Beschreibung:

Three military views, plus a post-war civilian photograph. First is a pencil signed vignette of Charles K. Johnson/1st Lieut. Co. M/1st Me Cav. Johnson entered service as Sergeant, Co. M, 10/61; POW Middleton, VA 5/24/62, exchanged and rejoined company; promoted 1st Lieut. ?/63; WIA Ground Square Bridge, VA 5/11/64; POW St. Mary’s Church, VA 6/24/64, confined at Macon & Columbia, escaped 1/65; died of disease as POW 5/15/65. Foregoing includes additional information from regimental history, which further states that Lieut. Johnson “went down in a gale off North Carolina coast” 5/27/65 while aboard transport to Annapolis. Another vignette inked on verso is Geo. E. Jumper/Upper Gloucester/Me, with J.S. Hendee, Augusta imprint. George Jumper joined Co. G, as Corporal, 10/61; re-enlisted 12/63; POW 8/20/62, exchanged; POW Brandy Station 6/9/63, exchanged; promoted 2nd Lieut. 4/65; m/o 8/1/65. An unsigned standing view of 1st Lieut. William P. Coleman identified by an identical photograph in the regimental history. Coleman was commissioned 1st Lieut., Co. E, 10/61; m/o 11/25/64. A ca 1890 civilian view identified as 1st Lieut. Orrin S. Haskell, Co. A; m/o 8/1/65. 1st Maine Cavalry The illustrious 1st Maine Cavalry rightfully earned a reputation as one of the premier cavalry regiments in the Army of the Potomac Cavalry Corps. Organized at Augusta and mustered in November 5, 1861, the regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac and took the field by battalion serving with various commands engaged in railroad guard duty, scouting and reconnaissance work. The command’s first significant action came at Middleton, VA, on May 24, 1862, where 53 casualties were incurred including a number of men taken prisoners. Some portion of the 1st Maine Cavalry was present at every major battle and engagement fought by the Army of the Potomac, engaged in 29 major fights and over 50 smaller skirmishes. During the early summer of 1863, the 1st Maine fought successive cavalry actions at Brandy Station, Aldie, and Middleburg leading up to the crescendo at Gettysburg. From the rout at Chancellorsville in May through the end of the year the regiment suffered an appalling 155 men killed and wounded. The tempo of 1864 was to prove just as deadly. Following heavy losses during the March Raid on Richmond, the 1st Maine became Grant’s “eyes and hears” during the summer Overland Campaign in which another 140 cavalrymen became casualties at Spotsylvania, Saint Mary’s Church, and the Boydton Plank Road. The hard fought regiment mustered out on November 25, 1864. Amazingly, a stalwart core of veterans together with new recruits incorporated the remnants of the 1st District of Columbia Cavalry to form a new 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment. The resurrected 1st Maine rode at Appomattox with the same élan of its predecessor and sustained a further 43 battle casualties hot on Lee’s heals before finally mustering out on August 1, 1865. Fox’s Regimental Losses notes that “this regiment lost the greatest number killed in action of any Cavalry Regiment in the entire army,” a hallowed epitaph. Provenance: The Tom MacDonald Maine Civil War CDV Collection Condition: Coleman, Jumper, and Haskell views VG. Johnson CDV G. with light wearing and soiling.