The American Civil War of 1861-1865 gave birth to many technical advances in warfare. The first use of a submarine, first use of railroads to move troops to the front, first use of hot-air balloons for reconnaissance, the first use of the telegraph to coordinate military operations, to name just a few. It also was the first war to be widely covered by embedded reporters, sketch artists, photographers, and print makers. From sketches in solders’ diaries, to Matthew Brady’s traveling photographic studio, to portraits and oils of famous personage, to etchings in Harper’s Weekly newspaper, the whole four years were extensively covered and displayed. Not just battlefield scenes, but naval battles, camp life, and the cruel life in POW camps, were depicted as well as now famous representations of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and the other participants. The Marshall University Special Collections Dept. has a rich variety of all these subjects, in many different media. Displayed here is a sampling of their holdings.
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