Exceptional Identified Confederate Ambrotype — Private Samuel J. McCargo, Co. B, 14th Virginia Cavalry Killed at Gettysburg / On-hold

Description

Exceptional Identified Confederate Ambrotype — Private Samuel J. McCargo, Co. B, 14th Virginia Cavalry

Killed at Gettysburg

 

A remarkable and historically important one-sixth plate ambrotype of Private Samuel J. McCargo, Company B, 14th Virginia Cavalry, C.S.A., one of the rare instances where a Confederate soldier’s image, identity, unit, equipment, and fate at Gettysburg are all firmly documented and preserved together.

 

This ambrotype shows McCargo seated in a confident, armed pose, wearing a gray Confederate frock coat with staff-style buttons, his Virginia-pattern sword belt plate visible, and holding a cavalry saber. A Model 1851 Colt Navy revolver is distinctly seen tucked into his belt—adding tremendous visual and historical impact. The image captures the unmistakable appearance of a mounted Confederate trooper in the field, fully accoutered for service.

 

The ambrotype is housed in its original ornate gilt oval mat and preserver, displaying rich period craftsmanship. The image exhibits honest age, with light surface wear and handling marks consistent with mid-19th-century use, but remains strong, clear, and visually compelling. Facial features, uniform details, weaponry, and accoutrements are all discernible.

 

This image is accompanied by the 1979 Confederate history calendar in which this exact ambrotype was published, providing period scholarship and long-standing provenance. The calendar text documents McCargo’s service and fate, firmly tying the image to the historical record.

 

Private McCargo enlisted at age eighteen in December 1862 and served with Company B, known as the “Charlotte Cavalry,” composed largely of men from Charlotte County, Virginia. The 14th Virginia Cavalry saw extensive action, participating in nearly eighty engagements during the war.

 

McCargo took part in numerous cavalry actions, including Brandy Station, Aldie, and Upperville. On July 3, 1863, during heavy cavalry fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg, he suffered a serious gunshot wound and was taken prisoner. After enduring ten days without proper hospital care, he died of his wounds on July 19, 1863—a direct Gettysburg casualty.

 

This is not merely an image, but a fully realized Confederate soldier’s story: face, name, unit, equipment, and sacrifice preserved in a single artifact.

 

An extraordinary centerpiece for any advanced Civil War image collection, Confederate cavalry display, or Gettysburg-focused archive.

 

Inventory Number: CON 643 / On-hold