close-ups allow readers to see details uncovered by the 2008 restoration. Skillful juxtaposition of archival and modern images pinpoint changes in both the painting and the battlefield over time.

The rest of the book, perhaps two-thirds of its length, is devoted to the most comprehensive "key" yet created for the fully restored Gettysburg Cyclorama. The original 1880s key was copied onto a single sheet fold-out with the entire painting traced in a donut shape. 57 objects of interest were labelled and very briefly captioned in the center. These guides to the painting were sold for a nominal fee to visitors. The key created in the book is far more extensive. The entire painting is divided into ten panels called "views" (designated 0 through 9 in keeping with Tipton's original number system). A chapter in the book corresponds to each view, all beautifully rendered in large scale on facing pages using Dowling's photography. Tipton's original landscape research photograph is also paired with Dowling's closely aligned modern image for comparison. The key for each of the ten views labels by letter those individuals, military units, objects, and ground features deemed to be of special interest, up to twenty in number. Far from merely identifying singular features of note in the painting, the book offers several paragraphs of annotated historical context, description, and interpretation for each item. The Brenneman, Boardman and Dowling key runs nearly 150 pages and comprises an exhaustive and uniquely invaluable guide to the cyclorama for visitors and armchair readers alike.

Equally useful as both guidebook and serious history, this is clearly the most important work yet published on the Gettysburg Cyclorama. If any experience might serve as a worthy substitute to visiting the painting in person reading The Gettysburg Cyclorama would be it.

Gallman & Gallagher, eds.: "LENS OF WAR: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War"

[Lens of War: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War edited by J. Matthew Gallman and Gary W. Gallagher (University of Georgia Press, 2015). Hardcover, photos, notes, reading list, index. 258 pp. ISBN:978-0-8203-4810-0 $32.95]

Lens of War: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War is another fitting entry in Georgia's UnCivil Wars series, which has carved out a bit of a niche for itself publishing titles off the worn paths of Civil War publishing. The big idea is that contributing editors Matthew Gallman and Gary Gallagher would invite another 25 other historians to join them in selecting a photograph and writing an essay about it. The cliche that a picture is worth a thousand  (or more) words certainly applies here and it's clear that photographic images have long possessed the ability to inspire budding Civil War scholars in ways unavailable to young minds discovering for the first time earlier conflicts like the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

All contributors were offered complete creative freedom in writing their accompanying essays. This could have been a mess for the editors but it turned out well in this case. Format is elective, either formal or informal and with or without scholarly notes. Many chose to explicitly personalize their essays by writing in first person and nearly all fell back on their training and included chapter notes.

The convention for essay collections large in number is to divide them into sections and that's done here, with dutiful grouping into five parts (Leaders, Soldiers, Civilians, Victims, and Places). These categories suggest the full range of images and there's no need to go into specific examples here. The book's subtitle refers to "iconic photographs" but there are some fairly obscure ones in there, too, although one supposes that most readers that have been Civil War enthusiasts for a long period of time will have seen then all before at some point.

As one might expect given the amount of free reign involved, the essays vary widely in style and approach. The images are very often deconstructed in a detailed manner, either literally or along thematic lines. Some authors delve more deeply into historical background information than others and many use the power of the photograph to explore grander social, military, political, racial, class, and gender themes of interest to today's scholars. Some wander off into quite tangential territory. Most make an attempt to identify and profile the photographer. The degree of speculation involved also varies. Facial expressions and their underlying meaning are frequently interpreted with (undue?) confidence because it's probably more fun that way but others more cautiously assess the human gazes reflected in the images.

Not in the book, but a reviewer favorite.

Many of the writers note the staging (often quite elaborate) inherent in their particular selections. Viewing the iconic photographs in the book in this light, one appreciates even more the few successful spontaneous "action" photos of the war like the unique scene (at right) of a heavy column of Confederate soldiers tramping through a Frederick, Maryland street during the Maryland Campaign in September 1862.

It's difficult to imagine a Civil War enthusiast of today who lacks a deep curiosity in the photographic legacy of the conflict and Lens of War is highly worthy of recommendation to history students of all levels. The editors do mention that their book isn't intended to be read mechanically from cover to cover. Reviewers unfortunately don't really have that luxury but this one would agree with the editors that the volume is probably best experienced in short bites during casual revisits. Upon finishing this photographic study, the question surely arises in the mind of every reader as to which particular image he or she would choose if fortunate enough to have been asked to participate in the project^*.



