Collection of 2 studio portrait albumen CDVs. Boston, MA: Joseph Ward, 125 Washington Street, [circa 1862]; and Washington, D.C.: R. W. Addis, McClees Gallery, 308 Penna. Avenue, [circa 1865]. Photographer imprints to mount versos. Later research pencil identifications to mount versos read, in part: "Charles Henry Tompkins / 1st Lieut, 2nd U.S. Cavalry / Col. 1st Vermont Cavalry / Capt., Chief QM 1st Veteran AC / Bvt. Brig. Gen. Mar. 13 1865 / Retired in 1894 as Col., AQM / Medal of Honor / at Fairfax, Va., June 1, 1861..." and "Charles H. Tompkins / Col., 1st VT Cav / Bvt. Brig. Gen. / CMOH / Military Comm. that / tried Lincoln Conspirators."

This premier two-piece archive captures the remarkable trajectory of Brevet Brigadier General Charles Henry Tompkins, a central figure in both the earliest and closing chapters of the Civil War.

The first image is a powerful seated study produced by the Boston studio of Joseph Ward. Tompkins is shown as a young, rugged officer holding his forage cap, which clearly displays the crossed-sabers cavalry insignia. The reverse of the mount is a visual biography, meticulously detailing his rapid ascent through the ranks and the specific extraordinary heroism that earned him the nation's highest military decoration.

The second image is a distinguished full-length portrait taken by R. W. Addis at the McClees Gallery in Washington, D.C. Here, Tompkins is posed in a formal double-breasted officer's frock coat, casually resting his right hand on a walking stick and holding his cap in his left, presenting the seasoned look of a veteran commander. The pencil notations on the verso highlight an extraordinary service record that spans the entirety of the conflict.

Charles H. Tompkins holds a singular place in American military history as the first officer of the Union Army to be cited for an action that resulted in the Medal of Honor. On June 1, 1861, while still a Lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, Tompkins led a daring reconnaissance into Fairfax Court House, Virginia. As detailed on the mount verso, he twice charged through the enemy lines and, after taking a carbine from an enlisted man, personally shot the enemy captain. This early-war feat of bravery set the standard for the volunteer cavalry forces that would follow in his wake.

Tompkins' wartime record was one of constant activity. After his legendary service at Fairfax, he took command of the 1st Vermont Cavalry and later served as the Chief Quartermaster of the 6th Corps. However, the pencil notation reveals his highly significant post-war role: Tompkins was appointed to the Military Commission that tried the conspirators involved in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in the summer of 1865. The Washington D.C. portrait likely dates to that highly public and tense period in the nation's capital.

This archive had a prominent place in Rick's collection and would be a top-shelf addition to any advanced early photography archive. Tompkins was a premier subject for Rick because he understood the profound gravity of an officer connected to both the very first Union Medal of Honor action and the trial of Lincoln's assassins - a remarkable record. 

[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, Stereographs] [Civil War, Union, Confederate] 

Both images are in generally excellent condition. The Ward portrait features deep tonal contrast and exceptional clarity, with minimal age-related foxing.