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Lincoln Civil War album, circa 1861-1864
Wyles Mss 180LOCAL
Collection Overview

Title:

Lincoln Civil War album, circa 1861-1864

Creator/Contributor:

Online Archive of California

Abstract:

(derived from dealer's description) Civil War photographic album, "Soldier Are You Hungry"; cartes de visite of Northern generals including a Gardner inauguration cdv of Abraham Lincoln and a Brady cdv of General George McClellan. Album presented by a Captain James B. Thomas to a "Master Edward Weyl" for "his kindness to the Soldiers", dated July 15, 1864. Master Weyl's name and "Soldier Are You Hungry" are stamped in gilt on the cover. The volume radiates a direct connection with the Civil War and an unknown but intriguing connection. Obviously a cherished keepsake, it is a direct and personal l ink that we can only guess at recreating. Capt. Jas B Thomas inscribes the volume "Presented to Geo. E. Weyl by his Friend Captain Jas. B. Thomas For his kindness to the Soldiers. July 15/64". He is possibly James B. Thomas of the 107th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry, which spent much of their time in Pennsylvania, Washington DC & Virginia. The recipient may be George E.
Weyl, who would then have been a 13 year old boy whose mother Eleanor & several siblings were born in Pennsylvania. He is listed as a 9 year old in the 1860 US Census living in Baltimore. Union soldiers suffered from hunger and illness due to unsanitary cooking conditions; for soldiers in the field, the diet was rudimentary at best and was transported by the individual soldier in makeshift bags. Possibly George Weyl provided food to the troops under Captain Thomas' command. Perhaps there is a Pennsylvania connection between the families, as this is not a casual gift. The carte de visite portraits consist of generals and American notables, including an inaugural portrait of Abraham Lincoln taken for the March 4, 1861 event by Alexander Gardner (1821 - 1882), a colleague of Mathew Brady, and a Brady portrait of General George McClellan. There are 31 entries on the index page, but a total of 35 photographs. The majority of the photos are of Northern generals, including: General P.
Kearny, Mansfield, Sumner, Reno, Reynolds, Bayard, McClellan, Burnsides, Joe. (sic) Hooker, Meade, French, Butler, Sedgwick, Banks, Rosecrans, Heintsleman, Mitchell, Richardson, Sickles, Howard, Killpatrick, Pope, Daniel Webster, General Hancock, (Stoneman and Couch cartes are listed, but lacking), Duryea, Jas. B Thomas (the presenter of the album), and General Thumb & Wife. The four un-indexed photos are three portraits of gentlemen in civilian clothing and a chart of US presidents. All of the cartes de visite are seated or standing portraits, with the exception of George Washington and General P. Kearney which are from paintings; and Reno, Reynolds, Pope, Webster and Jas. B. Thomas, which are head and shoulder portraits.

Date:

1861 (issued)

Note:

The collection is open for research.
Use governed by UCSB Special Collections policy.
Cite as: [Identification of item], Lincoln Civil War album, Wyles Mss 180. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Physical Description:

0.2 linear feet

Language:

English

Identifier:

Origin:

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Copyright Note:

The collection is open for research.
Use governed by UCSB Special Collections policy.