* - Readers, feel free to offer your own choice in the comments section. Mine (which, by the way, found its way into the book as T. Michael Parrish's selection) is the disturbing photograph (below) of Confederate dead from the Battle of Corinth, arguably the most evocative image of the scale of death involved in Civil War battles and the physical indignities suffered by the corpses of those killed in action.  Curiously, Parrish points to Colonel William P. Rogers (at far left in the picture) as one of only two positively identified bodies of the slain in all of Civil War photography, the other being Confederate cavalry general Turner Ashby. There's also a well known grisly death photo of Missouri guerrilla William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson but perhaps Parrish does not consider him a "soldier" in the strictest sense.



More CWBA reviews of UGP titles:
* Ruin Nation: Destruction and the American Civil War
* Crossroads of Conflict: A Guide to Civil War Sites in Georgia
* The Autobiography of Henry Merrell: Industrial Missionary to the South

Lynn: "KIT CARSON AND THE FIRST BATTLE OF ADOBE WALLS: A Tale of Two Journeys"

Of the two battles, 1874's Second Adobe Walls is the more famous event, but the November 25, 1864 Battle of Adobe Walls has enough drama and consequence to make it deserving of more recognition. There's an obvious Civil War connection worthy of investigation, but it was also one of the continent's largest Indian Wars engagements.

Alvin R. Lynn's Kit Carson and the First Battle of Adobe Walls: A Tale of Two Journeys (2014) is a non-traditional treatment of the subject. The research is adequate enough to construct a reasonably good overview of the campaign's background, approach march, battle, and aftermath, but, as the subtitle indicates, the narrative is really a combination of history and personal travelogue. The author spent well over a decade of dusty field work attempting to accurately trace the path of Carson's command from Fort Bascom in New Mexico to Adobe Walls in the Texas Panhandle, so his own "journey" is integrated into Carson's.

Kit Carson's historical campaign was undertaken in response to 1864's bloody upswing in western trail raiding. The battle, fought between a few hundred New Mexico and California volunteers (with Ute and Jicarilla Apache scouts) and 1,300 or more Kiowa and Commanche warriors led by Dohäsan, was indecisive, with a pair of howitzers instrumental in keeping the aggressive Indian forces from the type of close range combat that might have overwhelmed Carson's command. Both sides claimed victory in the 29 day campaign. While Carson retreated from the field, Lynn views the complete destruction of the Kiowa village and heavier than previously believed Indian casualties as reasonable factors to justify U.S. claims. This part of the book is less than 90 heavily illustrated pages, the rest (more than half the total) is devoted to Lynn's archaeological discoveries, complete with methodological discussion, artifact tables, relic distribution maps, and photographic register of each unearthed item.

The author's maps of the Carson march route and the battlefield itself are disappointingly spare, lacking both period detail and modern reference points. The B&W as well as selected color photographs, on the other hand, are wonderful visual records of campaign related sites and vistas, many of which are probably little changed today. Unlike a recent study of the 1862-65 U.S.-Sioux war that began in Minnesota, Lynn is less interested in developing a Civil War context for Adobe Walls. Overall, the book leaves ample room for a better campaign and battle history of First Adobe Walls but those interested in the growing field of military archaeology will relish Lynn's thoroughly documented labor of love in that regard.

Field: "LINCOLN'S 90-DAY VOLUNTEERS 1861: From Fort Sumter to First Bull Run"

[Lincoln's 90-Day Volunteers 1861: From Fort Sumter to First Bull Run by Ron Field (Osprey Publishing, 2013). Softcover, photos, color plates, bibliography, index. 48 pp. ISBN:978-1-78096-918-3 $17.95]

Ron Field's Lincoln's 90-Day Volunteers 1861 is Volume 489 of Osprey's Man-At-Arms series. Slim at 48 total pages, the book is tightly focused on the uniforms, hat wear, and accoutrements associated with the soldiers of these short term regiments. Service history is limited to a brief introduction, an event timeline, and snippets here and there.

