Escutcheon of Brevet Major Charles H. Ross and 13th Indiana Volunteer Infantry

Painting

Milwaukee Public Library

Name/Title

Escutcheon of Brevet Major Charles H. Ross and 13th Indiana Volunteer Infantry

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil on Canvas

Context

Escutcheon memorializing the Civil War service of Brevet Major Charles H. Ross of the 13th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The painting is in its received condition. “These paintings were popular after the [Civil] war with officers who wanted to memorialize their service." The text arranged in a cross at the center of the work recites Ross's military service and roughly transcribes to: APPOINTED AS 1ST. LIEUT. AND ADJUTANT. TENDERED by COL. SULLIVAN COMDG. 13th. INDIANA VOL. INFY. Without his PERSONAL SOLICITATION or EFFORT, AC- CEPTED & COMMISSIONED AS 1st. LIEUT & ADJT. 13-IND. VOL. INFY. JUNE 28-1861. REGT. OR- GANIZED AT INDIANAPOLIS and LEFT STATE for WEST VA. JULY 4-1861. ATTACHED to ROSECRAN'S BRIG. MECLEL- LAN'S ARMY of WEST VA. July- to SEPT. 1861. REYNOLD'S—— CHEAT MT. BRIG. W. VA. to NOV. AND MILROY'S BRIG. DEPT. MTS. to MCH. 1862. 2-BRIG (Sullivan's) SHIELD'S-2-DIV. BANKS 5- CORPS to APR. 1862. FERRY'S 2-BRIG. I-DIV. DEPT. RAPPA- HANNOCK to JUNE 1862. SERVICE: BATTLE OF RICH. MT. VA. JULY— 10-11-1861. Moved to BEVERLY July 13. thence to CHEAT Mt. PASS and to ELKWATER Creek. Aug. OPERATIONS ON CHEAT MT. SEPT. 11-17 CHEAT MT. SUMMIT SEPT. 12. CHEAT MT PASS. SEpt. 12-13. ELKWATER Sept. 14 ~~ CHEAT MT. SEPT. 15. RECONN. to GREENBRIER RIVER Oct. 2-4. GREENBRIER RIVER Oct. 3-4. SCOUTING EXP. through the KANAWMA DIST. Oct. 29-Nov. 7. AT HUTTONSVILLE NOV. EXP. to CAMP BALDWIN DEC. 11-13. CAMP ALLEGHENY DEC. 13. MOVED to GREEN SPRING RUN DEC. 18 AND DUTY THERE TILL MARCH 1862. St. JOHN'S RUN, GREAT CA- CAPON BRIDGE JANY. 4-1862. EXP. to BLOOMERY GAP JANY. 6-7. BLOOMERY GAP. JANY. 7. DE-TACHED FROM REGT. and ASS'D to DUTY AS ACT'G. ASST. ADJT. GENERAL Staff of GEN. J.C. SULLIVAN COM'D'G. 2-BRIG. 1-DIV. 5-CORPS. MARCH 5-APRIL 13. AND ON STAFF OF GENL. O.S. FERRY COM'D'[smudge/loss in "D'" lettering]G. 2-BRIG, 1-DIV. DEPT RAPPAHANNOCK APR. 13 to JUNE 29-1862. PARTICIPATING IN ADVANCE ON WINCHESTER MARCH 7-15. RECONN. to STRASBURG MCH. 18. Battle OF WICHESTER MCH. 22-23, Mt. JACKSON MCH. 25. STRAS- BURG MARCH 27. WOODSTOCK APR.-1. EDENBURG Apr. 2. Mt. JACKSON APR. 16. NEW MARKET and ROOD'S HILL— APR. 17. SOMMERVILLE HEIGHTS MAY-7. MARCH TO—— FREDERICKSBURG VA. MAY 13[? loss/smudge in number]-21. AND TO FRONT ROYAL MAY 25-30. FRONT ROYAL MAY 29-30. BAT[loss/smudge in lettering]- TLE of PORT REPUBLIC JUNE 8-9. DUTY in SHENAN-[loss/smudge in lettering, esp. "H," "E," "N"] DOAH VALLEY TILL JUNE 29. RE-JOINED REGT. [loss/smudge in "E"] AND MOVED to HARRISON'S LANDING VA. June 29-July 2. CHIKA.HOMINY [?] SWAMPS JULY 3-4. WEST- OVER JULY 4. DETACHED FROM REGT. JULY 6-1862. AND ASS'D to DUTY as AID-DE-CAMP STAFF OF GEN. CHARLES GRIFFIN COMDG. 2-BRIG. 1-DIV.- 5-CORPS ARMY POTOMAC to NOV. 1862. AND 1-DIV. 5-CORPS to NOV. 1863 then on STAFF OF GEN. JJ. BARTLETT COMDG 1-DIV.- 5-CORPS to APR. 1864 AND AS ACT.'G. ASS'T. ADJT. GEN'L. STAFF of GEN. JJ. BARTLETT, COMDG. 3-BRIG.