JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
One of the war's most stark, iconic images- Antietam's lone tree, a grave and soldiers who lived through the bloodbath called Antietam.
Apologies if this has already been done- you know what it's like. " HOLY heck, FOUND it! " We geeks can get carried away. I'm not claiming to have found anything anyway. It's a maybe.
Image of a tree outlined against the sky, several soldiers and a grave has always, always gotten to me. Stark war. You know how you can play with those enormous TIF's with which LoC gifts us? Those men- their faces hold the same, beyond shock or despair disturbingly tragic expressions we see in other photos.
It's that grave. Chills and sometimes tears of you allow your head enough license. And we can see this man's name. Look, I'm not saying this IS he- but the name messmates must have carved onto wood after burying a friend may be " John Marshall ". Yes, scoffers welcome, I'm just pretty convinced. Been squinting at tombstones inside TIFs for awhile.
An Irish immigrant, John Marshall was a carpenter living the Miller family in Pittsburgh, PA in 1862. Civil War index card lists a John Marshall, 147th PVI from Pittsburgh, PA was killed in action at Antietam. Yes, certainly, may have been other men named John Marshall killed in that shambles. It's just awfully interesting.
Maybe we'll never know. Maybe this is immigrant John Marshall of Ireland's story that ended on a battlefield near Antietam Creek, Maryland. Rest well, John.