One of the most memorable images of the Civil War is this photograph of Confederate Lt. J.B. Washington, Union Lt. George Armstrong Custer, and a child. How these two officers came to pose together on a May day in 1862 is noteworthy. How the child came to be part of the picture is revealed in a letter by Custer. Here's the story.

I also wrote a story about this image: "Lieutenant Washington’s Fateful Encounter: James Barroll Washington sat for a well-known portrait with George Armstrong Custer. Here’s the story behind it." https://www.militaryimagesmagazine-di...

"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by The Battles for Chattanooga. Learn more: battlesforchattanooga.com

Image: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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