1/6 PLATE AMBROTYPE OF LIEUTENANT, CAPTAIN AND MAJOR JAMES WALTON THOMSON, STUART HORSE ARTILLERY, KILLED IN ACTION AT HIGH BRIDGE, APRIL 7, 1865

1/6 PLATE AMBROTYPE OF LIEUTENANT, CAPTAIN AND MAJOR JAMES WALTON THOMSON, STUART HORSE ARTILLERY, KILLED IN ACTION AT HIGH BRIDGE, APRIL 7, 1865

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$1,500.00

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Item Code: 1138-1847

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This sixth plate ambrotype is from the collection of the late Bill Turner, who acquired many images directly from Virginia families and was published on p. 62, bottom left, of his “Even More Confederate Faces,” as “pvt. James Thompson of the ‘Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion’ attached to cavalry division, of the Army of Northern Virginia.” This is housed in a Littlefield and Parson’s thermoplastic case with their printed label in the back along with a small sprig of pressed leaves and a typewritten note dating about 1960, certainly by a family member, that must have been the source of Bill’s identification: “Photograph of grandfather James W. Thompson who was shot and killed in the War between the States.”

Thompson (Thomson in the records) is shown from the waist up, seated, folding one arm across his lower torso to rest one hand on the other, on a table at his side. His jacket appears to be an early Richmond Depot pattern, or copy of one. Three buttons are visible, but buttonholes are visible in between and the spacing suggests there were nine. The jacket shows no trim, but has buttoned shoulder straps, suggesting a Type-II pattern, but the cuffs plainly show a point, indicating he may have removed the piping from Type-I. He has pushed a slouch hat back on his head to avoid a shadow, the brim partially hiding an infantry horn and the tassel of a hat cord. The photographer has lightly tinted his cheeks and gilded the brass buttons showing on the front of his jacket and the horn insignia.

James Walton Thomson was born in Berryville, Va., and entered VMI in July 1860. He never completed his studies, leaving with the corps of cadets for Richmond when the war broke out. The private’s jacket and infantry insignia likely reflect his early service. He acted as a drill instructor at Richmond and Harpers Ferry under his former teacher, Jackson, for whom he served as a volunteer aide-de-camp at First Manassas. Jackson later wrote him a letter of recommendation, but he was turned down for a lieutenant’s commission in August 1861 by Gen. Johnston as ineligible by military law, likely because of age: he was just 17. Johnston suggested a “cadetship” instead and Thomson applied for one, but some records indicate he simply signed up as a private in Co. A of Ashby’s cavalry in August 1861 and then transferred into Chew’s battery of horse artillery, receiving a commission as 1st lieutenant in the battery a year later, after he turned 18. The battery was extremely active with Stuart’s cavalry and Thomson succeeded to its command as Captain in March 1864, though he had in fact been leading for some time already. In March 1865 he was promoted to Major and on April 7 was serving as Chief of Artillery on General Rosser’s staff when he was killed in action at High Bridge in an effort to the Union pursuit toward Appomattox. Tradition holds that when about to lead a charge he was warned it could be fatal and that he replied the Confederacy was dying and he did not care to outlive it.  [SR] [ph:L]

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