The Richmond Greys

[frontrank2]

The Richmond Greys were a prominent Confederate Militia Unit that would be integrated into the 12th Virginia Infantry at the start of the war. They were dispatched to Charles Town, ( West ) Virginia to aid in security for John Brown's execution.

 

[frontrank2]

A second image of the Greys.

 

[SWS]

Man at the center of first image is probably Robert Caskie.

Colonel R.A. Caskie, 10th Virginia Cav., Turns Gentleman Hermit in Indiana | Other Soldiers, Politicians, & Men

Perhaps one of the more interesting postbellum careers of any surviving officer of the States' War was undertaken by Colonel Caskie, formerly of the 10th Virginia Cavalry Regiment and the Richmond Grays militia, in Sullivan County, Indiana, between 1885-1910, when, beset by financial and legal...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Believe both photographs displayed are of Virginia militiamen (mostly Richmond Grays) taken in Nov. 1859 at Charles Town, VA (later WV), before the Confederacy existed. (The Richmond Grays would become Co. A, 1st VA Volunteers in '61).

The faces of the young men in these pictures appear fresh and confident, and they look to be part of a close-knit group.

Interestingly, in first photo - on the left beside Robert Alexander Caskie (in center with goatee) is believed to be John Wilkes Booth, who bought a uniform from the Grays at the time to pose in this picture. (Booth was certainly a 'scene-stealer' in real-life).
(See https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016650150/ )

(If that is indeed Booth, then thought there was something particularly ominous in observing him prominently displaying that firmly gripped raised blade in the scene to perhaps demonstrate his fascination with that weapon. Later, when he shot Lincoln and jumped from the President's box to the stage, he supposedly raised his knife and shouted that Latin statement attributed to Brutus at Caesar's assassination).

 

[Robert Gray]

1) Here is the original negative of this image. It is a copy of an ambrotype (one of three) taken by photographer Lewis Graham Dinkle (1829-1906) in November 1859 at Charles Town, Va. (Valentine Richmond History Center, Negative Number 3648)

2) A print made from the negative. (Modern Copy Print, Virginia Historical Society, Number 2001.230.366)

 

[Robert Gray]

Angela Smythe has done considerable research on these ambrotypes and has determined that the likeliest time they were taken was on Monday, November 21, 1859 in an area adjacent to the jail yard compound's wall, which can be seen in the background of the image. The identities of several of the men have been established, the most interesting being that of John Wilkes Booth who was known to have accompanied the Richmond Grays to Charles Town. He is standing to the left of center restraining the hand of the man wielding the knife. I won't go into details here, but Ms. Smythe's research has convinced me that it is him. "Hidden in plain sight" might well be used to describe Booth's presence in this historical photograph.

"Conversations through the Glass"
John Wilkes Booth and the Richmond Grays
By Angela Smythe
May 10, 2014

 

[R. Porter]

So the guy leaning over in the center of the picture is just trying to keep from getting stabbed in the head?

 

[Pollaco]

Booth is also one in the crowd looking down at Lincoln in the famous picture Lincoln's Second Inauguration.

 

[Bryce]

Angela Smythe has done considerable research on these ambrotypes and has determined that the likeliest time they were taken was on Monday, November 21, 1859 in an area adjacent to the jail yard compound's wall, which can be seen in the background of the image. The identities of several of the men have been established, the most interesting being that of John Wilkes Booth who was known to have accompanied the Richmond Grays to Charles Town. He is standing to the left of center restraining the hand of the man wielding the knife. I won't go into details here, but Ms. Smythe's research has convinced me that it is him. "Hidden in plain sight" might well be used to describe Booth's presence in this historical photograph.

"Conversations through the Glass"
John Wilkes Booth and the Richmond Grays
By Angela Smythe
May 10, 2014

View attachment 556879

 

[Bryce]

My colleague John Horn has written a book on the 12th Virginia infantry. He and Hampton Newsome have published a volume on the war talks of confederate veterans. A member of the regiment named John Bernard lived near Petersburg, Virginia. He was a member of The A.P. Hill camp of Confederate veterans and interviewed numerous people about the battles that regiment was in. He then delivered a series of talks about those battles too the members of the camp.

 

[J. Beckert]

In my opinion, this guy resembles Booth the strongest.

 

[J. Beckert]

Booth is also one in the crowd looking down at Lincoln in the famous picture Lincoln's Second Inauguration.

 

[frontrank2]

In my opinion, this guy resembles Booth the strongest.

View attachment 577038

Yes, I totally agree. I've had discussions with other people since I had posted it and the consensus is that that fellow is JW Booth.