Sepia Saturday: Letsinger Brothers of Putnam County

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Liljenquist Family Collection LC-DIG-ppmsca-27248]



This portrait shows brothers William and Phillip J. Letsinger of Company D, 14th Indiana Regiment, posing with rifles in front of Camp Michigan painted backdrop. They enlisted together on June 7, 1861 while living in Putnam County, Indiana. They both were inducted at the rank of private.

William was discharged as a private on October 29, 1862. His brother Phillip, who had been promoted to Corporal, was one of 3252 men killed at Antietam on September 17, 1862. Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was the first Civil War battle fought on northern territory. 

Sepia Saturday.


Comments

Marilyn & Jeff said…
What a wonderful old photo but what dreadful times. My 2x great grandfather left America around this time - I have often wondered if he was escaping the horror of the civil war.
April 8, 2011 at 1:35 PM
Shanae Branham said…
Very interesting! What you wrote really made the men in the photo come to life for me.
April 8, 2011 at 3:04 PM
Postcardy said…
There must have been a lot of soldiers that only lived on in photos.
April 8, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Brett Payne said…
Great photo, thanks Meri for drawing it to our attention. I was intrigued as to whether it was an ambrotype or a tintype, so I found it on the National Archives web site - it is a sixth-plate tintype. Also included is a scan which shows the entire tintype plate, enhanced somewhat so you can see the subjects better:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/lilj/item/2010650365/
April 8, 2011 at 4:10 PM
Brett Payne said…
sorry, Library of Congress web site, not National Archives
April 8, 2011 at 4:11 PM
Tattered and Lost said…
Imagine what this photo meant to family members. How it was cherished, spoken to, cried over.
April 8, 2011 at 5:42 PM
North County Film Club said…
Such a great photo. I just finished watching Ken burns civil war series which makes your post all the more interesting.
Nancy
Ladies of the grove
April 8, 2011 at 5:55 PM
Coloring Outside the Lines said…
What a neat photo- more so because it is of two brothers. The expressions and poses tell a story too.
April 9, 2011 at 3:45 AM
21 Wits said…
What a family keepsake for sure! They look so determined in that photo!
April 9, 2011 at 6:32 AM
Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said…
Hi, that is a really neat photo, in a pretty fancy frame. Thanks for sharing and for telling us about these brave men.

Happy Sepia Saturday,

Kathy M.
April 9, 2011 at 7:24 AM
Unknown said…
remarkable photo of them during our nation's saddest war, and thanks to Brett for determining the type; very interesting. We plan a visit to Gettysburg this year when we journey to PA;
April 9, 2011 at 9:12 AM
Christine H. said…
Phillip looks so young. A very memorable photograph though.
April 9, 2011 at 9:44 AM
Howard said…
Wonderful photograph
April 9, 2011 at 1:13 PM
Anonymous said…
Great photo - I wouldn't mess with either of them! And what a beautifully engraved frame which looks like it is fabric lined. It looks like a box-frame of some sort - very unusual. Jo :-)
April 9, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Alan Burnett said…
I always think that the American Civil War perfectly represents the confluence of photography with history. To be able to reach back so far and see with such clarity life as it was then is a privilege.
April 11, 2011 at 2:21 AM
Bruno Laliberté said…
a great picture of a sad period.
thanx 4 sharing!!
:)~
HUGZ
April 11, 2011 at 8:18 PM
tony said…
I Cant Imagine The Emotion this photo must have evoked in their relatives.Very Sad & Powerful.
April 14, 2011 at 2:52 AM
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