A soldier's daughters

[Ralph Heinz]

We are all familiar with the ambrotype "Children of the Battlefield" of Sgt. Humiston's three children found with his dead body at Gettysburg. Here is an ambrotype of three daughters some northern soldier carried during the war. What is unusual is that there is no wife in the photo. Two of the girls appear teenage and old enough to take care of themselves and their younger sister. I wonder if their mother had died.

 

[ikesdad]

Is that a wedding ring or a scratch on the one on the right ?

 

[John Hartwell]

Can't help but think what a difference a smile would make!

 

[Patrick H]

Can't help but think what a difference a smile would make!

No kidding!

 

[RebelWeber]

Can't help but think what a difference a smile would make!

Don't smile there is a war on !!!

 

[Iowa Miss]

Intrigued by their short bobbed hair. They would be in style today.

 

[JOHN42768]

Is that a wedding ring or a scratch on the one on the right ?

I would vote no as the younger girl in the middle has a mark (ring) on her first finger left hand

 

[Eleanor Rose]

I thought some folks might like to see the ambrotype, "Children of the Battlefield," of Sgt. Humiston's three children. The link below provides some interesting information about it. The pic you shared is quite interesting @Ralph Heinz. I'd love to know the story behind it as well.

https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/whose-father-was-he-part-one/​

 

[lelliott19]

I mention this because it could help to identify them....The girl on the left and the one in the middle seem to have a congenital or genetic malformation of the hands. I'm not a doctor but it looks like "arachnodactyly" - the ratio of the length of the fingers to the palm exceeds the normal limits. On average, the longest finger (usually middle) is normally about 7/8 ths the size of the palm. If the longest finger is the same length as your palm, you have "long" fingers.

Arachnodactlyly can manifest with no other health problems, but it can also be indicative of Marfan Syndrome (a genetic disorder of the connective tissue.)

Here are the hands of the girl on the left (both hands) Possibly arachnodactyl? her fingers appear to be abnormally longer than the palm of the hand? Some fingers appear to be affected more than others - especially the ring finger on (her) left hand. She may be missing the fifth finger (pinkie finger) on both hands? Or those fingers may be hidden in her skirt.

Here is the right hand of the girl in the middle (her Right hand) She appears to be arachnodactyl too. I've added some red boxes to indicate the approximate length of her palm and the approximate length of the longest finger on that hand.

Here are the same boxes, moved to demonstrate the excessive ratio (about 1.4:1) indicative of arachnodactyly.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

That's fascinating @lelliott19!

 

[Eleanor Rose]

This thread sparked my interest and after doing a little research I have discovered numerous ambrotypes that were found in the remains of dead soldiers that have never been identified.

This ambrotype image of an unidentified child was found by Pvt. Heartwell Kincaid Adams of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry, in a haversack he took from the body of a dead Federal soldier at High Bridge a few days before Appomattox. It is housed at the Museum of the Confederacy.

This image of an unidentified child was found by Confederate Private Thomas W. Timberlake of Co. G, 2nd Virginia Infantry. Timberlake found this child's portrait on the battlefield of Port Republic, Virginia, between the bodies of a Confederate soldier and a Federal Soldier. It is housed at the Museum of the Confederacy.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Good catch @lelliott19 ! Ehlers Danlos is another, the hypermobile type can fool you. No medical expert either- have a son with those fingers- you should see his ' party tricks '. You know those people who can turn their feet backwards and when they put their palms together, fingers swoop backwards? That. Touch of it myself which makes sense, generally genetic.

This is from 2016, good bump! Can't help thinking they're another family photo, maybe a prosperous couple proud of offspring. That gilt on a lot of these is a little common- thread on it somewhere. No idea whether it was to enhance the image or make it clear someone wore gold jewelry.

 

[39th MS. Rebel]

"That gilt on a lot of these is a little common- thread on it somewhere. No idea whether it was to enhance the image or make it clear someone wore gold jewelry."

From my limited experience as an observer of early photography, I agree with you, gilding was somewhat common during the era.
It appears the other jewelry has been enhanced as well in the photograph.

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for sharing this interesting story. I enjoyed reading it.