Original Photographs Taken on the Battlefields during the Civil War of the United States — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Original Photographs Taken on the Battlefields during the Civil War of the United States
John Stuart Mill · en
GENERAL JAMES A. GARFIELD was fully acquainted with the conditions under
which the negatives were taken and the subsequent impoverishment of
Mathew Brady. He insisted that something should be done for the man who
risked all he had in the world and through misfortune lost the results
of his labors. General Benjamin Butler, Congressman from Massachusetts,
also felt the injustice, and on his motion a paragraph was inserted in
the Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill for $25,000 "to enable the Secretary
of War to acquire a full and perfect title to the Brady collection of
photographs of the War." The business element in Congress was inclined
to question the material value of the negatives. They were but little
concerned with the art value and the discussion became a matter of
business inventory. Generals Garfield and Butler in reply to the
economists declared: "_The commercial value of the entire collection is
at least $150,000._" Ten years after the War, but too late to save him a
vestige of business credit, the Government came to Brady's relief and on
April 15, 1875, the sum of $25,000 was paid to him. During these years
of waiting, Brady had been unable to satisfy the demands of his
creditors and an attachment was placed on the negatives in storage in
New York. Judgment was rendered to his creditor, Anthony, and the
negatives became his property.
Army officers who knew of the existence of the negatives urged the
Government to publish them as a part of the Official Records of the War.
The Government stated in reply: "The photographic views of the War
showing the battlefields, military divisions, fortifications, etc., are
among the most authentic and valuable records of the Rebellion. The
preservation of these interesting records of the War is too important to
be intrusted in glass plates so easily destroyed by accident or design
and no more effective means than printing can be devised to save them
from destruction." While a few proofs were taken for the purpose of
official records, the public still remained unacquainted with the scenes
so graphically preserved. One who is acquainted with the conditions
says: "From different sources verbal and unofficial, it was learned that
quite a number of the negatives were broken through careless handling by
the employees of the War Department." The negatives were transferred to
the War Records Office and placed under the careful supervision of
Colonel R. N. Scott.
[Illustration: BRADY'S "WHAT IS IT?" IN THE CIVIL WAR
The Photographer's Headquarters at Cold Harbor, Virginia, in 1862, where
he had taken refuge to prepare his paraphernalia for a long and
hazardous journey--It was with much difficulty that the delicate glass
negatives were protected from breakage on these daring rides through
forests and fields and proofs were taken at the first opportunity that
offered]