Description
Wonderful carte view of two Federal officers enjoying a nip of refreshments. Red wine perhaps. The two men are William B. Arnold and Lieutenant Jonathon C. Kingsley of the 86th Illinois Infantry. Arnold stands next to a seated Kingsley holding a half full glass in his hand while Lieutenant Kingsley himself grips a brown glass flask in his lap. Arnold would be discharged from the 86th on January 23rd, 1863. That same day he would be mustered into the Mississippi Marine Brigade which was just being formed. The unit consisted of no more than 350 men and officers which operated a total of 9 small, lightly armored vessels which were fitted with rams. The men acted as Marines but under the jurisdiction of the army rather than the navy. They worked patrolling the Mississippi River seeing action at Richmond, Louisiana and in the bombardment of Vicksburg among others. Arnold would finally be discharged in February, 1865. Lieutenant Kingsley would serve his entire term with the 86th Illinois seeing his fair share of action as well at such places as Buzzards Roost, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek and several others. He would be discharged in June, 1865. This one does have an ink signature on the back by Arnold. It then has in period pencil “W Arnold standing Lt. Kingsley sitting Alexandria, Va 1865. Very rare unit. Probably not to many views floating around attributed to the Mississippi Marine Brigade. No back mark on this one.
