Description
Splendid carte view of Brigadier General William Lytle. A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Lytle would serve during the Mexican-American as well serving as a major general in the Ohio state militia prior to the war. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, through his political and military connections, Lytle was commissioned as colonel of the 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Assigned to western Virginia, they engaged in a series of small engagements in a campaign that led to the withdrawal of Southern forces in that region, which helped pave the way for the statehood of West Virginia. Given command of a brigade of infantry, he was severely wounded in his left calf muscle in a fight at Carnifax Ferry on September 10, 1861, and was sent home to recover. After a four-month recuperation, he would return to duty participating in General Ormsby Mitchel’s operations along the Memphis and Chattanooga Railroad. Lytle was wounded a second time and taken prisoner at Perryville on October 8, 1862 but was soon exchanged and rejoined the army. On November 29, Lytle was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers, and led his brigade in numerous engagements in the army of William Rosecrans. Admiring officers from his old 10th OVI presented him with a jeweled Maltese cross in September 1863 which he can be seen wearing in this view. 11 days after receiving Maltese cross, Lytle was mortally wounded at Chickamauga while leading a counterattack on horseback. Once his identity was known, Confederates placed a guard around his body, and many recited his poetry over their evening campfires. The hill where he died is now known as “Lytle Hill” in the Chickamauga National Military Park. His funeral was held in the early afternoon at Christ Church on Fourth Street in Cincinnati. So many people lined the streets that the funeral cortege did not reach Spring Grove Cemetery until dusk. This view of the general bears a wonderful period ink inscription on the reverse reading, “Brig Gen’l Wm. H. Lytle. Killed in Balle of Chickamauga, GA Sept. 20/63″. Great back mark on this one as well from Schwing & Rudd from the Army of the Cumberland.
