[Mathew Brady, photographer]. [Brady's Incidents of the War. (Fort Richardson Va.) Camp 1st Conn Artilery, Col. R.O. Tyler. Oversized albumen, unmounted. [Fort Richardson, Virginia: Mathew Brady, photographed late 1861.] 13 3/4 x 9 1/4 in. 

An iconic image of the soldiers of the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery manning the guns at Fort Richardson, one of the key defensive garrisons protecting Washington, D.C.  The photographer captures six 4.5-inch siege rifles, which were assigned to the regiment, only a part of the Fort's artillery arsenal. The artillerymen are actively loading the massive guns while their comrades stand ready with sponges, worms, handspikes, and other equipment necessary for smooth operation.  

The 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery was raised at the beginning of 1862 out of the 4th Connecticut Infantry and immediately manned the cannons at Fort Richardson. In the spring and summer, they saw heavy action at the Siege of Yorktown and several actions during the Seven Days before Richmond. They returned to Fort Richardson. Later in the war, Companies B & M would be dispatched to some of the heaviest fighting, participating in the Battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. 

Another copy of the view, with a printed mount supplying the series and view title and the 1861 Brady copyright statement, is held at the Library of Congress (LOT 13412, no. 12 [P&P]). 

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards]

Wrinkling, some creases, adhesive residue to verso, minor chipping to edges.