Beschreibung:

An outstanding pair of related outdoor, half plate tintypes that originated at a house sale in Indianapolis some twenty-five years ago, attributed as members of the 9th Indiana Cavalry initially commanded by Colonel George W. Jackson and later the iconic pharmaceutical magnate, Colonel Eli Lilly. The panoramic half plate depicts a wartime cavalry company numbering 41 men drawn up before an open tent with three seated officers—presumably a captain and two junior lieutenants all wearing ubiquitous knee-high cavalry boots—in the center flanked by the troop non-commissioned officers. The unknown company officers display cavalry sabers, while the three rows of enlisted men are uniformed in an array of western dress, predominantly sack coats, with some wearing holstered pistols. The center of the plate is fairly clear and sharp revealing a wealth of detail, while the troopers on either end are blurred. The shadowy man standing at the far left of the image appears to be carrying a drum, an instrument never issued to cavalry regiments. A stand of tall pines loom behind the company, although there is nothing to suggest a location. One possibility is the Indianapolis Fair Grounds at the present day 38th Street, which was used as an encampment during the war, but these men do not have the look or demeanor of fresh recruits. If, indeed, the image depicts the 9th Indiana Cavalry, then another possibility is Pulaski, TN. The regiment was mustered in March 1, 1864, and left for Nashville on May 3. The Hoosiers then set up camp at Pulaski, from which they engaged in operations against the illusive Forrest and Wheeler until November 23, 1864. The companion half plate is a spectacular candid close-up of three company-grade officers and another standing soldier sporting a thick beard and carrying an aura of authority about him, his pants highlighted by blue-tinted enlisted military trousers. The anonymous cameraman moved his cumbersome equipment at the behest of one of the officers and captured this leisurely view in front of the same tent as in the panoramic shot. The officer presumed to be the company Captain seated second on the left has removed his military jacket. Next to him is a 2nd Lieutenant, with cigar in hand, then the bearded man sans uniform coat not readily identified in the panoramic view. The photograph could easily be titled “At Home in Camp” with the plethora of related equipment and tack scattered around the spartan living quarters. A complete officer’s saddle is visible just outside the back flap of the tent. A pile of firewood lies next to a sheet metal camp stove complete with boilers, tin cup, and unfinished plate of food! Impromptu seating is by cast-off wooden crates. Collectively, the composition is clearly a marvel of outdoor photography! Through an in-depth comparison with other known images, it has been suggested that the standing man is George W. Jackson, who became the first Colonel of the 9th Indiana Cavalry on April 30, 1864, and that the 2nd Lieutenant seated to the left of the standing figure, with cigar in hand, is the noteworthy Indianapolis pharmaceutical pioneer Eli Lilly. However, the 2nd Lieutenant shoulder straps that the subject wears do not correspond with Lilly’s rank in 1864. After resigning his commission as Captain in the 18th Indiana Light Artillery in April, 1864, Eli Lilly joined the staff of the 9th Indiana Cavalry as a Major on June 3, 1864, and records indicate that he would not have commanded a company. Some sources suggest that Lilly was back in Indiana helping Jackson as early as April of 1864, though, and these photographs may have been taken during that period of time before he was promoted to Major in June. A documented carte-de-visite of Colonel Jackson seated beside Major Lilly, ca 1864, held by the Indiana Historical Society, reveals some similarities between the uniformed officers in the carte and those situated in this camp setting: http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer