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U. S. CIVIL WAR
PHOTOGRAPHS
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THE GARNETT COUSINS
Which is Which?
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There is some confusion as to whether photographs exist of both of the
Garnett cousins. Confederate Brigadier General Robert Selden Garnett was
the first General killed in the Civil War. He was killed in July, 1861, at
the battle of Rich Mountain, in what is now West Virginia. Confederate
Brigadier General Richard Brooke Garnett, his cousin, was killed at Gettysburg
in July, 1863.
Individual photographs exist that are marked as being the different Garnett
cousins --- they do appear to be different people --- but the questions arise:
Are they photographs of the same person or two people? Which Garnett is
photographed in which picture?
Below are copies, from the National Archives, of the two photographs I am
discussing here:
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In the photographs above, it is my opinion that Richard B. Garnett is on the
left and his cousin Robert S. Garnett is on the right. This differs from the
consensus of the sites that I have visited on the web that indicate Richard's
photograph is on the right. The National Park Service and the National Archives
are not sure. The Archives calls the photograph on the right "Richard Brooke
Garnett" but notes that "R.S. Garnett" is etched on the side.
Also, according to the National Park Service, "In 1908, a member of the Garnett
family contested the identity of the soldier in the photograph (right, above-ed),
writing that it could be 'vouched for by any member of (the Garnett) family as
an authentic likeness of Robert S. Garnett, and not Richard...'"
The images above were not reduced (I did have to cut part of the right margin
from the right photograph in order to allow both photographs to fit side by
side on an 800x600 screen). By not reducing the photographs it is easier to
read the label on the left photograph and the etching on the right photograph.
Accordingly, based upon the above information, and unless I am corrected, I will
treat the photographs as they are marked: Richard is on the left; Robert is
on the right.
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Civil War Photos
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Hollywood Cemetery Page 2
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Garnetts
Notes
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