Mail call

Military Images, May/Jun 2003

PHOTO IDed

As an active collector of photos and artifacts from the Civil War regiments of my ancestors (64th Illinois Infantry, 32nd Massachusetts Infantry, 1st Minnesota Infantry), I sometimes see items that I've previously encountered in Military Images.

When I was offered a CDV of Sergeant C. S. Meade of the 32nd Massachusetts, I was familiar with the distinctive A over 32 cap insignia, V Corp badge, and veteran's stripes from its earlier publication in MI. But, it took some archeology to credit my recognition to Wendell Lang's memorable series on corps badges in the May/June 1986 issue. The article referred to the soldier as unidentified, but a period ink inscription on the CdV states "C.S. Meade, 32 Mass, Jany 1864."

Perhaps MI's long-time readers would appreciate the history of this previously unidentified soldier. According to information provided by Historical Data Systems, Charles Selden Meade was born in Walpole, New Hampshire on March 1, 1844, to Francis K. & Clara Ann (Burnham) Meade and enlisted on November 12 1861 at Hingham as a private, was promoted to corporal on September 1, 1863, and sergeant on December 15, 1863. Meade re-enlisted on January 1, 1864, earning his veteran's stripes, and a furlough, when he was photographed by Warren, 172 Hanover St., Boston. Unfortunately, Meade never returned to the Bay State. After surviving combat at Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, Meade was listed as accidentally injured on March 3, 1864, and died of pleurisy and congestion four days later at Bealton, Virginia. No doubt his untimely passing was mourned by his comrades, including Lt. Col. James A. Cunningham, but his service is gratefully appreciated by subsequent generations of Americans. And, the readers appreciate MI's 24 years of documenting the visual records of such service.

Michael R. Cunningham, Ph.D.

Louisville, KY

ENGINEER NOTES

I just reread the subject article and noted a minor error in the 2nd Infantry Division shoulder patch descriptions (March/April 2002). All 2nd Engineer Regiment patches were composed of the star with Indian head superimposed on a castle, not just the 2nd Engineer Train. The different units were denoted by the color of the castle as follows:

1st Battalion: Red

2nd Battalion: Yellow

3rd Battalion: Blue

Headquarters: Black

Engineer Trains: Green

This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about WWI 2nd Engineer patches, however.

J. Dale West

Longview, Texas

ANOTHER ID

On page 15 of the March/April 2003 issue, the portrait in the middle of the bottom row by Sam A. Cooley of the "informal officer" is of Lieutenant Henri B. Loomis, adjutant of the 56th New York Volunteer Infantry. The exact image, autographed by him, appears on the Web site for this re-created living history unit, www. 56thnyvi.com.

Michael Thaler

Webmaster, regimental historian

Re-created 56th N.Y. Volunteers

The 56th New York, organized in October 1861, was initially part of the Army of the Potomac until assigned to the Department of the South in April 1863 and served along the coast of South Carolina until September 1865.

NOT THE FIRST

While it may be nice to have a poem about his charge, First Lieutenant Henry Hidden was certainly not the first officer of Union volunteer cavalry killed in the war (March/April 2003, p. 26). Just by doing a small amount of research on the war in Missouri I have located three earlier officer deaths: Colonel Hamilton Johnson, commanding the 5th Kansas Cavalry, was killed in action at Morristown on September 17, 1861; and Major John S. Gavitt and a Captain Highman, both of the 1st Indiana Cavalry, were killed at the Battle of Frederickstown on October 21, 1861. There were probably others who died before Hidden and probably other officers were killed before Johnson.

Wayne Schnetzer

Independence, Missouri