- 1-DIV. 5-CORPS to JUNE 1864. PARTICIPATING IN BATTLE OF GROVETON VA. AUG. 29-1862. BULL RUN AUG. 30. SOUTH Mt. Md. SEpt. 14. BATTLE OF ANTIEAM SEPT. 16-17. BLACK BURN'S FORD SEPT. 19. COM'D'G. a detachment that crossed the POTOMAC and RECOVERED a GUN that was CAP- TURED at 1st. BULL RUN from GRIFFIN'S BATTERY.~~~~~~ SHEPHARDSTOWN SEPT. 20. Reconn. toward SMITHVILLE OCT. 16-18. SNICK- ER'S GAP NOV. 14. BATTLE of FRED- ERICKSBURG DEC. 11-15. Had Horse SHOT under HIM DEC. 14. MORRISVILLE DEC. 30-31. U.S. FORD JANY. 1-1863. MUD MARCH Jany. 20-24. Battle of CHANCEL- LORSVILLE May 1-5. BRANDY STATION KELLYSFORD JUNE 9. Battle of GETTYSBURG Pa. July 1-3. WILLAIMSPORT Md. July 12-13. MANASSAS GAP July 18 WAPPING HEIGHTS July 23. CUL- PEPPER Oct. 11-13. BRANDY Station, Oct. 13. BRISTOW Station Oct. 14. RAPPAHANNOCK Station. Nov. 7 MINE RUN CAP'GN. Nov. 26-Dec. 2. CROSS ROADS Nov. 26. NEW HOPE CHURCH Nov. 27. MINE RUN Nov. 29-30. Battle of the WILDERNESS May 5-7-1864. Had HORSE SHOT under HIM May 5. LAUREL HILL. May 8-10. PO RIVER May 10-11. SPOTSYLVANIA C.H. May 17-18. NY RIVER May 21. No[smudge in lettering "r"?]th ANNA May 23-27. JERICHO MILLS--- May 24. NOEL'S TURN May 26. TOLO- POTOMY May 28-31. HANOVER May- 29. MAGNOLIA SWAMP June-1. BE- THESDA CHURCH June 2. CAPTURED and PRIUSONER-OF-WAR, confined at LIBBY PRISON, RICHMOND, VA.--- MACON AND SAVANNAH Ga. CHARLES- TON and COLUMBIA S.C. till Dec. 1864. PAROLED DEC.-14-1864. HONOR-- ABLY DISCHARGED from SERVICE as a PAROLED PRISONER-OF-WAR, DEC. 19-1864. APPOINTED by State of OHIO, COLONEL of 9[?hard to read]7th REG'T. OHIO VOL. INFY. AUG. 15-1862 but APPOINTMENT DECLINED. BREVETTED CAPTAIN & MAJOR-- U.S. VOLS. MCH. 13-1865 'For GALLANT ["GAL" smudged] 'AND MERITORIOUS SERVICES 'DURING the WAR.' SURVIVOR OF LIBBY. RICHMOND VA. [loss in lettering, especially "LIB"] MACON GA. [loss in lettering, especially "MA"] SAVANNAH GA. CHARESTON [sic? Charleston?] S.C. COLUMBIA S.C. DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR. Medals suspended under "Brevet Major Charles H. Ross / U.S. VOLS." text: Society of the Army of West Virginia Society of the Army of the Potomac [?] M.O. LOYAL LEGION U.S. - MDCCCLX[?]VI- GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC VETERAN 1861 1866"

Collection

Permanent Art Collection

Acquisition

Accession

1956.6

Acquisition Method

Gift

Made/Created

Artist

George Peter Alexander Healy

Date made

1868

Notes

Possibly by George Peter Alexander (G.P.A.) Healy and made/created 1868, given the similarity between #s 240, 241, 242, 244, and 245 in this inventory? The weblink below also offers information on Civil War escutcheons produced by the J.P. Reynolds & Co. Iron brackets on stretcher/frame corners have patent dates of Feb. 13, 1883 and June 16 1885, which may help date the work. However, note that #s 240, 241, 242, and 244 in this inventory have the same brackets also with the 1883/1886 patent dates, but #s 242 and 244 are visibly signed and dated G.P.A. Healy 1868.

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Framed Size

Height

27 in

Width

22 in

Dimension Description

Image Size

Height

30 in

Width

25 in

Research Notes

Notes

The 9/7/1910 MS (attached) offers information about the subject of the work, Brevet Major Charles H. (Hill) Ross (1838-1910).