Library of Congress
Library of Congress
For Civil War soldiers and officers, a letter from home was almost always welcome. Even better was a package—and this tintype photograph may have been made to send back to someone’s family and show how pleased these officers of the 16th New York Infantry were with their box of treats, little reminders of prewar life. A close examination of the image reveals candies, pastries, fruits, a jar of pickled treats, and patriotic items, among other things.
From left are an unidentified soldier, Brigadier General Joseph Howland, Surgeon William Baker Crandall, Major Robert Preston Wilson, Captain Pliny Moore, and Major General Newton Martin Curtis. Curtis was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for having grabbed a musket and personally led four different assaults on Fort Fisher in North Carolina on January 15, 1865. Despite being wounded four times, Curtis survived and lived until 1910, when he died at 74.
Bob Zeller is president of the nonprofit Center for Civil War Photography, which is devoted to collecting, preserving, and digitizing Civil War images.
