Seated three-quarter length albumen CDV. [ca. 1862]. Unmarked mount. Recto bears a period ink identification: "Corp. Edwin Nelson." Verso features an extensive period ink inscription: "Edwin E. Nelson / Co. D 1st USSS / Spooners Corners / Otsego Co / NY," with a later pencil notation "WIA—Gettysburg."

Hailing from Otsego County, New York, Edwin E. Nelson was a member of Col. Berdan’s prestigious U.S. Sharpshooters, hand-picked for their marksmanship. At Gettysburg, on the morning of 2 July 1863, Company D was involved in one of the most critical reconnaissance actions of the battle. Under the command of Berdan and alongside the 3rd Maine, Nelson’s unit pushed into Pitzer’s Woods, where it unexpectedly collided with Wilcox’s advancing Confederate brigade. During this sharp, desperate skirmish, which alerted the Union high command to the massive Southern flanking movement, Nelson was wounded in the left side.

Nelson is depicted in a formal seated pose, wearing a dark sack coat, vest and bowtie. While he lacks the famous green uniform in this specific sitting, the fantastic period inscription on the verso firmly establishes his identity and elite military status. Images of Sharpshooters in civilian dress often date to their initial enlistment period, furlough or a return home while recovering from injury, providing a humanizing contrast to their reputation as fierce, calculated marksmen on the battlefield. It is possible that this particular image was struck while Nelson was recovering from his Gettysburg wound. 

The action at Pitzer’s Woods is often cited by historians as the movement that saved Union forces left at Gettysburg. By engaging the Confederate columns early, the 1st USSS forced the enemy to deploy prematurely, buying the precious time needed for the III and V Corps to secure the heights. Nelson’s wound was a badge of his participation in this pivotal moment.

[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]

Strong tonal depth and excellent clarity in the facial features. The mount shows minor age-related toning, but the ink inscriptions on both recto and verso remain dark and exceptionally legible.