[Private David Bowman of Company I, 7th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, or Private Michael Bowman of Company B and Company H, 7th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, in uniform with knife]
Summary
Photograph shows soldier partially identified as David Bowman, ca. 1830-1883, or Michael Bowman, ca. 1842-1892; two manuscripts found with photograph.
There are not many details distinguishing the Confederates from the Union soldiers in many of portrait photographs - they really were from the same country, the same culture. One of the differences that you do find is the less uniform appearance of Confederates: they are much less standard, often wearing bits and pieces of cast-off Union Army uniforms and often, even weaponry. One thing that’s specific to the Confederates is huge Bowie knives, humorously called ‘Arkansas toothpicks,’ often made by local blacksmiths.
Tags
Date
01/01/1861
Location
Source
Library of Congress
Copyright info
No known restrictions on publication.