Abraham Lincoln, John McClernand, and Allan Pinkerton

Object Details

Artist: Alexander Gardner, 17 Oct 1821 - 10 Dec 1882
Sitter: Allan Pinkerton, 25 Aug 1819 - 1 Jul 1884; Abraham Lincoln, 12 Feb 1809 - 15 Apr 1865; John Alexander McClernand, 30 May 1812 - 20 Sep 1900

Exhibition Label: Part of Gardner’s Antietam series, this photograph introduces Major General John A. McClernand, one of the “political” generals whom Lincoln had to support to shore up his position on the home front but whose military inexperience (or incompetence) hindered the Union army. McClernand was raised in Illinois and, as a Democrat, knew Lincoln when they were both state representatives. A congressman in 1861, he resigned from the House of Representatives when Lincoln, who was looking for allies among Unionist Democrats, appointed him brigadier general of the Illinois volunteers. He served mostly in the West, where he angered both Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman, not least because of his egotism and ceaseless lobbying for an independent command. In October 1862 he was on leave in Washington to argue his case and accompanied the presidential party on its trip to George McClellan’s headquarters in Maryland. After continuing to perform poorly in command, McClernand left the army in 1864.

1862 (printed c. 1890)

Medium: Albumen silver print
Dimensions: Image/Sheet: 17.3 × 19.7 cm (6 13/16 × 7 3/4"); Mount: 23 × 28.1 cm (9 1/16 × 11 1/16"); Mat: 35.6 × 45.7 cm (14 × 18")

National Portrait Gallery

Topic: Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair; Costume\Headgear\Hat; Nature & Environment\Plant\Tree; Home Furnishings\Furniture\Table; Printed Material\Papers; Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache; Architecture\Building\Tent; Costume\Headgear\Hat\Top hat; Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard; Symbols & Motifs\Star; Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie; Exterior\Military Camp; Allan Pinkerton: Male; Allan Pinkerton: Business and Finance\Businessperson; Allan Pinkerton: Law and Crime\Police\Detective; Abraham Lincoln: Male; Abraham Lincoln: Law and Crime\Lawyer; Abraham Lincoln: Military and Intelligence\Soldier; Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\President of US; Abraham Lincoln: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Environmentalist; Abraham Lincoln: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Merchant; Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\US Congressman\Illinois; Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Surveyor; Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\State Senator\Illinois; Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Postmaster; Abraham Lincoln: Business and Finance\Tradesman\Boat builder; John Alexander McClernand: Male; John Alexander McClernand: Politics and Government\Government official\US Congressman\Illinois; John Alexander McClernand: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Major General; Portrait

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm427de654a-b914-43a6-a621-de26a0d90ab2