From the Estate of Major General William Spencer McCaskey; one of the first men to answer President Lincoln’s Call for 75,000 volunteers, and the Last regular army officer claiming that distinction, as well as being the Last regular army officer to have shouldered a musket in the Civil War.
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Description
Cabinet Photo- Fort Leavenworth, Ks – 1897 Examination Board – Identified All.
This 8 x 10 (overall) photograph shows members of the Officer Examining Board at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in the time Col. McCaskey with there with his regiment, the 20th Infantry. This featured group is nearly a Who’s Who in the army, all named and recorded on the reverse.
From left to right, starting with the bottom row:
Captain Charles Adam Dempsey, USMA Class of 1865, 2nd Infantry; Col. of the 30th Infantry, 1901, retired at his own request that year. He was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry at Santiago,Cuba, and had service medals for Indian Wars, Spanish American War, Philippine, and Cuban Occupation.
Captain Samuel Miller Swigert, USMA Class of 1868, 2nd Cavalry; Retired Colonel of the 5th Cavalry in 1903.
Captain Sumner H. Lincoln, 10th U.S. Infantry; Civil War history with Vermont regiments, Col. 10th Infantry in 1901, retired Brigadier General 1902.
Captain Joshua Launsberry Fowler, USMA Class of 1868, 2nd Cavalry; Major 10th Cavalry, Died July 1899.
2nd row
Captain Charles Lawrence Cooper, 10th Cavalry; Service with New York Volunteers, Colored Troops Civil War, Colonel 5th Cavalry 1903, Retired a Brigadier General.
Captain Richard Henry Pratt, 10th Cavalry; Indiana Cavalry in the Civil War, Col. of the 13th Cavalry 1903, retired a Brigadier General.
Captain Argalus Garey Hennissee, 8th Cavalry; served with Maryland volunteers in the Civil War, Col. 5th Cavalry, retired 1903.
Captain Greenleaf Austin Goodale, 23rd Infantry; Maine Vols, and 77th USCT in the Civil War, Col. 17th Infantry 1901, retired Brigadier General 1903, Brevet for Gettysburg.
Captain Charles Austin Coolidge, 7th Infantry; Massachusetts Vols, and 19th U.S. Inf. in the Civil War, Col. 7th Infantry 1901, Brevet for Big Hole, Montana, 1877, wounded three times, retired Brigadier General 1903.
3rd row
Lt.Colonel Loyd Wheaton, 22nd Infantry, Illinois Vols. in the Civil War, Col. 20th Infantry 1899, Brigadier General 1901, Major General 1901, retired 1902. Medal of Honor for Assault on Fort Blakely, Alabama.
Major William S. McCaskey, 20th Infantry.
Major J.A. Augur, 4th Cavalry, USMA Class of 1869, Son of MGen. Christopher C. Augur, Col. 10th Cavalry, Appointed Brigadier General on the day he died, April 18, 1909.
1st Lieutenant F.C. Marshall, 6th Cavalry & Recorder. USMA Class of 1890, Col. 24th (82nd Field Artillery) 1917, Brigadier General, National Army, 1918, 165th Field Artillery Bde, served with the 90th Division AEF, awarded Croix De Guerre.
There are a lot of years of experience in warring on the plains, and overseas with this distinguished group.
Colonel (later major general) McCaskey had nearly 35 years continuous service in the 20th Infantry, with two year separated while on recruiting duty in New York in the late 1880s. The Twentieth has service in the early Indian Wars period in the Dept. of the Dakota, Oklahoma, Dept. of Texas, Dept. of Colorado, War service in Cuba, Philippines, and again for 3 years on Luzon, and more.
In 1876, McCaskey and two companies of the 20th Infantry were order to Fort Abraham Lincoln to take temporary command of the post while the 7th Cavalry, with Lt.Col. George A. Custer were on the Sioux Campaign of 1876, which tragically ended with the massacre of 5 companies under the immediate command of Custer at the Little Big Horn Battle, in Montana Territory. When new reached McCaskey of the loss of these officers of the 7th, McCaskey broke the news to Libbie Custer, and the other wives. He stated in his writings it was one of the hardest things he had to do in the 45 years of service in the army.
General McCaskey began his military career as a private in the Lancaster Fencibles, a militia unit from Lancaster, Pa. With the firing on Fort Sumter in early April of 1861, he joined the 1st Penn. Vol. Infantry as a sergeant, and was one of the first units (and men) to answer President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers to defend the capital. At the end of his career, Gen. McCaskey retired the last regular army officer to have volunteer a Lincoln’s call for troops, and the last officer in the regular army to have carried a musket in combat in the Civil War.
Fine conditioned image, with some wear to mount edges,
Additional information
| Weight | 1 lbs |
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