A highly important and exceptionally rare regimental grouping of ten (10) original albumen cartes-de-visite tracking officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted troopers of the celebrated 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry. Posed across various prominent New England and active theater field studios, the subjects are depicted in a rich array of mid-war mounted uniforms, ranging from classic nine-button cavalry shell jackets with high-contrast piping to officer frock coats, specialized short shell jackets with non-standard pocket configurations, and weathered field attire.

The 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry was arguably the finest and most celebrated mounted regiment in the history of the Union army. Renowned for their immense physical stature - historically recruited from the rugged lumber camps and maritime ports of the Pine Tree State - the regiment sustained the highest number of battle deaths of any cavalry regiment in the entire federal service. Serving in the hard-riding cavalry brigades of the Army of the Potomac, the unit participated in a staggering sequence of engagements, from the massive clash at Brandy Station to the grinding combat of the Overland Campaign, the Siege of Petersburg, and the final encirclement at Appomattox.

This breathtaking ten-card archive provides an exceptional, unparalleled roster study of the regiment’s leadership and rank and file. Individual operational histories represented here are immense: Captain Paul Chadbourne of Company I survived severe wounds sustained in the cavalry action at Middleburg to rise to the rank of Major; First Lieutenant John D. Goddard commanded his company through the brutal campaigns of 1864; Trooper A.M. Warren was wounded and captured during the fierce mounted melee at Middleburg; and Trooper John Gilley gave his life for the Union, killed in action during the chaotic fighting at Dinwiddie Court House on March 31, 1865, just days before the Confederate surrender. Rick Carlile had an incredible eye for the aesthetic and the historical significance of unit groupings, and this archive is a towering testament to his passion; he kept these together for decades because they represent an irreplaceable, highly cohesive visual monument to the ultimate sacrifice of a single legendary command.

This lot includes: 

1. B.A. Osborn: Vignette bust portrait of an officer wearing a dark frock coat with second lieutenant shoulder straps. The reverse features a printed letterpress backmark for J.S. Hendee, Augusta, Me., augmented by a bold period ink signature reading "B.A. Osborn / 1st Me. Cav." and a modern pencil notation Co. E.

2. Edward M. Estabrook: Full-length standing studio portrait of a trooper wearing a tight-fitting shell jacket and mounted trousers, resting his left hand on a velvet parlor chair. The reverse is clean save for collector ink identification reading "Edward M. Estabrook / 1st Maine Cav / 1st Band / p.463 Tobie," with faint modern inventory pencil codes.

3. A.M. Warren: Full-length standing studio portrait of a trooper clad in a nine-button cavalry jacket and light-colored trousers, standing next to a heavily carved chair and fringed curtain drape. The reverse carries a scarce active-theater field studio imprint for McAdams, No. 107 King Street, Alexandria, Va., enhanced by an elegant, sweeping period ink signature reading "Truly Yours / A M Warren" and modern collector pencil research tracking him as "POW / WIA Middleburg VA."

4. Henry S. Willis: Full-length seated studio portrait of a trooper in a sharp shell jacket with wide corporate sleeve trim, resting one arm over a plain wooden chair back. The reverse features a letterpress stamp for O.W. Tuttle, Photographer, Thomaston, Me., accompanied by pencil and collector notes identifying him as "Pvt. Henry S. Willis / Thomaston Me / POW 5-11-64 / Ground Square Bridge Exchanged / Promtd 1st Lt."

5. John Gilley: Full-length standing studio portrait of a trooper wearing a standard cavalry shell jacket and holding a sabre across his body, next to a fringed table. The reverse carries a backmark for D.N. Moor, Ellsworth, Me., augmented by a faint period pencil signature "John Gilley", and collector identification.

6. William Cummings: Full-length standing studio portrait of a heavily bearded trooper standing at order arms with a cavalry carbine beside a faux-stone studio balustrade, his forage cap resting nearby. The reverse features a printed studio mark for E.H. McKenney, Biddeford, Me., with comprehensive collector ink notations reading "Sgt. William Cummings / Co I, 1st Me Cav / identical image in Tobie / History of the First Maine / opp. p. 594."

7. Paul Chadbourne: Three-quarter length seated portrait of an officer in a double-breasted frock coat with captain's shoulder straps, looking forward with a full beard. The lower front mount bears a clear period ink identification reading "Capt. Paul Chadbourne." The reverse is affixed with a green three-cent Washington proprietary revenue stamp cancelled across a printed Whipple, 96 Washington Street, Boston backmark, with collector ink stating Became Major in 1st Me Cavalry.

8. Eber S. Moore: Vignette bust portrait of a clean-shaven soldier in a soft-collared coat. The reverse bears a printed studio mark for J.C. Daley, Photographer, 100 1/2 Washington St., Boston, overlaid by a bold, fluid period fountain pen presentation signature reading "Compliments of / Eber S. Moore," with lower pencil tracking stating 1st Me Cav.

9. Warren B. Smith: Full-length standing studio portrait of a soldier wearing a short shell jacket and light-colored trousers beside a velvet armchair. The reverse features an ornate backmark with text reading "Warren B. Smith / Portland, Maine" and detailed vertical collector tracking noting "1st Div / AC / ON WADSWORTH STAFF."

10. John D. Goddard: Full-length standing studio portrait of an officer wearing a dark frock coat with first lieutenant shoulder straps, his left hand resting on his cavalry sabre hilt beside a classic column. The lower front mount bears a faint period pencil signature reading "Lieut. Goddard." The reverse features a letterpress stamp for J.U.P. Burnham, Bangor, Me., overlaid with collector note reading "Lt. John D. Goddard / 1st Maine Cavalry."

To assemble an archive of this depth for the 1st Maine Cavalry independently would require decades of focused curation, rendering this ready-made regimental study a centerpiece for any elite collection dedicated to the federal cavalry corps. 

[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]

Very good to fine throughout. The majority of the albumen prints retain superb definition, and high-contrast tones. The mounts display only standard, light age-toning and nominal localized foxing or surface smudging consistent with age.