Seated three-quarter length albumen CDV. Chicago: S.M. Fassett's New Gallery, 114 & 116 South Clark St., [ca. 1863]. Photographer’s blue imprint to mount verso. Recto features a period ink signature across the bottom of the mount: "John C. Caldwell / Brig. Gen. U.S. Vols."

A pre-war educator who rose rapidly through the ranks, Gen. John C. Caldwell commanded the 1st Division of the II Corps at Gettysburg. On 2 July 1863, his division was thrown into the desperate struggle for the Wheatfield. In one of the most famous and bloody counterattacks of the battle, Caldwell’s four brigades swept through the field and temporarily cleared it of Confederate forces. Though the division was eventually forced back by a flank attack, Caldwell’s leadership during that chaotic hour was a high-water mark for the II Corps on the second day. He remained a steady and reliable commander through to the war's conclusion, and was later given the high honor to guard Lincoln's funeral train. 

The photograph bears the striking likeness of Caldwell in his general's frock coat. A curiously challenging general to find in original photographs, he is depicted in a commanding seated pose, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. While many portraits of high command were taken in Eastern galleries, this Fassett production offers a unique Western backmark for a general most often associated with the Army of the Potomac. The presence of Caldwell’s dark, flourishing signature, complete with his rank, makes this an elite documentary artifact of the Gettysburg high command.

[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]

Exceptional tonal contrast and clarity; the mount remains clean with sharp corners. The signature is deeply inked and highly legible. A premier autographed example of a vital Gettysburg division commander.