General Nathaniel Lyon
PhotographerPhotographed by
Unknown
Datebefore 1861
MediumPhotography; tintype on lacquered iron plate under glass with brass mat in wood and leather case with metal clasp
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 2 1/2 x 1 1/2in. (6.4 x 3.8cm)
Plate (height x width): 3 x 2 1/2in. (7.6 x 6.4cm)
Other (Case height x width x depth): 3 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 5/8in. (9.5 x 8.3 x 1.6cm)
Plate (height x width): 3 x 2 1/2in. (7.6 x 6.4cm)
Other (Case height x width x depth): 3 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 5/8in. (9.5 x 8.3 x 1.6cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
DescriptionThree-quarter length portrait of a man wearing a military uniform. He holds a hat in his left hand. His right hand rests on the hilt of his sword.
Object number2010.285.0
InscribedOn bottom edge of case, in red paint, accession numberNotesSubject Note: Nathaniel Lyon (1818-1861) was born in Ashford, Connecticut. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1841. He served in the Mexican War, then was appointed to Fort Riley, Kansas. Though originally a Democrat, experiencing the slavery controversy in "bleeding Kansas" turned him into a Republican who was adamantly opposed to slavery. In 1861, Nathaniel Lyon was transferred to St. Louis, Missouri, where he saved an arsenal of weapons from falling into Confederate hands; Nathaniel's strategy was brash, but it saved the arsenal, and possibly Missouri, for the Union. The action provoked Confederate Governor Claiborne F. Jackson and his supporters to insurrection. Nathaniel Lyon had been promoted to brigadier general on 17 May, and he mounted a campaign against the insurrection. The Confederates were waiting for General Lyon at Willson's Creek, near Springfield, Missouri, on 10 August. General Lyon was killed while trying to lead a last charge in what became a Confederate victory.Subject Terms
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