A HIGHLIGHT OF THE CARLILE COLLECTION: A GETTYSBURG COLOR BEARER, WIA ON LITTLE ROUND TOP

An original albumen carte-de-visite portrait depicting a Union color bearer standing in a fatigue blouse and forage cap, holding the heavily tattered and shredded national combat color of his regiment. The mount features trimmed corners for period album insertion. The reverse bears the distinctive violet-ink photographer's backmark for Churchill & Denison, No. 522 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. It features a blue 2-cent proprietary revenue stamp canceled by a circular Churchill & Denison Albany handstamp dated 1865. Archival pencil tracking at the lower margin reads: "James B. Stormes / 44th NY / Wounded G'burg 7-2-63 / WIA, Fredericksburg."

This spectacular portrait captures Color Sergeant James B. Stormes of the 44th New York Volunteer Infantry, universally known as the Ellsworth Avengers. Formed in Albany in the autumn of 1861 to avenge the death of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, the 44th New York was an elite, specially recruited regiment requiring every volunteer to be unmarried, under thirty, fit, and of good moral character. As a component of the Third Brigade, First Division, Fifth Corps, the regiment saw continuous, heavy combat throughout the Eastern Theater, and this photograph provides a haunting visual record of that service, showcasing Stormes alongside the shredded remnants of the national flag he was tasked with defending.

Stormes and his regiment played an immortalized role during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Posted on the rugged slope of Little Round Top next to the 20th Maine, the 44th New York successfully held the Union left flank against a blistering Confederate assault, enduring staggering casualties. During the desperate defense, Sergeant Stormes was wounded in action while holding the colors. Having previously survived a wound at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, Holmes's survival and dedication to the flag made him a celebrated veteran within the regiment. This portrait was captured shortly after the war's conclusion by the premier Albany studio of Churchill & Denison to document Stormes and the physical scars of the historic flag.

Wartime or early post-war portraits depicting identified color bearers alongside their actual battle-scarred regimental flags occupy the absolute highest tier of desirability for Civil War photography enthusiasts. Because the 44th New York is one of the most famous and hard-fighting units in the entire Army of the Potomac, any authentic artifact linked to their stand on Little Round Top commands premium attention. The historical weight of this card is profoundly elevated by Stormes's ironclad identity as a Gettysburg casualty. 

[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]

Very good. The albumen print retains pleasing contrast and fine detail, clearly capturing the frayed, battle-shattered condition of the flag. The mount shows typical light corner trimming and mild edge toning consistent with age.