Foreword
A
unifying thread woven indelibly throughout the fabric of America is our
compelling need to remember the Civil War. In the summer of 1961, as a boy
of nine, I witnessed an event that some people were calling Third Bull Run.The Civil War Centennial was beginning in earnest with this much-hyped battlefield
reenactment. The day of “battle” dawned hot, and when it turned sultry, heat
exhaustion began taking a toll on spectators and reenactors alike. To my surprise, the
event as choreographed proved to be largely underwhelming; too few soldiers charged
with fixed bayonets and too few cannons spewed plumes of white smoke that
billowed over the rolling fields broad enough to dwarf the entire spectacle. It was
never clear in my mind which side was winning or losing the war.
Try as we might it is nearly impossible to recreate history, even well documented
history like the Civil War, America’s first national experience to be recorded visually
on a grand scale. Understanding fully the nuances of that era of discord is in itself a
challenge. Robert E. Lee would have freed “every slave in the South” to avoid going
to war—words Abraham Lincoln could have endorsed heartily. Both men prayed to
the same God, and each followed his own conscience. Ultimately, their exemplary
humility and charity—and that of a third party, Ulysses S. Grant—prevailed at
Appomattox, changing the nation forever.
The sacrifices Americans made long ago are truly gifts for Americans now. So too are
the effects they left behind. This visual survey draws from collections throughout the
country, and most especially from the Smithsonian Institution. Founded in 1846, the
Smithsonian has been collecting and preserving Civil War memorabilia of every
description since the war itself. Within these covers you will experience a rare look
into the museum’s rich and unique coffers. Many of the daguerreotypes and painted
portraits herein are much more than mere book illustrations, but in reality are family
heirlooms which have been generously handed down to the American people. Such is
the case with dozens of personal items like Jeb Stuart’s English-made Tranter revolver,
William T. Sherman’s campaign hat and sword, and George B. McClellan’s chess set.
Two Lincoln relics are national treasures: the black top hat he last wore to Ford’s
Theatre and the presentation Henry repeating rifle—gold mounted and engraved
with the president’s name—which is a prize of the Smithsonian’s smallarms collection.
In the genre of Civil War art, battlefield sketches and “photographs by Brady” are as
close as we can be visually to experiencing the conflict firsthand. Yet selected postwar
illustrations have been added to examine the sectional sentiments which influenced
how Americans, Northerners and Southerners, wanted to remember their war.
Included are illustrated timelines, colorful maps, eyewitness narratives, and gallery
spreads filled with vintage military trappings. Every page offers a virtual tour worth
revisiting again and again.
JAMES G. BARBER
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT