Image shows bust view of a captain in officer’s uniform with shoulder straps. Image is clear with good contrast. Reverse has faded photographer’s imprint, Fredericks & Co of New York.

Boldly signed in ink on the front, “Very Truly Yrs / J. C. McKee / Asst Surgn”. Previously unidentified to to the nearly illegible signature, further research supplied to us by a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors has provided a positive ID.

In 1861 Dr. James Cooper McKee (1830-1897) was taken as a prisoner of war by the Texas militia under General Baylor at the surrender of Ft. Filmore. He wrote about this experience in "Narrative of the Surrender of a Command of U.S. Forces at Fort Fillmore, New Mexico." He was paroled and then released from parole by exchange. Subsequently, he was assistant medical director of Pope's army at the Second battle of Bull Run and he was the assistant medical purveyor of the Army at the Battle of Antietam. In 1863 he was placed in charge of Lincoln General Hospital in Washington, D.C. At the close of the war he was promoted to the rank of major and sent to New Mexico as chief medical officer. After meeting with an accident, he was sent to Fort Wadsworth, in New York harbor, and remained there for four years. After a visit to Europe he became medical director of the department of Arizona, afterward served in the same capacity at Vancouver Barracks, Washington Territory, department of Columbia. His last duty was at Philadelphia, where he was retired in 1891 with the rank of lieutenant colonel for disabilities received in the line of duty.

From his obituary in the Democratic Herald of 1897: "His library contained over 500 volumes and was the finest collection of literary and scientific works in Butler. It was always his desire to see a public library established in Butler and to that end he bequeathed in his will his library to the public schools of this city. Another bequest made in his will was characteristic of the man. He gave $2000 to the school board of Butler to be held in trust and the proceeds to be used annually to pay the expenses of keeping clean and caring for the teeth of school children whose parents or guardians are unable to defray such expense. One of the conditions of the bequest is that the board make the proper care of the teeth a part of the hygiene course of study taught in the schools."  [jet/ld] [PH:L]

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