behind AotW

This fabulous photograph is from Jeff Radcliffe who took it about a week ago at Arlington National Cemetery. Pictured is the original 1864 grave marker for Antietam veteran Michael Byrns, a Private in Company A, 63rd New York Infantry. It’s slowly being swallowed by that massive tree.

Jeff tells me he made the photo with a Hasselblad SWC using Ilford HP5 black & white film, scanned at 1200 dpi. I’ve reduced it somewhat for the web. Touch the image to see it larger.

Elliott Jones was a Private in Company H, 31st Virginia Infantry when he was wounded, probably in action in the West Woods [map] near Sharpsburg, MD on 17 September 1862. His photograph (ambrotype?) was contributed to his Find-a-grave memorial by Jordan Carnes.

Andrew Streigel was a Sergeant with the 27th Indiana Infantry when was shot through the chest while bearing the national colors during the battle of Antietam on 17 September 1862. He survived that and two other wounds during the war to return to a farm near Jasper, IN. The clipping above is from the Jasper Weekly Courier of 7 April 1893, online from newspapers.com.

Here’s a photograph of the flag he carried at Antietam, restored in 2008 and on display at the Dubois County Museum in Jasper. Thanks to Michelle Striegel-Rice Snelling for that picture and the poke to look more closely at her great great grandfather.