Capt. J.H. Ward, U.S.N.
PhotographerPhotographed by
Mathew Brady
(American, 1823 - 1896)
PublisherPublished by
E. Anthony
SubjectPortrait of
Captain James Harman Ward
(American, 1806 - 1861)
Date1855-1861
MediumPhotography; albumen print on paper on cardboard mount
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width of image): 3 3/8 x 2 1/8in. (8.5 x 5.4cm)
Mount (height x width): 4 x 2 3/8in. (10.1 x 6.1cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Charles W. Ward
Object number1884.3.0
DescriptionBust length studio portrait of a man with a mustache, wearing a military naval uniform. He faces to his left.
NotesSubject Note: Captain James Harmon Ward is thought to have been the first naval officer to be killed during the Civil War. He was born on 25 September 1806 in Hartford, Connecticut. He was graduated from the Norwich Military Academy (Norwich University) in Norwich, Vermont, in 1823, and was commissioned midshipman, 4 March 1829. He organized the Potomac flotilla in May 1861 for Civil War service. In the bombardment of Mathias Point, June 27, the party was fired upon by the 40th Virginia Infantry, and Captain Ward was hit on board his flagship. As he was sighting a gun on the shore, Captain Ward was struck by a minie ball and died within an hour, being the first naval officer killed in the Civil War. He died at Mathias Point, Virginia, on 27 June 1861.
Date Note: This image was probably taken sometime between 1855 and 1861 when the subject was killed in battle. Since this image was reproduced in New York using a Brady negative, this actual carte de visite may have been produced later than 1861. (Lee 2/12/2010)
Status
Not on view
Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries
Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries
