Killed at the 1st Battle of Manasass!

(1816-61) A lawyer by occupation, he became Georgia's first martyr of the Civil War. Prominent in local politics, he was captain of the Oglethorpe Light Infantry. A member of the Georgia secession convention, he took an active part in the capture of Fort McAllister, Ga. Named to the Provisional Confederate Congress, he was appointed chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs. On June 1, 1861, he was commissioned colonel of the 8th Georgia Infantry which he took to Virginia. Joining up with General Joseph E. Johnston's Army of the Shenandoah, he was given command of the 2nd Brigade. After service in the Valley, Bartow led his brigade, along with part of Johnston's army, to join General P.G.T. Beauregard along Bull Run Creek. It was here on July 21, 1861, that his force tried to stop the Union advance on the left flank. After fighting north of the Warrenton Turnpike, the remnants of Bartow's command were rallying on Henry House Hill when he was killed. In Georgia, he was popularly referred to as a general, and Wood gives the date of his brigadier general's commission as July 21, 1861. He is also carried as a general officer on Heitman's list. However, no official Confederate appointment as general is known to exist. Either way, he was well respected and popularly counted as a general officer. Had he lived, he certainly would have been promoted to general.

Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 3/8 x 4 card. Bust view pose. Light age toning and edge wear. Backmark: E. Still's, Savannah, Ga. Rare!