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Union and Confederate Cavalry Weapons
Cavalrymen and their Horses
Photographic History of Civil War Cavalry
Man and Mount
| Union and Confederate Cavalry Weapons |
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| Weapons carried by many Union cavalrymen |
Union and Confederate Cavalrymen
and their Steeds
Widely acclaimed for its Civil War application, the tintype photograph was
popularized from North and South, and East to West, as both Union and Confederate soldiers eagerly donned their finest uniforms,
displayed their telling war faces, and presented their array of lethal weapons, from sabers to rifles to revolvers.
A tintype, also known as a melainotype or ferrotype, is a photograph made
by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of iron coated with a dark lacquer or enamel and used as the support for the
photographic emulsion. Tintypes enjoyed their widest use during the 1860s and 1870s, but lesser use of the medium persisted
into the early 20th century and it has been revived as a novelty in the 21st.
Tintype portraits were at first usually made in a formal photographic studio,
like daguerreotypes and other early types of photographs, but later they were most commonly made by photographers working
in booths or the open air at fairs and carnivals, as well as by itinerant sidewalk photographers. Because the lacquered iron
support (there is no actual tin used) was resilient and did not need drying, a tintype could be developed and fixed and handed
to the customer only a few minutes after the picture had been taken.
The tintype's immediate predecessor, the ambrotype, was the same process
using a sheet of glass as the support. The glass was either of a dark color or provided with a black backing so that, as with
a tintype, the underexposed negative image in the emulsion appeared as a positive. Tintypes were sturdy and did not require
mounting in a protective hard case like ambrotypes and daguerreotypes.
The following tintypes are from the Library of Congress and National Archives, and represent
Union and Confederate cavalry and their various uniforms and weapons, known as accoutrements, as well as the conflict's horses.
About the Collection
| Civil War Cavalry and their Horses |
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| Union Cavalryman with three Remington revolvers, two Bowie knives, and a Springfield rifle musket |
More than 1,000 special portrait photographs, called ambrotypes and
tintypes, represent both Union and Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War (1861-1865).
The photographs often show weapons, hats, canteens, musical instruments, painted backdrops, and other details that enhance
the research value of the collection. Among the most rare images are sailors, African Americans in uniform, Lincoln campaign
buttons, and portraits of soldiers with their families and friends.
(Right) Union cavalryman armed to the teeth. Union solider posing with issued
uniform, three Remington revolvers, two Bowie knives, and a Springfield rifle musket. Knives were usually discarded later
in the war, and replaced with additional revolvers. Only posing. Because of the placement of the knives, and the fact that
this trooper is carrying three revolvers, it indicates that, although dated ca. 1861-1865, this photo was most likely
taken ca. 1863-'65. This seasoned cavalryman also carried his Union issued Springfield, which remained popular with
many troopers during the war. Courtesy Library of Congress, Liljenquist Collection.
Tom Liljenquist and his sons
Jason, Brandon, and Christian built this collection in memory of President Abraham Lincoln and the 620,000 Union and
Confederate servicemen who died in the American Civil War. For many, these photographs are the last known record we have of
who they were and what they looked like. See "From the Donor's Perspective--The Last Full Measure" for the full story.
The Liljenquist Family began donating their collection to the Library of
Congress, Prints & Photographs Division in 2010 and continues to add to it. In addition to the ambrotypes and tintypes,
the collection also includes several manuscripts, patriotic envelopes, photographs on paper, and artifacts related to the
Civil War. Liljenquist Family Collection contains more than 700 rare ambrotype and tintype photographs highlight Civil War
soldiers and their families, both North and South.
Since 1985, the Liljenquist family of McLean, Va., sought out high-quality
images to represent the impact of the war, especially images of young enlisted men. The photographs often show firearms, hats,
canteens, musical instruments and other details that enhance the research value of the collection significantly.
Liljenquist and his three sons -- Jason, 19; Brandon, 17; and Christian,
13 -- became interested in Civil War history after finding bullets and other signs of an encampment near their home in Virginia.
As they began to investigate other artifacts from the war, they were especially attracted to the images captured in the photographic
formats called ambrotypes (on glass) and tintypes (on metal), which were often placed in special frames and decorated cases.
Among the rarest images are African Americans in uniform, sailors, a Lincoln campaign button, and portraits of soldiers with
their wives and children. A few personal stories survive in notes pinned to the photo cases, but most of the people and photographers
are unidentified.
The works in the Liljenquist Family Collection complement the Library's
already extensive holdings of Civil War images. Since the early 1900s, the Library has actively acquired visual materials
documenting as many aspects of the war as possible. Examples include eyewitness drawings by Alfred Waud and William Waud and
other artists working for illustrated newspapers; historical prints showing battles, camps, hospitals and military leaders;
and glass-plate negatives, stereographs (3-D views) and large-format albumen prints associated with master photographers Mathew
Brady, Alexander Gardner, Sullivan and Andrew J. Russell.
Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are courtesy Library of Congress, or Library of Congress:
Liljenquist Collection.
