Vignette bust portrait of Major General Edward Ord in uniform. Albumen CDV. New York: E. & H.T. Anthony, [circa 1862-1865]. Anthony's publisher's imprint to mount verso. SIGNED "Genl. E.O.C. Ord" to image lower margin.

A highly desirable portrait of Major General Edward Otho Cresap Ord (1818-1883). The vignette bust view captures the battle-tested commander in full military uniform, gazing purposefully off-camera. Enhanced by Ord's bold signature. Autographed wartime cartes of high-ranking Union commanders are a highly coveted cornerstone of advanced Civil War portrait collections.

An 1839 graduate of West Point, Edward O.C. Ord was a consummate professional soldier whose multi-theater combat record ranks among the most distinguished of the war. After performing vital early-war service in the Pennsylvania Reserves Division, Ord was promoted to Major General and transferred west. He was severely wounded while leading troops at the Battle of Hatchie's Bridge in 1862, but returned to command the 13th Army Corps during the climactic siege and surrender of Vicksburg. Ord reached the zenith of his military career during the final, exhausting operations in Virginia, where Grant placed him at the head of the Army of the James. During the 1865 Appomattox Campaign, Ord’s troops performed a legendary forced march to cut off the Army of Northern Virginia's final line of retreat, positioning his force squarely in Robert E. Lee's front and directly forcing the historic surrender on April 9.

While the American public's thirst for photographs of Civil War "celebrities" led to a general abundance surviving examples, those actually handled and signed are very scarce. The crispness of Ord's distinct signature on the face of the mount makes it an ideal centerpiece for exhibition. 

The vignette portrait exhibits a soft, even sepia tonality with excellent clarity. Ord's signature is bold and entirely legible.