Description
Carte view identified as Henry McConville of Worcester, Massachusetts. In May of 1861, Henry would enlist with the 3rd Massachusetts Rifles. A three month regiment, its entire term of service would be spent at or in the vicinity of Fort McHenry, doing guard and garrison duty, dismounting and remounting heavy guns, etc. Henry would however serve as a hospital steward. Discharged in August, he would muster with the 25th Massachusetts in October, 1861 and immediately receive a promotion to 2nd lieutenant. A promotion to 1st lieutenant would follow in August, 1862 with a promotion to adjutant in November. The regiment would remain in the vicinity of New Berne, North Carolina until April, 1864 when they would be attached to the 24th Corps and head back to Virginia. They would fight at Drury’s Bluff followed by the Battle of Cold Harbor. It was during the latter battle that Henry would be mortally wounded on June 3rd. Sent to the Armory Square Hospital at Washington, D. C., he would linger for a little over a week before succumbing to the wound. “Adjutant Henry McConville, 25th Massachusetts Volunteers, aged 25 years, was wounded at the battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, June 3d, 1864, by a conoidal musket ball, which entered the right parietal eminence, causing extensive comminution, and lodged in the substance of the brain. He received, in the same engagement, two other wounds; one in the neck and the other in the chest. On June 3d, he was admitted to the Eighteenth Corps hospital, and thence transferred, on June 6th, to the Armory Square Hospital, Washington. Simple dressings were applied to the head. On June 11th, several spiculae were removed from the fractured cranium. Coma supervened and the case terminated fatally on June 12th, 1864.” His body was returned home and interred at the Saint John’s Cemetery in his home town of Worcester. Following his death, he would recieve brevets to both captain and major in March, 1865. This view bears an ink inscription from Henry across the bottom reading, “Truly yours, I. E. Henry McConville Adjutant 25th Mass Vols”. No back mark on this one.
