This is one of three portraits we recently acquired showing the three sons of the McChesney family of Rockbridge County, Virginia, who served in the Confederate Army and which we offer separately. This is Alexander Gallatin McChesney, the eldest, born in 1829. All three brothers attended Washington College and the University of Virigina. Alexander went on to study medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Pennsylvania, and when the war started was married with a family and practicing as a physician in Bath County, now on the border with West Virginia.

The image, like those of his brothers, is housed in its original wood and plaster oval frame. All were probably exhibited in the same family home. An old label, perhaps 1940s or so, on the backboards of the frame identifies him as “Captain (Doctor, MD.) / Alex McChesney / Killed in Action / Civil War.” While the identity is correct, the writer confused his record with his younger brother Robert’s, whose image we also offer, who was killed early in the war in a skirmish with Union forces. Alexander is shown seated in a three-quarter length view, directly facing the camera, with his facial features and hands very clear, with his upper body turned slightly to the viewer’s right, resting one arm on the back of chair, and with his legs crossed. He wears a regulation, double-breasted Confederate officer’s frock coat with dark colored cuffs and yellow or gold galloons, or sleeve knots, indicating his rank. The focus on his face and hands is excellent and the colors have been very delicately applied, showing him with blue eyes and light brown hair and beard. His coat and pants are a light gray. The image is likely a “solar enlargement” made from a tintype to enable it to be colored and be shown more as a respectable portrait in the home.

McChesney was exempt from military service, but when Union forces threatened Bath County a company of cavalry was formed in May 1861 under Captain A. T. Richards that saw service in western Virginia campaign. Whether McChesney was in this unit is unclear, but when the company went into winter camp that Fall and new recruits came in, the company was divided in two to form the “Bath Squadron” and McChesney became Captain of Company A. (One source dates this to November 1861.) This company in turn became Company F of the 17^th Battalion Virginia Cavalry in 1862 with McChesney’s appointment as its Captain dating to May 8, 1862. They saw action in the campaign of Second Manassas (where their Major was killed,) siege of Harpers Ferry (where they suffered causalities while scouting near Darksville,) and Antietam, picketing Antietam Creek below Sharpsburg and covering the retreat. McChesney tendered his resignation Dec. 10, 1862, citing his own dissatisfaction (expressing a preference for duty as a private in another organization (!) or a post in the medical department.) More pressing, however, were requests by the community for him to return home and resume his practice, noting in his letter that the one physician remaining there was carrying the patient load of three and unable to fulfill his obligations. His letter was forwarded with approvals by his Lt. Colonel, Jeb Stuart, and Lee in January 1863 and his resignation was then dated to January 22, 1863.  The 17^th Battalion was expanded by additional companies in February to form the 11^th Virginia Cavalry regiment, and his records sometimes appear under that organization’s title, and we note that his younger brother, James, joined the same company, about the same time Capt. McChesney resigned. He returned to Bath and continued his practice until 1865, when he moved back to Rockbridge County, and from there to Charleston, WV, in 1871, continuing to practice medicine until his death in 1877.

The image is in excellent condition, with great clarity and focus, with strong color delicately applied and is matted and framed in its period, oval, wood and plaster frame with back boards in place.  [sr][ph:m]

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