Beschreibung:

Historically important group of 18 cartes de visite belonging to Captain Buford Allen Tracy and his mother Martha Ann Tracy, whose late father/husband G. Obediah Tracy died at Camp Douglas in 1864 at age 64, a Great Raid prisoner from the 11th Kentucky Cavalry. His son, Captain Buford Tracy first enlisted in 1861 in the famous 4th Alabama Infantry and served until he was discharged to raise his own company as Captain, Co C, 7th Kentucky Cavalry. In September 1862 he joined the 11th Kentucky Cavalry as RQM and was assigned to General John Hunt Morgan's brigade, eventually becoming AQM on Morgan's divisional staff. He rode in the Great Raid of July 1863 and was captured near Buffington Island. Along with other officers he was sent to the Ohio Penitentiary, from where Morgan escaped in November 1863. In 1864 Tracy was transferred to Fort Delaware, where later that year his exchange took place. He immediately returned to active duty and was assigned to Basil Duke's command, with which he accompanied President Davis' 'last ditch' escort into Georgia, guarding the remnants of the Confederate treasury of gold and silver. At the time of his death in 1895, he was a respected businessman in his native Clark County, KY, where he died in an elevator accident. This collection was assembled during Buford's incarceration at Fort Delaware, DE and was taken by Philadelphia photographer John L. Gihon, whose imprint appears on 14 of the mounts. Of the four unmarked cartes, three are also Gihon's work as judged by the mount's rounded corners and identical plain-walled backgrounds photographed inside Fort Delaware. A single carte is imprinted by Rorah & Co, Pittsburgh, PA and reflects the giver's earlier incarceration at the Western Penitentiary, where some of Morgan's officers were sent in 1863. Included are portraits of three members of Morgan's immediate family and three members of his divisional staff, in addition to three other prominent field grade officers. The cartes consist of the following portraits: 1 Seated portrait of Colonel Basil Duke, autographed on recto B.W. Duke, and in his hand on reverse: To Mrs. M.A. Tracy, Clark County, Ky. (no photographer's imprint) Basil Wilson Duke, Morgan's brother-in-law and close friend, was the General's second-in-command and after Morgan's death, led the division's survivors until surrender in Georgia as escort to President Jefferson Davis. He is regarded by many as Morgan's 'tactical brains' and was his chief military administrator. 2 Seated portrait of Captain Charlton H. Morgan, the General's brother, autographed on recto C H Morgan ADC CSA and inscribed on reverse: Presented to Mrs Tracy by her friend C H Morgan, ADC, CSA Lexington, Kentucky. Capt. Morgan wears a federal officer's belt and rectangular 'eagle' plate. (no photographer's imprint) 3 Seated portrait of Major James B McCreary, 11th Kentucky Cavalry, signed on recto J.B. McCreary Major C.S.A. and inscribed on reverse: Presented to Mrs. M A Tracy as a testimonial of respect for her, + admiration + kind remembrance for her decd [deceased] Husband - Ft Delaware May 7th 1864. Major McCreary temporarily commanded G. Obediah Tracy's regiment during the Great Raid. (Gihon photographer's imprint) 4 Seated portrait of Major Horace A Higley, Major, Commissary of Subsistence and Acting ADC, Morgan's staff. Autographed on recto: Major H.A. Higley and on reverse: To Mrs. M. A. Tracy with the compliments of H.A. Higley, Major C.S.A. Fort Delaware May 29th, 1864. Major Higley wears a Breckinridge blouse with pleated front and holds a black felt hat with officer cords. Before his staff promotion, he served as Ordnance Sergt in the 40th Alabama Infantry. (Gihon imprint) 5 Seated portrait of Lieut. Colonel Cicero Coleman, 8th Kentucky Cavalry, signed on recto Cicero Coleman Col. C.S.A. Morgan's Cav. On reverse is his inscription: Fort Delaware May 10 1864 To Mrs. Tracy, from a friendship of her family. Cicero. Coleman's determined demonstration at Chesi