[CIVIL WAR]. Large format albumen photograph of Egbert Thompson (1820-1881), Commander of the USS Pittsburgh. N.p.: n.p., [1860s].

About Auction

Live

American Historical Ephemera & Photography

By Cowan's Auctions

Jun 25, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-06-25 10:00:00 2021-06-25 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American Historical Ephemera & Photography https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-historical-ephemera-photography-7043
The June 25 American Historical Ephemera and Photography Auction features an exciting assemblage of 18th-early 20th century material, including Civil War archives, Early Photography, Western Americana, Autographs and Manuscripts, and more. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

View Full Catalog (406)

• Lot Description
  17 3/4 x 21 1/4 in. oval, hand-colored wartime albumen photograph, on 19 1/2 x 23 1/2 in. mount of Egbert Thompson (1820-1881) posed in the uniform of a lieutenant (promoted 3 October 1850) with single cuff stripe and small bullion anchor on the dress epaulets. (Image and mount trimmed, few scattered surface nicks/abrasions in print, minor residue on print likely a result of bring matted and framed previously, toning on mount verso.) Exceptionally large overpainted photograph likely produced from a smaller, out-sized photograph. An identical CDV of the subject exits. 
  
  Egbert Thompson entered the navy as midshipman in 1837 and in the decades before the Civil War participated in the celebrated four-year oceanic Wilkes Exploratory Expedition, the Mexican War, and routine anti-slavery patrols. The advent of war found Lieutenant Thompson serving penance (his ship the USS Fulton had barely survived hurricane damage in July 1859) aboard the paddle-wheel frigate USS Powhattan assigned to the Gulf Blockading Squadron. Thompson was assigned to the United States Western Flotilla under the command of Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote in late 1861 and was soon given command of the newly commissioned City-class ironclad gunboat USS Pittsburgh. During Foote's initial attack on the Fort Donelson defenses, the Pittsburgh was badly damaged by counter-fire on 14 January 1862 and the unlucky Thompson was forced to run her aground to prevent sinking. Pittsburgh was rapidly repaired and rejoined Foote's flotilla in time for the March-April campaign against New Madrid and Island No. 10. Following three days of heavy bombardment, Pittsburgh and her consorts ran past the Rebel batteries on Island No. 10 aided by a blinding thunderstorm that one Union sailor remembered as a "hellish cacophony from God and cannon."  Described as a "daring feat," it allowed the guns of Carondelet and Pittsburgh to silence the Rebel batteries situated below New Madrid, Missouri later that day and for Federal infantry to cross the Mississippi unhindered. Despite the achievement, Thompson once more found himself embroiled in controversy. Carondelet had led the New Madrid bombardment with Pittsburgh close astern. During the cannonade, several of Pittsburgh's shots aimed at the "citadel below" came dangerously close to Carondelet which caused her commander, Captain Henry Walk, to "publicly chastise" his subordinate's conduct in the battle although the Navy did not formally weigh-in on the matter.
  
  Several weeks later, Thompson was at Pittsburgh's helm during the 10 May 1862 engagement at Plum Point Bend near Fort Pillow, Tennessee. He was reportedly drunk during the fight but was advanced in rank to Commander on 16 July 1862.  Thompson was ordered ashore in 1863 and relegated to command of the Philadelphia recruiting station, a onerous duty that would linger into 1864. Controversy returned later in 1864 when the esteemed Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter testified against Thompson's petition, then circulating, to be advanced to Captain, this a blemish on instilled navy hierarchy. The promotion was delayed and Thompson sent off to command the armed, sidewheel ferry USS Commodore McDonough assigned to Charleston operations for the rest of the war. In August 1865, the ship foundered under tow en route for New York.
  
  Retained in the navy post-war, during 1866-67 Thompson commanded a steamer on the distant South Pacific Station, having been promoted to captain the year before (25 July 1866) "despite continuing opposition from brother officers." In 1869, Captain Thompson was assigned to the nearly derelict navy station at Mound City, Illinois where decommissioned vessels were disarmed and sold off. In 1871 he went to the steam sloop USS Canandaigua, then undergoing a lengthy refit at the New York Navy Yard and remained until 1872. In 1873 Captain Thompson sat for promotion to commodore and was passed over by the Board of Examiners, his reputation in the navy evidently preceding him. Captain Thompson was then formally added to the Retired List on 5 January 1874 and left the service feeling slighted and dishonored. Seeking redress, Thompson would hire lawyers and seek the assistance of Congress to adjudicate the matter of his promotion. When that august body responded, they did so by passing a new law (June 1878) "refining the promotion process without granting authority to make a promotion." This forced the aggrieved Thompson to renew his legal challenge but he died on 5 January 1881 before it made much headway. Thompson's heirs also sought redress by filing suit in the US Court of Claims. This was likewise dismissed by the Court in May 1883. 
  
  The Richard B. Cohen Civil War Collection Lots 79-98; 116; 138-153; and 266
  
  Cowan's is pleased to offer the third installment of Richard B. Cohen's collection of Civil War Brown Water Navy photography. Richard was known to many in the field as a "disciplined collector who maintained a relatively narrow focus having built an important, perhaps unsurpassed collection in his area of specialization." From cartes de visite to large format photographs, this portion of the collection features a noteworthy selection of images of Brown Water Navy warships, among them, the USS Benton, Choctaw, Lafayette, and Louisville. Many important identified naval officers are also represented, including an exquisite CDV of the promising young officer, Lieutenant Commander William Gwin, who died of wounds aboard the USS Benton following an artillery duel with Confederate forces at Snyder's Bluff, and an exceptionally large war-date photograph of the controversial commander of the USS Pittsburgh, Egbert Thompson.
  
  This auction also features a premiere selection of autographs and manuscripts from Richard's carefully curated collection. Highlights include a letter from Jefferson Davis to his distant cousin, John J. Pettus, Governor of Mississippi, dated a year before secession, conveying intricate plans for securing armaments in preparation for the war; an Abraham Lincoln signed endorsement; a letter from Admiral D.G. Farragut from New Orleans, offering excellent insight into his "political" thinking as well as his dedication to his work; correspondence from Gideon Welles, David Dixon Porter, U.S. Grant, and W.T. Sherman; and a pair of superb letters with highly descriptive accounts of the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimac.
  
  Provenance: The Richard B. Cohen Civil War Collection
• Shipping Info

  • SHIPPING & PICKUPS Cowan’s Cincinnati Office offers an in-house, full-service shipping department which is unparalleled in the auction industry. Shipping costs are provided with your finalized invoice 24-48 hours after auction. For furniture and oversized items, we recommend using third-party services. For more information, contact cowansshipping@hindmanauctions.com. NOTE: All pickups and preview are by appointment only. To make an appointment, please call 513-871-1670 or email cincinnati@hindmanauctions.com Buyers are required to pay for all packing, shipping and insurance charges. Overseas duty charges are the responsibility of the successful Bidder. Be aware that for larger and/or valuable items, shipping charges can be substantial. - Shipping charges include insurance for your order while in transit. If you have private insurance we will adjust your charge to include only packing and shipping. - Please allow 14 – 21 days after payment to package and ship your purchase as carefully as possible.

• Buyer's Premium

  • Hammer Price	Premium (%)
    $0	28.00
    $250,001	23.00
    $3,000,001	15.00