NEW PRICING***Newly Id’d Cased 1/6 Plate Signed Rees Ambrotype of Lt. Frederick H. Bruce, Co. K 49th Va. Infantry

SOLD

NEW PRICING***Newly Id’d Cased 1/6 Plate Signed Rees Ambrotype of Lt. Frederick H. Bruce, Co. K 49^th Va. Infantry – This impressive, signed Rees ambrotype, depicts a dignified, young, Virginia Lieutenant, sitting in a chair, resting his arm on a table; the background is plain. Resting next to the officer’s hand, on the table, is his forage cap. This pose is a classic Rees portrait pose with most of Rees’ portraits composed in this fashion – a three quarter view, with the sitter partially turned to his left, sitting next to a table, usually covered with some sort of decorative cloth. The officer in this image cradles a British style (Model 1822) officer’s sword, similar in construction to one manufactured by the Montgomery, Alabama firm of Halfmann & Taylor. The officer is wearing a typical, Confederate officer’s, double-breasted frock coat, with Lieutenant’s quatrefoil on his cuffs and sleeves, with single Lieutenant’s rank bars on either side of his collar. The officer’s sword belt, with sword hangers visible, has a tongue and wreath belt plate; what is on the tongue of this plate is not quite discernible. The image is housed in a full, ornate, thermoplastic case that is in excellent condition, with some very, minor nips on the edges of the case, at the corners. Famed Richmond photographer, C.R. Rees’ signature is visible, scratched, discreetly, in the emulsion, just outside of the image proper, along the left hip area, below the elbow of the sitter. The image is in good condition, exhibiting some scratches in the emulsion, but in overall great shape. This image came from renowned collector Bill Turner and retains his inventory marking on the exterior, top of the case.

***When we initially obtained this image, we were unaware of the identity of the officer depicted. We recently received an email from a direct descendant of the officer, who provided us with his identity and regiment of service. Below are the texts of the emails we received from the descendant of Lt. Bruce (the descendant, Brett Stephenson, has been most gracious and helpful in providing the information that confirmed the identity of this officer):

“Brett Stephenson wrote:

You have the same picture; I believe it was my GGG Grandfather Frederick Bruce – It is the tintype my grandmother once had.

Yes, I have had the copy of this photo since I was 10 years old; I am 48 now. He (Bruce) was my grandmother’s great grandfather and her grandfather fought in same unit, and that is how he met her grandmother. 

We had another picture of my GGG Grandfather’s brother, Robert N Bruce, who was also a second lieutenant in the same unit, probably taken the same day; I know they traveled to Richmond to have it taken and were AWOL for two days from what my grandmother told us… They started the group the Sperryville Sharpshooters.”

We have included in the various pictures of this image, an image of Mr. Stephenson, taken when he was about the same age as Lt. Bruce, at a comparable time when C.R. Rees composed the war period image; needless to say, the resemblance is quite striking. Lt. Bruce only served a short time in the Confederate army, resigning to return home, after his wife died, leaving him to care for their ten children.

Frederick H. Bruce

49th Virginia Infantry Regiment

COMPANY K

“SPERRYVILLE SHARPSHOOTERS”

(Formerly Company D)

The following regimental and company records and accounts from actual participants in Company B are direct from the following publication:  “History of the Forty-Ninth Virginia Infantry C.S.A “, “Extra Billy Smith’s Boys” 1861-1865; Laura Virginia Hale and Stanley S. Phillips  1981

SPERRYVILLE SHARPSHOOTERS:   Muster records state this Company went into barracks at Sperryville in Rappahannock County, Virginia June 18, 1861; was ordered to Culpeper Court House, Virginia – a distance of 20 miles – on July 11; was mustered July 18 as Captain Gibson’s Company, 7th Regiment Virginia Infantry; arrived at Manassas by railroad at 10:00 A.M. July 21st; fell in with the 7th Virginia infantry under Colonel J. Kemper, marched 7 miles and engaged in the Battle of Manassas; remained near bull Run until July 28th, marched 5 miles to Centreville and remained there with the 7th Virginia until August 7th, when the Company marched 7 miles to Manassas and was assigned permanently to the 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment.  Unless otherwise noted all men enlisted June 18, 1861 at Sperryville.  The Richmond Sentinel of June 3, 1864, published a casualty list of the 49th Virginia Regiment in the wilderness and Spotsylvania battles which indicates the Companies E and K were consolidated at that time. 

Commissioned Officers:

Captain Jonathan Catlett Gibson. 

Captain Presley C. Eastham.  Enlisted as Orderly Sergeant Kanawha Artillery June 4, 1861; appointed 1st Lieutenant April 30, 1862; resigned July 15, 1862 because Company had on only 3 to 4 men present for duty, rest of Company was sick, wounded or Killed.  Was elected Captain January, 1865. 

Captain Eustace Gibson.

Captain Richard M. Spicer.  Promoted to Orderly Sergeant April 3, 1862; 2nd Lieutenant April 30, 1862; Captain July 1862.  Paroled at Appomattox.

First Lieutenant Edwin Gibson.

First Lieutenant Achilles Murat Willis.  Resigned April 30, 1862 to become Captain in Cavalry Company.

First Lieutenant H.A. Wood.  Promoted to Sergeant.

Second Lieutenant Frederick H. Bruce.  Resigned October 1861, Re-elected January 1865.

Third Lieutenant Robert N. Bruce.  Commissioned June 10, 1861, Sperryville, Virginia.  Dropped from roll April 30, 1862.

49th VA Infantry

Charles Richard Rees was a photographer of Confederate subjects in Richmond, Virginia in the 19th century. His studio was named C. R. Rees & Co. According to the Gorgas Library at the University of Alabama, “Born to German immigrants in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Rees first established a photographic studio in Richmond, Virginia in 1851. After a brief attempt in the mid-1850s to open a gallery in New York City, Rees and his family returned to the area and established themselves as fixtures in Richmond and nearby Petersburg. After his studio burned in April 1865 along with the rest of Richmond, Rees reopened and continued working in the area until at least 1880. (The A. S. Williams III Americana Collection)

Charles R. Rees

Active as a Daguerreian, Richmond, Va., and New York City, N.Y. In 1851 he was listed as a Daguerreian at the corner of 8th and Main Streets, Richmond, in business as Rees Brothers, with C.J. Rees. This is probably the same Charles Rees listed from 1853 to 1855 in New York City. In 1853-1854 he was listed at 289 Broadway, in business as Rees & Co. He refused to divulge information on other partnership members for the partnership directory. In 1854-1855 he was listed as Rees & Co. at 385 Broadway, and also at 289 Broadway. Stamped on the brass mat of a ninth plate daguerreotype, “Rees & Co. 289 Broadway”. He was noted as opening the new gallery in 1854. About 1853, Holmes was noted as working for or being a part of the company. In 1859 Rees was listed as Rees & Co., ambrotype gallery, 139 Main Street, Richmond. He may have employed Edward (Edwin) Rees, who boarded at his home. W.G.R. Frayser may also have been part of the firm. There is also a listing for “T.R. Rees”, probably Charles R., with a gallery at 145 Main Street, Richmond, in 1860. Information corrected to November, 1997; © 1996, 1997 John S. Craig”- from Craig’s Daguerreian Registry

Military Service:
T. B. Rees: 1st Virginia State Reserves, Co. H
Enl. 5/29/1862 in Richmond, age 24

1. R. Rees: 2nd Virginia State Reserves, Co. C
   Paid for 39 days’ service between 7/7/1863 and 1/4/1864

A great article by long time image collector Dominic Serrano is extremely informative about C.R. Rees and his work:

https://www.confederateplanet.com/southern-exposure-the-life-and-times-of-crrees.html