Year: 2021

  • George A Hitchcock c. 1868

    This is photograph of George A Hitchcock, late Private, 21st Massachusetts Infantry, Antietam veteran and Andersonville survivor. Probably taken about 1868, it was contributed to the Family Search genealogical database by Julie Munsterman [free membership required for access].

    Here he is in an earlier photograph probably taken at his initial enlistment in August 1861, on the cover of the 2014 publication of his wartime diary:

  • A Summer Dream (1890)

    This painting by Antietam veteran James Madison Stone, late Corporal, 21st Massachusetts, was exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

    In 2010 it was sold at auction by Skinner for $4148. It’s asking price in 1893 was $800.

    Here’s Stone on the frontpiece of his memoir, which is online from the Internet Archives.

  • Lt John Kelt, 21st Mass Infantry

    Sergeant John Kelt was wounded at Antietam in September 1862 and commissioned a Lieutenant later that year, but was court-martialled and dismissed from the service in mid-1863. He was one of at least two officers of the 21st Massachusetts Infantry cashiered that year (Lt Gibson, the other).

    This picture of him is from page 5356, of Volume 104 in the MOLLUS-Massachusetts photograph collection, now at the US Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle Barracks, PA.

    Here are notes about his August 1863 General Court Martial, from his Compiled Military Service Records, US National Archives, via fold3:

  • Thomas Farrell, POW records

    The Memorandum from Prisoner of War Records form was used by US War Department clerks to compile information from various records relating to a soldier’s time as a prisoner during the Civil War.

    This one is for Private Thomas Farrell of the 21st Massachusetts Infantry. It’s stored among other papers in his Compiled Military Service Records jacket at the US National Archives; they’re online from fold3.

    Thomas was wounded at Antietam in September 1862 and was captured at Spotsylvania Court House, VA in May 1864, afterward a prisoner at the infamous Camp Sumter at Andersonville, GA.

    He left the camp by exchange on 14 November 1864, having spent his last two weeks there in the prison hospital – more often the place soldiers were sent to die. Here are the cover and his page from a logbook of Andersonville departures, online from FamilySearch [free membership required].

  • Lt Jonas R Davis

    This young officer is Jonas R. Davis, First Lieutenant, Company B, 21st Massachusetts Infantry in a photograph probably taken in early 1864. He was Company A’s 3rd Sergeant when he was wounded at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

    An interesting side note: Davis was mustered as First Lieutenant of the 21st Massachusetts in February 1864 by Captain H.R. Rathbone, 12th United States Infantry. On 14 April 1865 Major Rathbone and his fiancé were with the President and First Lady in the President’s box at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC.

    Here’s Jonas’ wife Clara. They wed in Templeton, MA in January 1866 and had two daughters together. These photographs were kindly contributed to their respective Findagrave memorials by Barbara Worthley.