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| Union Cavalry soldier atop steed |
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| Union cavalryman mounted with saber, in front of encampment with winter chimneys |
| Civil War Colt pistol, Remington, & cavalry saber |
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| Union Cavalryman with stocked Colt pistol, Remington, and cavalry saber |
| Union Cavalry Soldier and Colt Dragoon revolvers |
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| Union Cavalryman with Colt Dragoon revolvers and sword |
| African American Civil War Cavalry soldier |
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| African American Union Cavalry soldier with sword |
| Civil War Cavalry soldier with saber and tack |
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| Union Cavalry soldier mounted with cavalry weapons |
| Confederate Cavalryman and Enfield rifle |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with Enfield rifle |
| Private, Co. F, 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment |
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| Cavalry soldier with pistol and sword, on horseback |
| Holcombe Legion South Carolina Cavalry Battalion |
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| South Carolina Cavalryman with musket and two pistols |
| Union Trooper with Burnside carbine |
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| Union Horseman with Burnside carbine, revolver, and sword |
| Civil War Adams Revolver |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with sword belt plate, Adams revolver, and cavalry sword |
| Union soldier mounted on steed |
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| Union sergeant with sword while seated on a horse |
| Civil War 1st model Maynard carbine |
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| Confederate Cavalry soldier with wishbone frame buckle and 1st model Maynard carbine |
| Union soldier with two revolvers and saber |
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| Union Cavalryman with two revolvers and a saber |
| Confederate horseman |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with C.S. oval belt plate with rifle |
| Civil War cavalryman |
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| First lieutenant with red sash, leather gauntlets, and spurs with cavalry sword |
| Union Cavalryman Civil War Sharps carbine |
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| Cavalry corporal with 1852 Slant Breech Sharps carbine and cavalry saber |
| Trooper with U.S. Model 1860 cavalry saber |
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| Union corporal with slouch cap and U.S. Model 1860 cavalry saber |
| Union cavalryman with dual revolvers |
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| Union trooper with Hardee hat, cavalry saber, and dual revolvers |
| Sign reading Jeff Davis and the South! |
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| Confederate trooper with Colt navy revolver, book, tin drum canteen |
| Civil War Sharps rifles and Colt revolvers |
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| Union Cavalry with Sharps rifles and Colt revolvers |
| Union Cavalryman with musical instruments |
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| Union Cavalryman with banjo, sword, and pipe |
| Confederate sword and pistol |
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| Maryland Confederate cavalryman with sword and pistol |
| Confederate Bowie knife |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with Bowie knife |
| Civil War Colt revolvers and cavalry sword |
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| Union trooper with two Colt revolvers and cavalry sword in front of painted backdrop |
| Confederate Sword |
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| Virginia Cavalry Regiment soldier with sword |
| Colt Dragoon revolver and sword |
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| Union Cavalry soldier with Colt Dragoon revolver and sword |
| Mississippi Cavalry soldier with weapons |
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| Confederate trooper with sword and revolver |
See also:
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| Union Cavalryman and weapons |
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| Union Cavalryman atop horse, with saber, revolver, and cap box |
| Union Cavalry soldier armed to the teeth... |
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| Union Cavalryman with shell jacket, bummer cap, three Remington revolvers, and sword |
| Union Cavalry Weapons |
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| Union Cavalryman with saber, single shot pistol carbine, and Colt Navy revolver |
| Civil War D-guard Bowie knife |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with D-guard Bowie knife |
| Union Cavalry first lieutenant with saber |
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| Union Cavalry first lieutenant atop horse, with kepi and cavalry saber |
| Union Cavalryman with Hardee hat and frock coat |
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| Union trooper with Model 1860 Light Cavalry saber and Colt Army Model 1860 revolver |
| Union Cavalryman mounted and blowing bugle |
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| Union Cavalryman on horse blowing bugle while unsheathing sword |
| Confederate trooper with musket |
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| Confederate trooper with musket and Bowie knife |
| Civil War Saber |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with saber |
| Two Civil War Revolvers |
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| Confederate Cavalryman, snake belt buckle, with two revolvers |
| Dismounted Union soldier |
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| Union soldier dismounted, with saber and horse |
| Confederate slant breech sharps carbine |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with slant breech sharps carbine, two knives, and two revolvers |
| Union Cavalry soldier with Hardee hat |
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| Union cavalry soldier, Hardee hat, European saber, and French LeFaucheux pinfire revolver |
| Civil War Cavalry weapons |
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| Union Cavalry soldier with Stocked Colt pistol, Remington, and cavalry saber |
| Civil War cavalry sword and revolver |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with cavalry sword and revolver |
| Illinois Cavalry Regiment trooper |
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| Union soldier with single shot percussion pistol, Lefaucheux revolver, and sword |
| Confederate Cavalry officer |
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| Captain George Riggs Gaither, K Company, 1st Virginia Cavalry |
| Civil War Cavalry Pistol Carbine |
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| Union Cavalry soldier with percussion cap pistol carbine, attached stock, and cavalry saber |
| Civil War Sheathed Cavalry Sword |
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| Confederate Cavalry second lieutenant with sheathed cavalry sword |
| Union Trooper holding cavalry saber |
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| Union Cavalryman holding cavalry saber |
| Civil War Cavalrymen |
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| Union cavalry, with sword, share a drink in front of painted backdrop |
| Civil War double barrel shotgun |
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| Confederate Cavalryman with double barrel shotgun |
| Union Cavalryman with Model 1855 pistol-carbine |
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| U.S. Cavalryman with sword and U.S. Model 1855 pistol-carbine |
| Civil War saber and revolver |
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| Confederate Cavalryman holding saber and revolver |
| Confederate Cavalryman with Berdan Sharps rifle |
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| Texas Cavalryman with Berdan Sharps rifle |
| Sharps carbine, pistol, and knife |
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| Confederate Cavalry soldier with Sharps carbine, pistol, and knife |
| U.S. Civil War Savage revolver and sword |
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| Union cavalry soldier with Savage revolver and sword |
| Union musician with cavalry sword |
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| Union musician with two belts with cavalry saber |
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