The study is divided into sections by state [New York – Massachusetts – Pennsylvania – Ohio – Rhode Island – Connecticut – Vermont – New Hampshire – Maine – Delaware – New Jersey – Wisconsin – Iowa – Minnesota – Illinois – Indiana – Michigan] and the District of Columbia. Unit designations are covered, as well as detailed descriptions of the type, color, and appearance of hats, uniforms, and assorted paraphernalia of war. These come from a variety of sources, the more common ones being newspaper articles, soldier letters, and official state documents. Procurement is also within the book's limited purview. Producing companies and the location(s) of their factories are named and shamefully widespread issues of contractor fraud and "shoddy" item quality addressed. Many of these first-issue uniforms and footwear fell apart within days of active use.

As with all Osprey titles, illustrations are a prime focus and strength. Numerous rarely seen photographs of 90-Day soldiers accompany the text, with detailed captions. Eight color plates offer fine visual representations of the study's meticulously described outfits. Additional commentaries on the appearances of the 27 fully uniformed figures represented in these plates are located at the back of the book.

The audience range for Field's Lincoln's 90-Day Volunteers 1861 is fairly specialized -- from artists, wargamers, and figurine painters to authors and researchers of the early war period seeking a comprehensive catalog of the appearances of these soldiers -- but all should find the volume quite useful to own.

Severance: "PORTRAITS OF CONFLICT: A Photographic History of Alabama in the Civil War"

[Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Alabama in the Civil War by Ben H. Severance (University of Arkansas Press, 2012). Cloth, map, photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index.  400 pp. ISBN:9781557289896 $65]

Ben Severance's Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Alabama in the Civil War is Volume 10 of University of Arkansas Press's award winning series.  After 25 years, the project is still going strong, unwavering in its commitment to quality. In this collection are nearly 240 CDV-style soldier and civilian portraits. The rest comprise photographs of flags, public gatherings, and buildings.

The book is organized by theme, each beginning with a rather extensive narrative introduction. As with the other books in the series, the first chapter covers basic terminology and a brief overview of what is known about the who and where of Alabama photographers. Other chapters summarize, by theater and/or army in roughly chronological order, the prominent campaign and battle contributions of various Alabama units.  The antebellum period, the Civil War home front, and Reconstruction subject matters are also explored in dedicated sections, as is the important blockade running port of Mobile [the last not surprising given that the originator of this project was the late Art Bergeron].

Each oversized page has a photograph and a sourced caption, the latter of varying size, with many quite substantial in length. The limitations of the format in providing a fully representative cross section of Alabama citizenry and soldiers are obvious. In addition to the image itself, enough source material must exist to provide a compelling portrait of the individual, meaning that officers will be overrepresented, as well as middle and upper class civilians. Nevertheless, a large number, maybe even the majority, of featured individuals are rather lesser known persons.

Image and caption, in combination with the chapter introductions mentioned above, do comprise something of a rounded history.  The narrative offers a big picture view of Alabama's Civil War while the text accompanying each photograph offers a great range of more personalized perspectives from both sides. In addition to highlighting Unionist and Confederate Alabamiams, prominent U.S. military leaders from other states, but with deep involvement in the war inside Alabama's borders (General Lovell Rousseau and Admiral David Farragut, for example), are also present.  Black legislators from the Reconstruction period are included, too.

Quality construction materials were used, from cloth binding to the heavy, glossy paper stock expected from the better photographic studies. While weight and size dimensions can be a bit unwieldy for the reader, they do allow details to appear in sufficient size for close study.  As one might expect, image quality is all over the map, with some source photographs remarkably clear while others are faded copies of copies or badly deteriorated from abuse, wear, or poor storage. In the main, it is truly an impressive collection and certainly unique in scale.

Over the years, the series editors have done a fine job of maintaining a consistent quality, wedded to their established format, and Severance's contribution certainly fits well within the tradition. Students of Civil War photography will appreciate this book, as will those with a more specialized interest in Alabama's people and their war.


More CWBA reviews of UAP titles:
* Worthy of the Cause for Which They Fight: The Civil War Diary of Brigadier General Daniel Harris Reynolds, 1861-1865
* The Die Is Cast: Arkansas Goes to War, 1861 (Butler Center)
* Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Missouri in the Civil War
* Army Life: From a Soldier’s Journal
* The Fate of Texas: The Civil War and the Lone Star State
* A Rough Introduction to this Sunny Land (Butler Center)
* Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865
* A Thrilling Narrative
* Confederate Guerrilla
* Guerrillas, Unionists, and Violence on the Confederate Home Front
* Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Tennessee in the Civil War
* Civil War Arkansas: Beyond Battles and Leaders
* "I Acted From Principle": The Civil War Diary Of Dr. William M. McPheeters, Confederate Surgeon In The Trans-Mississippi
* Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand

