This 5-piece collection of CDVs features a high-command and staff officer archive from the premier elite unit of the early-war period, the 7th New York State Militia (NYSM). Highlighting the celebrated commander Colonel Marshall Lefferts alongside key members of his staff, this lot offers premium Brady pedigrees and scarce variant sittings from the unit's historic 1861 mobilization. The lot includes:

1. Colonel Marshall Lefferts (Seated Armed Study): Three-quarter length seated portrait albumen CDV. [ca. April 1861]. A magnificent, crisp study of Lefferts seated in an upholstered studio chair, attired in his officer's uniform coat with shoulder straps. He rests his right hand on the hilt of his foot officer's sword, which is held vertically before him. The lower front margin carries a clean period ink identification reading "Col. M Lefferts." The reverse carries a faint early pencil inscription reading "Marshall Leffert[s] / 7th NY State / Militia."

2. Colonel Marshall Lefferts (Standing Variant): Full-length standing studio portrait albumen CDV. [ca. April 1861]. An exceptional variant view from the exact same overarching studio session, capturing Lefferts standing confidently in a lighter fatigue jacket. He holds his officer's cap in his left hand, posing next to an identical distinct large stone studio urn atop a draped parlor table. The reverse carries a detailed pencil identification reading "Colonel Marshal Lefferts / 7th Regt., NYSM / (1859-1863)," and a lower modern annotation "Remounted carte from the Wand collection." 

3. Adjutant Joseph H. Liebenau: Seated writing portrait albumen CDV. Washington, D.C.: Mathew Brady, [ca. April-May 1861]. A spectacular, highly artistic study of the regimental adjutant seated at a small writing table, holding a quill pen over official documents. His officer's cap rests on the table before him. The lower front margin carries a crisp Brady, Washington imprint. The reverse features an early pencil identification reading "Lt Joseph H. Liebenau / 7th NYSM Adjutant."

4. Captain Of Engineers Egbert Ludovicus Viele: Full-length standing studio portrait albumen CDV. New York: Published by E. Anthony from a Brady National Portrait Gallery negative, [ca. 1861]. Documents Viele standing at attention in a dark overcoat with his hands resting on his sword hilt, posed against a heavily patterned curtain drape on a diamond-tiled studio floor. The reverse features a bold blue E. Anthony/Brady backmark surmounted by an early pencil signature "Veile" [sic] and a distinct lower McAllister Brother, Philadelphia distributor stamp.

5. Assistant Surgeon Samuel B. Tuthill: Full-length standing studio portrait albumen CDV. [ca. April 1861]. A sharp study capturing the medical officer in his full-dress single-breasted frock coat with staff shoulder straps, posing with his sword in a same-session variant setup with the large stone studio urn. The reverse is oriented horizontally, carrying clean pencil identifications reading "S.B. Tuthill, 7th N.Y.S.M. / Dr Tuthill."

The 7th New York State Militia, the immortal "Silk Stocking" Regiment, held a pivotal role in the protection of the federal government. Following the attack on Fort Sumter and the subsequent riots in Baltimore, Washington D.C. became isolated from the North. Under the aggressive command of Colonel Marshall Lefferts, the 7th NYSM was the first volunteer command to depart New York City. Navigating by steamer to Annapolis, Lefferts and his men executed a grueling march along targeted railway tracks to break through the blockade, arriving in Washington on April 25 to a relieved Abraham Lincoln.

The inclusion of the highly coveted, cinematic portrait of Adjutant Joseph H. Liebenau at his writing desk - captured by Mathew Brady in Washington during that historic 30-day defense - adds impressive historical gravity. Paired with two distinct multi-sitting variants of Colonel Lefferts and Assistant Surgeon Samuel B. Tuthill unified by the same prominent studio urn backdrop, this 5-CDV grouping represents a museum-quality cross-section. 

[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]

The prints and mounts are in excellent condition, presenting rich tonal depth, strong contrast, and square, unclipped corners with only minor, age-appropriate light surface toning on the reverses.