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Samuel S. Carleton 13th Mass WIA Antietam, Chancellorsville


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Here is a watercolor of Samuel Stephen Carleton which was painted over a photograph printed on paper (you can tell because the "D" on his hat and the lock on his rifle are backwards) and his cased flute with 13th Mass engraved in the end cap. This is one of the horror stories of the Civil War.

Samuel Stephen Carleton, Company D, 13th Massachusetts Regiment

Carleton enlisted into the Fourth Battalion Massachusetts Rifles, for three months, in April, 1861, immediately after hearing of the assault on the 6th Massachusetts Regiment, in Baltimore. The men of this battalion soon re-enlisted for three years, and were the nucleus of the 13th Massachusetts Regiment. Carleton was wounded in the battle of Antietam, but not severely. He was in the battle at Chancellorsville on the 4th of May, 1863, and in a skirmish with the enemy the next day, while helping a wounded man from the field, a minnie ball entered Carleton’s left hip, passed clear through and came out on the other side, causing a compound fracture of the right hip bone.

The splinters formed dead bone and could not work out. He was taken prisoner, placed under a table out of doors where the rebel surgeons were amputating limbs of their wounded, where he was kept ten days, though he had as good care as they could give him. He was then paroled, placed in corps hospital, and afterward sent to Washington, where he remained until February, 1864. From there he was returned to Boston, and placed in hospital, and in June came home to Claremont.

Here he laid upon his back, suffering beyond description. For ten or twelve months hopes were entertained of his recovery when a diarrhea, from which he was suffering when he came here, set in and followed him until his death, Jan. 23, 1867.

Dick

 

 

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Civil War musical instruments that are unit marked are incredibly rare, and this one would be one of the nicest I've seen. It would be a centerpiece in my collection for sure! I love the fact that he is clearly sporting a P1853 Enfield rifled musket, and a side knife to boot! Definitely one of the nicest Federal images that I've seen!

 

He is also one of the many Civil War soldiers that died of their wounds after hostilities ended - supporting the fact that well over 620,000 died from the war - with some estimates as high as 800,000+. Many of these were from disease, but many such diseases were battle/wound related.

 

Thank you for sharing!

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Dick,

This piece is an unusual find for we medal collectors. The flute appears to be in very fine shape, and I wonder if the seals are still in good shape. All in all, a very Collectable and unusual item. You snag some pretty good stiff, :)

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Great grouping.

 

The image is usually called a pastel portrait or charcoal (modern term). The image is a result of enlarging a smaller image (tintype/ ambrotype/ CDV). As the image was enlarged many of the finer details were lost. Artist were employed to regain lost details, touch up and enhance the image to the purchasers specifications.

 

What size is your framed portrait?

 

Often details of the enlargment and photographers information can be found on the back of the image.

 

Scott

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Thank you all for your comments. All of the joints on the flute are wrapped with string and everything seems tight. There is, however, a chip in one of the joints. The picture measures eight by ten and the painting is actually watercolor not as usually seen pastel. I have a huge pastel of a cavalryman mounted on his horse holding a carbine and a portrait of a group of officers done in oil over a photograph. I like the drawn or painted over images,

Dick

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