Unknown Confederate Major Nice Uniform

TerryB

Lt. Colonel
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Location
Nashville TN
Recently sent to me as a scan by a researcher who thought it might be my avatar, Col. Marcellus Pointer. I don't think it is Pointer. Any guesses? No back mark or other identifying text.

Unknown Major.jpg
 
I can't say about the man - but can definitely say he's wearing the rank insignia of a major and is carrying a Mlle. An IX or An XI Sabre pour Cavalrie Legere! Those were regulation in Napoleon's army from 1802 or 1804 to 1816 for officers and troopers of what Europeans termed light cavalry: Hussars, Chasseurs, or Lanciers. While recently reading about Second Manassas I noticed a photograph of a Confederate colonel there showing him armed with the Mlle. An XII Lourde or heavy cavalry saber. And of course, Maj. Heros von Borke of Jeb Stuart's staff carried his own Prussian model dragoon saber.

Edit: For some reason, Federal Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell is always pictured with an Austrian cavalry saber!
 
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I can't say about the man - but can definitely say he's wearing the rank insignia of a major and is carrying a Mlle. An IX or An XI Sabre pour Cavalrie Legere! Those were regulation in Napoleon's army from 1802 or 1804 to 1816 for officers and troopers of what Europeans termed light cavalry: Hussars, Chasseurs, or Lanciers. While recently reading about Second Manassas I noticed a photograph of a Confederate colonel there showing him armed with the Mlle. An XII Lourde or heavy cavalry saber. And of course, Maj. Heros von Borke of Jeb Stuart's staff carried his own Prussian model dragoon saber.

Edit: For some reason, Federal Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell is always pictured with an Austrian cavalry saber!
My sense is that this is early war--1861-62, but copied from an original some time in the 1870s.
 
Just learned that the photo of the unknown major was owned by Dabney Minor Scales of the CS navy. That increases the chances that it was of someone from the Memphis or Holly Springs area. Too bad it's not Marcellus, but all comments so far agree with me that it's not.
 
PS, it's at the Alabama Archives website.

Ok thanks... it was a long shot...lol... have one ancestor that was a Thompson (John Baker Thompson) that was a Major then later Lt.Colonel.. killed at Shiloh... Knew there is an image of him existing, but has been elusive to locate a copy of it...
 
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