Honoring the 7th Michigan.

[major bill]

This week I went to my local county court house, Ingham County Michigan, to look over the small history display they have in the halls. One of the highlights is a nice tribune to honor the 7th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War. Beautiful photograph, beautifully framed and with a nice brass plaque. My problem is I am very confident the men are wearing post Civil War uniforms. I am sure this photo has been up for decades and has been admired by many visitors. I can not help but wonder if I am the only one who can tell that the uniforms are post Civil War. I date the uniforms as around the mid to late 1870s. I could copy the photograph and have a specialist look at the dresses worn by the two women in the photo and get a fairly firm date, but to what purpose? Would it be rude to write them a letter pointing this is not a photograph of the 7th Michigan in the Civil War?

I once went to a library in a large city and had to point out that two of the enlarged photos that they had on the wall honoring the Civil War, were post Civil War and one more was probably post Civil War as well, but the forth enlarged photograph was likely from the Civil War. The photograph archives librarian some how seemed annoyed when I pointed the mistake out to her. She did allow me to use a copy of the real Civil War photo to illustrate a magazine article I was writing.

 

[Dustin P.]

i guess that would be kinda like false advertisement. was there a date printed on the plaque claiming it was a civil war era photo? i can see where you're coming from. i guess it would be hard not to call them out on something that you personally take pride in

 

[major bill]

The plaque says something like "The 7th Michigan in the Civil War" or some such thing. I really went to see if they still had up the cloak that Jefferson Davis was wearing when he was captured. I heard they had misplace the Davis cloak over the years and it is indeed not on display. I am sure they are just mistaken about the photo being from the Civil War and not truly engaged in false advertising.

 

[Dustin P.]

The plaque says something like "The 7th Michigan in the Civil War" or some such thing. I really went to see if they still had up the cloak that Jefferson Davis was wearing when he was captured. I heard they had misplace the Davis cloak over the years and it is indeed not on display. I am sure they are just mistaken about the photo being from the Civil War and not truly engaged in false advertising.

i guess that would be kinda like false advertisement. was there a date printed on the plaque claiming it was a civil war era photo? i can see where you're coming from. i guess it would be hard not to call them out on something that you personally take pride in

 

[Dustin P.]

so the 7th Michigan captured davis? ol jeff davis started getting a litte crazy in those last few years. i read that he wanted to keep fighting after sherman took Atlanta! Im sure you know all this but i get excited finding people who appreciate their heritage. but anyways i heard Lee met up with sherman without Davis's permission to surrrender. General Lee probaby save some of my kin folk

 

[major bill]

so the 7th Michigan captured davis? ol jeff davis started getting a litte crazy in those last few years. i read that he wanted to keep fighting after sherman took Atlanta! Im sure you know all this but i get excited finding people who appreciate their heritage. but anyways i heard Lee met up with sherman without Davis's permission to surrrender. General Lee probaby save some of my kin folk

No Michigan Cavalry captured Davis, one of whom lived in Mason Michigan and he somehow was given Davis wife's cloak that Davis was wearing when captured.