Outdoor albumen group portrait of Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant and Staff. [Cold Harbor, Virginia: Alexander Garnder, 1864]. Visible 6 x 5 in., framed to 11 5/16 x 10 5/16 in. 

Large and impressive photograph of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and his staff, taken just after the Battle of the Wilderness near his command headquarters at Cold Harbor, Virginia, by Alexander Gardner. Twelve men are pictured beside Grant, who appears in front of the group with a rolled-up map in his hand. Notables in the picture include Gen. George Meade, Gen. John Sedgwick (who would be killed shortly after this picture was taken), and Grant allies Lt. Col. Ely Parker and Col. John Rawlins.

Significantly, African American men are visible in the background of the image. As the war progressed, Grant became known for being very supportive of African American troops.

The Battle of the Wilderness was a costly and horrific fight that became a turning point in the Civil War. It was the first time Grant met Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in battle and, despite Grant's absorbing much higher casualties than his adversary, the battle signaled a new approach for the Union army: aggressively attacking to exhaust the Confederacy's resources. Ultimately, Grant's strategy was successful. The image itself is in outstanding condition and housed in a tasteful frame. 

[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]