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THBQuarter Plate Tintype of Officers from the 124th New York Infantry Smoking Pipes, One Identified
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
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About Auction
LiveFeb 21, 2017 - Feb 22, 2017
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (290)
- Lot Description
Quarter plate, uncased tintype portrait of a group of four uniformed soldiers standing together in a studio setting, with an American flag partially visible on the painted backdrop. Three of the four soldiers smoke pipes as they look directly at the camera. A modern note inked on reverse side of plate identifies the subjects as, Officers of the 124th N.Y. / H.P. Ramsdell on far right.
Henry P. Ramsdell was the son of the incredibly successful merchant, Homer Ramsdell, who engaged in business in dry goods, silk, shipping, and banking, and served as president of the Erie Railroad. In 1860, Ramsdell's father owned more than half a million dollars worth of real estate, while his mother owned 50,000 dollars in real estate and $150,000 in personal property. On August 15, 1862, barely at the legal age, Henry P. Ramsdell decided to leave his comfortable life and enlist in the army as a 2nd lieutenant. The next month, he was commissioned into the 124th New York Infantry, Co. C. He earned two promotions during his brief service, including 1st lieutenant on December 31, 1862, and captain on October 7, 1863. Engaged at Harper's Ferry, Ramsdell and his regiment did not suffer much loss, but at the Battle of Chancellorsville, 204 of the regiment's 505 men where either injured or killed. It suffered again at the Battle of Gettysburg, where 28 officers and men were killed, 57 wounded, and five reported missing. The 124th NY's heroic leader, Colonel Ellis, perished there. After losing Ellis, young Ramsdell took command of the regiment where, by this account, he acquitted himself nobly. Ramsdell's career was cut short after the army discharged him on December 13, 1863 for a contusion of the kidneys he suffered at Gettysburg. While he remained at home, his regiment continued to lose men at Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. Stumbling to the end, the regiment was present at Appomattox Court House and witnessed the final Union victory.
After the war, Ramsdell enjoyed a quiet life as a paper manufacturer in New York. Census records indicate he eventually married a woman 30 years his junior, Adele Livingston Voorhees, and they had one child together. He and his wife traveled extensively after his retirement. A Biographical Sketch of Lt. Henry Powell Ramsdell was offered by Cowan's in December 2004 as Lot 328.
Provenance: N. Flayderman and Co., Inc.Few creases in plate, near top left corner. Few very light scratches. Tones are nice, rich, however they are a little dark in lower portion of plate.Condition
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