Albumen CDV group portrait of James Patrick Major & Staff of the 2nd Texas Cavalry. Canceled green 3-cent revenue stamp to verso. Modern pencil inscription to mount verso reads: "Rare View of CSA Col. later General James Patrick Major w/ staff. He married the sister-in-law of CSA general Thomas Green of TX." 

A fine and very rare group portrait of the staff of the 2nd Texas Cavalry, including their Colonel, James Patrick Major (1836-1877). Though difficult to notice at first, the face of an African American man is visible behind the group. The man is currently unidentified, but he was likely enslaved or a servant of one of the officers.  

A graduate of West Point, Major received a commission in the 2nd United States Regular Cavalry and was sent to the Texas frontier in 1856. He resigned his commission, however, and joined the staff of General Earl Van Dorn. In August, as Lieutenant Colonel, Major led the Missouri State Guard at the Battle of Wilson's Creek. During the Siege of Vicksburg, he defended the city as Van Dorn's Chief of Artillery. 

This photo was likely taken in 1863 when he served as Colonel of three Texas Cavalry regiments during operations along the Teche River. After promotion to Brigadier General in July 1863, he commanded a cavalry division in the Red River Campaign. 

[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] [Texas, Texas Revolution, Alamo, Sam Houston, Texas Rangers, Texas Annexation, Republic of Texas]