The latest evidence? He’s doing some sleuthing over at the Times about a Civil-War-era photograph. The first of what will be a five-part series is linked above.
Here’s the hook:
The soldier’s body was found near the center of Gettysburg with no identification — no regimental numbers on his cap, no corps badge on his jacket, no letters, no diary. Nothing save for an ambrotype (an early type of photograph popular in the late 1850s and 1860s) of three small children clutched in his hand. Within a few days the ambrotype came into the possession of Benjamin Schriver, a tavern keeper in the small town of Graeffenburg, about 13 miles west of Gettysburg. The details of how Schriver came into possession of the ambrotype have been lost to history. But the rest of the story survives, a story in which this photograph of three small children was used for both good and wicked purposes. First, the good.
It goes on from there. Though so far only to Part Two, which can be found here.
5 comments
March 31, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Bitchphd
Dead soldier must’ve had biiig hands. (Or teensy children.)
March 31, 2009 at 5:15 pm
kid bitzer
i don’t get it, b.
usually you have more self-respect than to go for a cheap joke like that.
you’re horning in on my territory.
March 31, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Bitchphd
When I read that passage, I really did think he had the kids in his hand at first, and was confused. Is my excuse.
April 4, 2009 at 8:33 pm
fromlaurelstreet
thanks, ari!
April 4, 2009 at 8:53 pm
ari
My pleasure.