American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Studio view of a standing paymaster autographed on verso, "Sincerely Your Friend / L.A. Frailey / A.A. Paymaster / USN." Uncredited (slightly trimmed along right margin with dented corners, else good).  Leonard A. Frailey became a career navy officer with promotion dates as follows: Acting Assistant Paymaster 8/20/1864, Passed Assistant Paymaster 7/23/1866, Paymaster 1/29/1869, Pay Inspector 5/24/1894, Pay Director 8/29/1899, still in service 1901. Late in the war Paymaster Frailey was aboard the sidewheel steamer USS Quaker City as she cruised the Gulf of Mexico and captured 4 smaller vessels as prizes. On 24 April 1865 Quaker City was on patrol off New Orleans and assisted in the pursuit of the rebel ram CSS Webb as the latter attempted to make for the open water of the Gulf.

[With:] Luminous portrait of a casual young officer armed with sword, his straw boater on the table. The carte is signed on verso, "William D. Gregory / Acting Masters Mate / USS Glide / USN." Uncredited (strong tones and dented corners, else very good). William Gregory joined as Acting Mate 8/20/1861, dismissed 9/6/1861, reappointed 10/3/1861, appointment revoked 6/27/1862, Mate 1/7/1865, discharged 5/21/1866.  Two vessels named Glide served in the Brown Water Navy, the first destroyed by an unexplained fire dockside at Cairo in 1863. The second Glide was a tinclad gunboat (No. 43) stationed at Berwick Bay, LA, on blockade duty until decommissioned in August 1865.

[Also with:] A rich portrait identified in pencil on verso as "Will Shillito." Cincinnati, OH: Hoag & Quick, ca 1864-1865 (strong tones and slightly dented corners, else very good). Verso with studio backmark and blue-green 3-cent revenue stamp dating the image to late summer 1864 at the earliest. William B. Shillito became Acting Ensign 8/22/1863, discharged 9/5/1865. Cincinnati native Shillito was serving aboard the tinclad New Era (No. 7) on 12 April 1864 when troops under N.B. Forrest attacked Ft. Pillow. He later transferred to the timberclad USS Lexington before being discharged.