#jeb stuart
General Pierce M.B. Young(Confederate)
Here we have a distinguished gentleman indeed. Reclining in his chair, Young is wearing the fine civilian clothes he donned for his post-war career as a politician and diplomat, although this photo was apparently taken at the height of the war itself, in 1863. His face demonstrates an unusual take on a goatee, with his remarkable moustache almost blocking out what little beard he has on his chin.
Young was one of the leading Confederate cavalry figures of the war, more or less from start to finish. He served under Wade Hampton and J.E.B. Stuart, showing bravery and leadership skills in a series of battles that eventually won him promotion to major general late in 1864. He saw out the war desperately and vainly defending his home state of Georgia and then his birthplace of South Carolina. After the surrender he returned to Georgia and served four terms in the US House of Representatives, later becoming a consul in Russia and Central America.
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150 years ago today, Lincoln stepped foot into what was officially the former capitol of the CSA, Jefferson Davis and his government having left it for presumably-safer-but-not-actually Danville. His son, Tad, was by his side, and they were greeted by joyous slaves and the wary eyes of Confederates who had not chosen to evacuate.
Some 149 years and several months in change later, my boyfriend and I drove into Richmond with much less fanfare. We were roadtripping through Virginia on a week long vacation that began in Virginia Beach and would end in Washington, DC. Nick was there for the sun and Busch Gardens; I was there to pretty much cry myself through every Civil War site he was nice enough to let us stop at.
Richmond was an abbreviated 1.5 day stop where I crammed a lot of history into not a lot of time. The first thing we did after grabbing lunch (at a Beatles-themed pub we stumbled across, which was amazing and delicious) was high tail it over to the Museum of the Confederacy and Confederate White House. I think we got the last tour - just the two of us, the tour guide, and a man who asked halfway through who exactly was the president of the Confederacy?
You weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the house, but that was okay; in my mind I can still recall the small, sunny room where Davis’ children had their music lessons and the winding staircase that led to the second floor where not too long ago, according to the guide, women dressed in period outfits had hiked up their hoop skirts and ascended the stairs on one of many pilgrimages the house has witnessed.
The museum was another story, in terms of pictures. I tried not to take too many, but there was a lot of stuff owned by a lot of famous people in history. Lee, JEB Stuart, Magruder, Davis… there was also a Confederate flag that went to space in like the 1980s, which was kind of weird, but whatever. History!
