Half-length seated studio portrait albumen CDV. Brooklyn, New York: E. M. Douglass, Artist, 324 Fulton St., [ca. 1862-3]. Photographer's imprint to mount verso. Period ink inscription to mount verso reads: "Major James Cromwell / of the 124th Regt N.Y.S.V. / Killed in the Battle / of Gettysburgh."

This highly rare and desirable portrait captures Maj. James Cromwell of the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry. Cromwell presents a handsome, resolute figure, wearing a double-breasted officer's frock coat with major's shoulder straps, resting his hands gracefully on the hilt of his sword in his lap. The verso bears the Brooklyn backmark of E. M. Douglass, alongside a highly poignant, period ink inscription detailing Cromwell's rank, regiment and heroic death on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Cromwell's story is inextricably linked to that of his commander, Col. A. Van Horne Ellis (see the following lot). During the desperate defense of Houck's Ridge directly above Devil's Den on 2 July 1863, the 124th New York — the famed Orange Blossoms — faced unrelenting Confederate pressure. When the Union line began to falter, it was the 23-year-old Cromwell who famously requested permission to mount his horse and lead a charge to stabilize the men. When warned of the danger, Cromwell reportedly replied, "The men must see us today." Both Cromwell and Ellis mounted their horses in the center of the fray, becoming immediate targets. Leading a fierce, surging counterattack, Cromwell was struck in the chest and killed almost instantly, just moments before Ellis suffered the exact same fate. Portraits of highly romanticized, tragic figures like Cromwell, whose sheer bravery defined the regiment's legacy at Gettysburg, are fiercely sought after and rarely, if ever, become available on the open market. This portrait ranks as a "lifer" for many advanced collectors. 

[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 image is in very good to excellent condition, with strong tonality. There is minor surface wear, especially along the edges of the mount, and light age-related fading typical of period photography.