A very nicely composed image of 1^st Sergeant Benjamin B. Wilson posed with his arms crossed leaning against a column next to a table that holds his Pattern 1858 dress hat complete with cord, infantry insignia with Company letter “K” above it and a stamped brass hat eagle holding up the brim on one side. Wilson wears a medium color shell jacket with cloth epaulettes and light piping running around the base of the collar, down the front and around the bottom edge of the jacket. 1st sergeant stripes are visible on each sleeve and each cuff has a tombeau. There is a short slit cut in the side of the jacket at the waist that has a tombeau on each side. Trousers are a matching medium color with a wide light leg stripe.

Image has good clarity but unlike most Brady images the contrast is a bit light. Mount and paper have the usual light surface dirt but upper left corner has a crease line. Bottom of mount is marked BRADY…WASHINGTON. Between the photographer’s mark is an ink ID that reads “B.B.WILSON, SERGT. CO. K.”

Reverse has some collector information in modern pencil.

Benjamin B. Wilson was 29 years old when he enlisted as 1^st sergeant of Company K, 65^th New York Infantry on July 18, 1861. He was reduced to private and deserted at New Haven, Connecticut on July 30, 1862.

The 65^th New York was engaged in the Seven Days battles on the Peninsula. It is known that many casualties from those battles were sent to Knights General Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. 1st Sergeant Wilson may have been wounded and sent there. When he was reduced to private is not known.

Perhaps pulling Wilson’s records from the archives will reveal an interesting story.     [ad] [ph:L]

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