Piston & Sweeney: "Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Missouri in the Civil War"

[ Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Missouri in the Civil War by William Garrett Piston and Thomas P. Sweeney (University of Arkansas Press, 2009). 8.5 x 11 cloth, 243 photos, index. 360 pages. ISBN: 978-1-55728-913-1 $65 ]

Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Missouri in the Civil War is the ninth volume of University of Arkansas Press's long running Portraits of Conflict series. It shares the format and comprehensive coverage of previous entries, several of which have garnered awards. Co-authors William Garrett Piston and Thomas Sweeney are well suited to the task of compiling images of the Civil War in Missouri. Piston, a Missouri State University history professor, has published many books and articles dealing with the war in the Trans-Mississippi, and retired radiologist Sweeney was once the proprietor of one of the finest private regional artifact collections in existence.

Consistent with the other series volumes, Piston and Sweeney begin the Missouri entry with a short summary of the careers of various photographers that did business in the state. The antebellum period, the decisive first year that secured the state for the Union, Confederate offensives and raids, the guerrilla war, the importance of Missouri industry to the navy, hospitals and medical care, the service of Missourians outside the state, and the legacy of the war are subjects covered in eight additional chapters. Each section is accompanied by a lengthy narrative introduction, that taken together form a reasonably comprehensive summary of Missouri's Civil War.

A great strength of this book is its avoidance of the trap of (over)emphasizing the irregular war in the state. Photographs of regulars, guerrillas, and militia members from both sides are abundant. Guerrilla warfare was certainly a key component of the conflict in Missouri, but its constant overshadowing (in both the popular and scholarly literature) of the great number of regular actions and campaigns fought within the state's borders remains the bane of those students wishing to know more about them.

As one might guess from the title, the overwhelming majority of photographs are of individuals -- soldiers, sailors, civilians, physicians, politicians, ex-slaves, and veterans. Familiar images are mixed in with those never before published, and one of the volume's great appeals is just how fresh the image compilation is, even for those readers well steeped in the Missouri literature. A caption accompanies each photograph. Usually of a dual nature, these provide a short biography or background sketch before describing a specific event of importance the subject was directly involved in.

Material quality and overall presentation are excellent. Naturally, the clarity of the image reproduction varies with the state of the original, but the quality, high gloss paper used by the publisher enhances the visual and tactile experiences of the reader. The Missouri volume is an excellent addition to the Portraits of Conflict series, and well worth the effort of libraries, researchers, and period photography enthusiasts to obtain.


Other CWBA reviews of U. of Ark. Press titles:
* Army Life: From a Soldier’s Journal
* The Fate of Texas: The Civil War and the Lone Star State
* A Rough Introduction to this Sunny Land (Butler Center)
* Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865
* A Thrilling Narrative
* Confederate Guerrilla
* Guerrillas, Unionists, and Violence on the Confederate Home Front
* Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Tennessee in the Civil War
* Civil War Arkansas: Beyond Battles and Leaders
* "I Acted From Principle": The Civil War Diary Of Dr. William M. McPheeters, Confederate Surgeon In The Trans-Mississippi
* Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand

Coddington: "Faces of the Confederacy: An Album of Southern Soldiers and Their Stories"

[Faces of the Confederacy: An Album of Southern Soldiers and Their Stories by Ronald S. Coddington (Johns Hopkins University Press^*, 2009) Cloth, photos, notes, bibliography, index. Pages main/total: 257/311. ISBN: 978-0801890192 $29.95]

Author and collector, Ronald S. Coddington's Faces of the Confederacy: An Album of Southern Soldiers and Their Stories is a lavishly produced visual record of southern Civil War soldiers. Seventy-seven cartes de visite images were selected, using several criteria [e.g. the individual must be below the rank of colonel and the image must be in good condition and aesthetically pleasing]. Persons of various ages and from all levels of society were chosen, and many, if not most, are published here for the first time.

Accompanying each photograph is a brief (approximately 1-2 page) life story of the subject, as much a character snapshot as an accounting of military valor. Stylistically casual, these biographical sketches are nevertheless abundantly documented, with over 530 endnotes in total. Image captions note the final rank the subject attained, as well as provenance information. A full bibliography and index is also included.

