20 Stunning Photos from the Civil War
We love the rare, candid photos that captured the daily life of the soldiers and leaders of the Civil War. Here are 20 of our favorite photos, both rare in that they are rarely seen and unique in their quality and detail.
There are many great photos of General Grant from the War, but this may be our favorite. Here we see the General on the left, cigar in his mouth, with some of his officers on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee after defeating the Confederates in a battle in November, 1863.
This startling photo shows the 2nd Maine Infantry conducting exercises outside of their camps. If you look closely, you'll see the men in perfect formation, with bayonets armed. Hit "Next Photo" to see the rest of the collection...
Most of us grew up picturing the Gettysburg Address being given at a big, formal event with a stage and a bunch of pomp and circumstance. Quite the opposite is the case, as we see in this photo that captures the moment Lincoln began giving his short speech. He is right in the center toward the top, on the ground, facing the troops, without his hat. What an amazing photo!
Most all camps had a few resident "mascots" as you see here. Oftentimes, these dogs would be there as a result of simply following their owners after they enlisted.
Enlisted men had a LOT of downtime; as such, they often filled the time with improvised board or card games.
Given that much of the infrastructure of the battle areas hadn't yet been built (or had been damaged intentionally by one of the two sides), regiments had to often build their own transport vessels, as seen here as the artillery unit transports two heavy canons away from the fort.
Surprisingly, most camps had a working Post Office tent after they had established their grounds.
There was a fierce battle in Atlanta, Georgia in September 1864 and the Union clearly won. CSA General Hood had a 28-car ammunition train ready in waiting, but rather than let it fall in to the hands of the other side, they burned it wholesale, which caused a massive explosion that left the tracks mangled. George Bernard captured this photo shortly after the Confederates fled.
This photo of three Confederate soldiers captured at Gettysburg has become one of the more iconic images of the war, as it shows that many of the Confederates aimed to maintain their pride and individuality, even as prisoners. Photo by Shelby Foote.
Charleston, South Carolina was the birthplace of secession, and this powerful photo shows four black children wearing Union hats in the ruins of the Circular Church on Meeting Street.
This remarkable photo of General Grant and his staff was taken by Timothy O'Sullivan at Massaponax Church, Virginia on May 21, 1864. This was a time of pause during the war when many of the high-ranking officers came together to discuss strategy.
We love photos of Lincoln visiting various camps. Here we see the super-tall President standing with General McClellan and his staff on the Antietam battlefield in October, 1862. McClellan wouldn't last very long, however - Lincoln dismissed him a few months later.
One of the biggest problems regiments encountered during the war was simply staying fed and healthy. The Quartermasters had to build their own kitchens and serving areas. Here we see an example of a log cabin kitchen that was built from timber surrounding the camp.
Despite the popularity of the movie Glory, many are still shocked to learn that around 180,000 black soldiers fought for the Union Army during the war. Here we see some men from Company E, 4th U.S. Colored Infantry at Fort Lincoln just outside of Washington, DC.
Some of our favorite photos from the war are the ones that show entire camps preparing for battle. Here we see the outer edge of Union lines as they prepare for the Battle of Nashville, which took place December 15-16 1864.
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