General Philip Kearny on Horse CDV Civil War Union Bull Run Chantilly

  

Original CDV of General Philip Kearny, Jr. (1815 - 1862) on a rearing horse and hat and reins in his right hand. Published by Gurney & Sons, New York, there mark on verso. This uncommon CDV is based from image is a from a re-engraving of the Currier & Ives lithograph issued in remembrance of Philip Kearny, albeit the Gurney version here is more profiled than the Currier & Ives. CDV trimmed along corners and bottom cutting off a contemporary signature of "Kearny".

OF NOTE The ink signature of Kearny does conform to some instances of Philip Kearny's actual signature he used in the war, but given this image is based from a "in remembrance" image of Kearny after his death and is partially trimmed, I do not believe it to be Kearny's own handwritten signature. CDV measures 2 1/2" x 3 3/4".

Philip Kearny, also known as "The One Armed Devil, " and called "the bravest man I ever knew" by Winfield Scott, lived a life that not only straddled continents, but also the line between genius and insanity. Even the loss of his left arm hardly slowed Kearny down as he rehabilitated himself by re-learning how to ride a horse by holding the reins with his teeth and his sword in his right hand.

His military career, however, stalled. As a result, he left the Army and traveled the world.

He was once again offered the French Legion of Honor and accepted it this time, becoming the first American to do so. Kearny continued to live in Paris until the Civil War broke out in the United States in 1861.

Kearny quickly earned the respect and admiration of his troops as he ran them through the tough drills that earned him his nickname, The One Armed Devil. The brigade joined MG George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac and took part in the Peninsula Campaign in the spring of 1862. Kearny was soon promoted to major general and given command of a division in III Corps. He also developed what became known as the "Kearny patch" for his division, which became the forerunner of the corps badges used later in the war.

Kearny faced his last battle on 1 September 1862 at the Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill) after the Union defeat at Second Bull Run. It was a rainy day, and Kearny's famous temper was running on overdrive as he yelled at his troops and became more and more frustrated. As the sky darkened and visibility dropped, Kearny rode off into a cornfield ahead of his division to scout for enemy troops. At first, he heard nothing but silence.

Then, listening carefully, Kearny heard some movement. He called out What troops are here? " and received the fateful reply: "the 49th Georgia. " Kearny, realizing that he had run into Confederate lines calmly replied "All right. One of the officers spotted him and yelled That's a Yankee officer! " Kearny almost got away in the hazy night, and witnesses recall hearing him say, "They can't hit a barn! Just before he was shot and killed by a single bullet.