One of the maddening things about researching my family history is that I have no pictures of my ancestors. It seems like everybody else has pictures of their Civil War ancestors, but my family had a particular ability to not have their pictures taken. I do not know if this is a family trait, I don’t like having my picture taken, or their masterly ability to be anywhere else when the pictures were being taken. At one time I’m sure there were pictures but they have been lost to the ages. However, there is an outside chance that, a slim chance that there is a picture of my Great, Great Grandfather Charles Gilson
At theUnited States Military History Institute, Carlisle, Pa. the online research digital photo collection, Civil War, has a picture of an unknown corporal from Company A 123rd New York Volunteer infantry. Could this be my ancestor? I do not know but maybe someone can identify him. Even if it is not my great-great grandfather, it would be a mystery solved for one descendant of the 123rdNY Vol. Inf. searching for a photograph of their ancestor.
The 123rd NY, Vol. Inf. has a joint website with the 28th Georgia Vol. Inf. This website has the rolls by company of the 123rd., as well as a page of pictures of the men. Of the fourteen corporals-there were eight originally appointed when the company was formed and six promoted from the ranks during the war. In Company A four corporals can be identified in the website by their picture.
Richards, John; Tanner, Albert; Durham, Richard; LaPoint, Joseph
Which means, the unidentified corporal in the photo could only be one of ten possible men.
Bosworth, Harvey N,; Cowan, Eugene; Cook, Albert; Dobbin, John; Gilson, Charles; Hyatt, Arnold; Janes, Roswell; Manning, William; Rice, Hiram; Tucker, Charles
123rd New York Infantry
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