One hundred and fifty years ago the Civil War was raging, and men from all over Connecticut were signing up to go and fight in the South. Most of these men had their pictures taken by a local photographer; others sent pictures of themselves home from the war front to their loved ones. In most of these portraits, the men pose self-consciously, sometimes in formal postures recalling portrait paintings. In others, they lounge casually, uniforms unbuttoned, surprisingly at ease. Some of them returned to Connecticut to resume their normal lives; others were not so lucky.
John F. Edgecomb of North Stonington served as a private in the Eighth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, mustering in on October 10, 1861. He must have become disabled, for he was transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps on January 25, 1864, before finally being discharged on September 21, 1864.
John Mullen of New Haven served as adjutant for the Twelfth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry from November 20, 1861 until April 11, 1865, when he was promoted to Captain. He mustered out in August 1865.
Henry Clay Parker was from Essex. He enlisted as a private in the Seventh Connecticut Volunteer Infantry on September 5, 1861. He re-enlisted on December 22, 1863, and was promoted to corporal. He was killed at the Battle of Drury’s Bluff in May 1864.
George A. Bowers lived in Hartford. He enlisted on August 5, 1862 and became a sergeant in the Sixteenth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was later promoted to first lieutenant. On April 20 1864, he was captured at the battle of Plymouth, North Carolina, when the entire Union force surrendered following an intense three-day siege. He was paroled on February 28, 1865 and mustered out four months later.
Nathan L. Bishop of Sprague enlisted on August 13, 1862 and mustered in as a private in the Twenty-first Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. On November 4, 1864, he was appointed adjutant of the First United States Colored Infantry.
These photographs are part of a large collection of portraits of Civil War soldiers that was recently donated to The Connecticut Historical Society by Clifford Alderman. :Look for them online at http://emuseum.chs.org:8080/emuseum/.