The overall presentation of this volume is first-rate. The full-page CDV images are crisp reproductions, and the full cloth binding and heavy, glossy paper make for a distinctly attractive and weighty volume. The book has the heft of a much larger tome. Faces of the Confederacy will appeal to serious photography enthusiasts and collectors, as well as those readers captivated by the personal stories of Civil War soldiers.

* - Back in 2004, JHUP published Coddington's companion volume, Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soldiers and Their Stories.

Ahlstrom: "Texas Civil War Artifacts: A Photographic Guide to the Physical Culture of Texas Civil War Soldiers"

[Texas Civil War Artifacts: A Photographic Guide to the Physical Culture of Texas Civil War Soldiers by Richard Mather Ahlstrom (Univ. of N. Texas Press, 2008). Hardcover, photos, notes, appendix, bibliography, index. 555 pp. ISBN: 978-1574412512 $60]

Texas Civil War Artifacts is a comprehensive and detailed visual guide to the clothing and equipment that the state of Texas produced for its Civil War fighting men. Author Richard M. Alhstrom devoted eight years to the research, compilation, and photographic presentation of these materials. The effort shows, and the range of material items is exhaustive. Chapters are devoted to insignia, belt buckles and plates, horse equipment, pistols, shoulder arms, swords, knives, buttons, leather accouterments, canteens, uniforms, and headgear.

Each chapter begins with a brief (1-3 page) annotated introduction. Each artifact or artifact group is presented by two pages, the right face is a full page photograph, while the left documents the artifact. The documentation, also annotated, provides information on the item's provenance, type, dimensions, and construction, as well as additional remarks.

Noting the rarity of photographs of uniformed Texas soldiers, Ahlstrom provides a chapter length image gallery, with enlarged photograph on the right and caption on the left. The captions note the name of the subject, plus commentary on his clothing and equipment. An appendix comprises a Texas regimental order of battle, arranged by state, and sub-categorized by campaign. A bibliography and index round out the volume.

The book is well constructed with quality materials. Spine and boards are cloth-covered, and, as with the better photographic studies, a heavy gloss paper was used throughout. Durability, an important concern for an exceptionally heavy reference book of this type, will likely not be an issue for this robust, thread-bound book.

Texas Civil War Artifacts will be valued by a wide range of readers, from historians, researchers, and museum curators to collectors, auctioneers, antique dealers, and photography enthusiasts. 2008 was a bit of a banner year for the publication of useful reference works, and this one was a worthy addition.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Other CWBA reviews of University of North Texas Press titles:

* Spartan Band: Burnett’s 13th Texas Cavalry in the Civil War

McCaslin: "Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Tennessee in the Civil War"

[Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Tennessee in the Civil War by Richard B. McCaslin (University of Arkansas Press, 2007) Cloth, 250 photos, notes, appendix, bibliography, index. Pp. 430 ISBN: 978-1-55728-831-8 $59.95]
----------------I must admit to being entirely new to the Portraits of Conflict series. Always curious, I'd never had to opportunity to hold one in my hands until now. Previous volumes include those for the states of Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina. This new Tennessee addition to the series is the first in nine years.

The study begins with a short summary of the careers of various photographers that did business in the state. With chapters covering secession and Reconstruction bookending those centering on the main Tennessee campaigns and battles, the book's focus is not entirely military. Each chapter includes an introduction by McCaslin and the heading additionally provides a thematic focus for the photographs and captions that follow. It is a structure that works quite well.

The images selected for inclusion in the study range from the very familiar to the never before published. The 200-300 word (or more) caption attached to each photograph begins with a placement of the image in the context of the particular chapter where it resides. This is followed by a brief history or biography of the subject. In keeping with the largely military theme of the chapters, the majority of photographic subjects are carte de visite-type images of soldiers. No landscapes can be recalled, but images of women, politicians, and gunboats were also included.

Note should be made of the exceptional material quality and aesthetic presentation of this volume. Upon lifting it, one immediately notices the book's weight relative to other publications of similar dimension. Pages are made from high grade, high gloss paper and the fine cloth binding is sturdy. The original photographs vary in condition (some of the selections are badly deteriorated), but the reproductions of the best preserved images are exceptional in clarity. If this Tennessee volume is indicative of the quality of the series as a whole, these studies should be considered essential additions to institutional libraries and the bookshelves of Civil War photography enthusiasts.