Silas Chandler

[gem]

Here is an interesting appraisal which appeared on Antiques Roadshow about a tintype of Silas Chandler (a slave) in war with his master. It's particularly rare in that there are very few photos of slaves in confederate uniform with their masters.

 

[gem]

"January 24, 2011: After this segment aired, we received several e-mails challenging information presented about the story of Confederate soldier Andrew Chandler and his slave, Silas Chandler. As ROADSHOW knows first-hand, family histories can be hard to confirm.

The photograph, we subsequently discovered, is more well-known and open to interpretation than we understood when the segment was taped during the summer of 2009. Nevertheless, because the photograph of Silas Chandler and Andrew Chandler remains an important artifact from this period in our nation's history, and a useful catalyst for ongoing discussion about the Civil War, we have decided not to edit the guest's oral history.

However, we do encourage viewers to explore more about the stories behind the image.

Appraiser Wes Cowan pursued the story further himself during an investigation for an episode of PBS's History Detectives that aired in October 2011. To find out what he discovered, visit the History Detectives website:
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigation/chandler-tintype/

 

[gem]

For even more information, below are a selection of websites that present differing opinions on this subject:

cwmemory.com/2010/03/10/descendents-of-silas-chandler-respond/
themarginalized.com/2010/03/18/silas-chandler/
dc2scaggsville.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

 

[Rebforever]

Looks like 2 soldiers to me.

 

[gem]

Looks like 2 soldiers to me.

I'd encourage people to explore for themselves, the history/meaning of this tintype.

 

[Rebforever]

I'd encourage people to explore for themselves, the history/meaning of this tintype.

Pictures are worth 1000 words I'm told.
There really is nothing new here to discuss that has been discussed in other threads.

 

[gem]

Pictures are worth 1000 words I'm told.

that is a well known saying you are right. I also have to agree that it looks like 2 soldiers.

 

[RobertP]

Photographer cleverly hid the chains.

 

[Rebforever]

Photographer cleverly hid the chains.

Don't you wish.

 

[RobertP]

For even more information, below are a selection of websites that present differing opinions on this subject:

cwmemory.com/2010/03/10/descendents-of-silas-chandler-respond/
themarginalized.com/2010/03/18/silas-chandler/
dc2scaggsville.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

The linked articles are interesting to me as they mention Chandler being from West Point, Miss. I had a fair amount of family from there and in fact my grandfather's half-brother, Jesse Fox, was killed at Shiloh on 4/6/62 and is buried in that town cemetery.

I looked up Andrew Chandler on CWSS and saw that he was a soldier in the Co. F, 44th Mississippi Inf. and Jesse Fox was in Co. C of the same regiment. It's likely that they knew of each other. The unit designation is a bit misleading, the 44th originated as Blythe's 1st Miss. Battalion and carried that designation into 1863 when it was changed. Blythes was in the thick of it at the Rhea Field at Shiloh and I suspect that is where Jesse Fox died. He was fortunate I guess in that his body was recovered and taken home for burial.

 

[matthew mckeon]

We have been down this road before, specifically about Silas and Andrew Chandler, on several threads. Even the descendants don't go for the BC BS.

 

[AndyHall]

The most thorough examination of the Silas Chandler story, the photograph, and the historical evidence, appears in the February 2012 issue of Civil War Times, in an article by Myra Chandler Sampson and Kevin Levin, the former being a direct descendant of Silas Chandler. It's available on Academia.edu, but registration is required. (I believe registration is free.)

The image itself was subsequently donated to the Library of Congress by its owner, Chandler Battaile Jr., and is part of the Liljenquist Family Collection there.

 

[gem]

View attachment 142099

The most thorough examination of the Silas Chandler story, the photograph, and the historical evidence, appears in the February 2012 issue of Civil War Times, in an article by Myra Chandler Sampson and Kevin Levin, the former being a direct descendant of Silas Chandler. It's available on Academia.edu, but registration is required.

The image itself was subsequently donated to the Library of Congress by its owner, Chandler Battaile Jr., and is part of the Liljenquist Family Collection there.

Thanks for the information

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

The 1910 census of Clay County, Mississippi, Silas and his family are listed next to last entry on the page. Box 30 asks if this person was a "survivor" (aka: Veteran) of the "Confederate or Union Army or Navy". For Silas there's listed a "CA".

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RVX-DC?i=9&cc=1727033