Malas Posted November 17, 2013 Share #1 Posted November 17, 2013 I recently purchased a CDV of a Marine Corps officer. It was a written name on both the front and back identifying him as a lieutenant but I cannot make out the name either in the front or back. The back is dated 1872 so I tried to track it by using 1872 period rosters without ant luck. I was hoping someone could make out the name better than I could so I could identify the officer images are attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normaninvasion Posted November 17, 2013 Share #2 Posted November 17, 2013 Really nice CDV. Don't know who this Lt. is but I believe its a Matthew Brady. Also try to move this to the Ephemera section. As this section is for testing photos. Looking foward to the ID! jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry K. Posted November 17, 2013 Share #3 Posted November 17, 2013 Looks like Berlin to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottiques Posted November 17, 2013 Share #4 Posted November 17, 2013 Zeilin, W.F.Second Lieutenant, 19 December, 1871. First Lieutenant, 6 December, 1879. Died 4 June, 1880. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malas Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share #5 Posted November 17, 2013 Scott thanks for the fast reply. I tried to identify this for over a week and finally looked for help. Guess I didn't reading the name very well I wasn't even close. Malas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottiques Posted November 17, 2013 Share #6 Posted November 17, 2013 Glad to help out. I am a Civil War/ antique photograph dealer and through the years have gotten fairly good a reading 19th century writing! Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normaninvasion Posted November 17, 2013 Share #7 Posted November 17, 2013 Zeilin was on the USS Constitution for the Paris Expostion 1879 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted December 7, 2013 Share #8 Posted December 7, 2013 Don't know how I overlooked this...incredible early photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teufelhunde.ret Posted December 8, 2013 Share #9 Posted December 8, 2013 Great image, I suspect he may be the son of Gen Jacob Zeilin, the first Commandant to be appointed a General Officer and the one who approved the eagle, globe and anchor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capa Posted December 8, 2013 Share #10 Posted December 8, 2013 Wonder what was the cause of death in 1880? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malas Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted December 8, 2013 I asked the same question since in 1877 he was still a young man. My other question is his last name is the same as the 7th commandant of the Marine Corps I wonder if they were related. So far no luck getting anymore information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teufelhunde.ret Posted December 9, 2013 Share #12 Posted December 9, 2013 Yes, turns out this is him, William Freeman Zeilin is the son of the General. He was buried in the same cemetery, laurel Hill in Philly. And presently four period porcelain portrait miniatures of the Zeilin family are on display in the recently renovated Commandants residence in DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malas Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share #13 Posted December 9, 2013 Thanks for the information, I really lucked out when I bought this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted December 9, 2013 Share #14 Posted December 9, 2013 William Freeman Zeilin attended West Point. He died 4th June 1880 while stationed aboard the ship Franklin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted December 9, 2013 Share #15 Posted December 9, 2013 A Brady photo of one of the few Marine officers of that period, and the son of a Commandant to boot... I think we can call this one "rare." During the period he was in the Corps, there were only about 75 officers at any one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted December 10, 2013 Share #16 Posted December 10, 2013 the date kind of throws me, I thought that style cover was authorized starting in 1875 That image is actually in Alec Tulkoff's 'Equipping the Corps', and is credited to NARA...so must have been his official portrait, as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malas Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share #17 Posted December 10, 2013 Thanks everyone for your help the mystery is solved and all the questions answered. Boy am I happy I decided to buy it just before leaving the show. If it wasn't for the CW Shako he was selling I probably never would have went to the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normaninvasion Posted December 10, 2013 Share #18 Posted December 10, 2013 Good catch, sure enough the exact image is in Alec's book. Now for the date? Maybe the 2 is a 7? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted December 10, 2013 Share #19 Posted December 10, 2013 It is a "2" - so the photo either disproves what was thought was true, or it was dated by someone guessing at the to date the photo was taken, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capa Posted December 10, 2013 Share #20 Posted December 10, 2013 Mystery solved. Sad end to a young man's life, that's for sure. Thanks for sharing all this great research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted December 10, 2013 Share #21 Posted December 10, 2013 It is a "2" - so the photo either disproves what was thought was true, or it was dated by someone guessing at the to date the photo was taken, cdv.jpg I'm guessing the latter, unless maybe it was test fielded first, as Alec has a lot of original letters and orders in his research for his work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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