James Riley Stevenson

Mid Century California Landscape -- Carmel Cove

c.1960

Late 19th century figurative painting of the battle of Trevilians Station and of the wounding of Colonel Sackett June 11, 1864. Oil on canvas in giltwood frame. Signed or notated indistinctly lower right. Image, 20.25"H x 36.25"W. Military History Prior to 1865 The 9th New York Cavalry contained two companies from Cattaraugus County. It was mustered into the service October 1, 1861 and, until mustered out in July, 1865, lost 619 officers and men out of a total enlistment of a little less than two thousand. It participated in many battles and skirmishes and lost its colonel, William Sackett, who was killed at Trevilian Station, Virginia, on June 11, 1864. From the Albany Evening Journal, July 20, 1864: Another name is added to the list of hero martyrs who have fallen in the service of their country. Col. WILLIAM SACKETT, of the Ninth New-York Cavalry, (son of Hon. W.A. SACKETT,) was mortally wounded in the engagement, under Gen. SHERIDAN, at Pavillion Station, Va., and died on the 14th ult. As he was left behind, the sad intelligence of his decease has but just been received. Col. SACKETT had seen much service. He entered the army on the 22d of April, 1861, was appointed Major of the Ninth New-York Cavalry in October of the same year, was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonelcy in August, 1862, and in March, 1863, became commander of the regiment. He was with Gen. MCCLEELAN in the Peninsula campaign, was in all the cavalry actions of the campaign which followed, was with the army in its advance after the battle of Antietam, and in almost constant conflict with the enemy until after the battle of Fredericksburgh. He participated in most of the cavalry engagements under Gen. HOOKER's command, was in all the principal cavalry actions during LEE's invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1863, and was among the first engaged in the terrible conflict at Gettysburgh, where he performed distinguished service in holding a rebel brigade in check a long time while our forces were getting into position on the crest of the hill. He was active in the cavalry skirmishes which ensued in the latter part of the Summer. During the present campaign he was with Gen. SHERIDAN in all his brilliant expeditions up to the time when he fell. He died while leading a charge against the enemies of his country -- died, as he wished to die, doing his whole duty. He was brave, he was generous, he was unflinchingly faithful to the cause of the Union. He loved the old flag with a love that was stronger than life, and esteemed it glorious to fall in its defense. He was born in Seneca Falls, and was 25 years of age. When the great civil war broke out [William Sackett] was practicing law at Albany, N. Y., having a short time previous been admitted to the bar. In December, 1861, he was commissioned Major of the 9th Regiment of New York Cavalry, and taking the field served with credit in several engagements in which that command participated. On June 27, 1862, his immediate superior, Lieutenant- Colonel Hyde, resigned and three days later Major Sackett was commissioned to fill the vacancy. On the 30th of the following May he was advanced to the Colonelcy of his regiment, with rank from March 15, 1863. It is stated in "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" that the cavalry pickets commanded by Colonel Sackett fired the first shot at the battle of Gettysburg. He subsequently led his command, in a gallant manner, in numerous engagements, including the battle of Trevilians Station, fought June 10, 1864. There he received a mortal wound and died inside of the enemy's lines some three days later. The report that he had been severely wounded and was in the hands of the enemy soon reached his wife, who immediately determined to make an effort to reach and care for him, not knowing that he was already dead when the report reached her. The following correspondence, copied from Official Records published by the War Department, tells in most emphatic terms of her devotion. City Point, Va., July 7, 1864. General R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate Army, Mrs. Sackett, the wife of Colonel William Sackett, who was wounded on the 11th of June, near Trevilians Station, Va., is here in deep distress and feeling great anxiety to learn the fate of her husband. Colonel Sackett was left at a house some two miles and a half from the station, in charge of...

Frenetic landscape of an approaching forest fire by an unknown artist. Signed Gordon in the lower right corner. Presented in an antique frame. Image size: 10"H x 12"W. A landscape pa...

Gorgeous mid century Arts & Craft landscape of rolling Indiana farmland with haystacks, trees, and verdant hills in the distance by Harry E. Wood, Sr. (American, 1879-1951), 1948. Signed lower right; letter of provenance provided. Exhibited in New York's Salmugundi Art Club in 1948. Presented in gilt-toned frame. Image size: 14"H x 20"W. Framed size: 18"H x 23.50"W. Harry E. (Emsley) Wood, Sr., was born 26 September 1879 near Lexington, Illinois, the third child of Emsley Harrison Wood, Jr., and Florence Robinson Wood. The family moved to Indianapolis shortly after Harry was born. Florence Robinson Wood died around 1882 and Emsley Wood married Sallie Bunger Lewis eleven months later. Emsley Harrison Wood worked in various jobs, including real estate sales and as a grocery clerk. Harry E. Wood attended public schools in Indianapolis until about 1889 when he contracted Scrofulous, a strain of tuberculosis. The condition, coupled with his family's poverty, disrupted his formal education. He attended Manual Training High School in 1899 and worked as a cartoonist for the Indianapolis Star in 1900. Wood illustrated Our Public Servants, a column of political satire written by Kin Hubbard. Wood's affiliation with Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) as an educator began in fall 1900 when he returned to Manual Training High School as an assistant art instructor under Otto Stark...

Gorgeous early 20th Century Palm Springs landscape by Edward Marion Langley (American, 1870-1949), 1913. Signed lower right corner. Titled "Palm Springs" and dated "'13" on verso. Unframed. Condition: Very Good; Previous restoration included relining; newly cleaned and retouched. Image size: 18"H x 22"W. Born in London, England on March 27, 1870. When quite young Langley was abandoned by his parents in Australia. Making his way to Canada, he traveled alone by canoe down to the Gulf of Mexico. In Chicago he worked with Wm Selig in developing the motion picture camera and became a U.S. citizen in 1904. Before that he had played trumpet in the Illinois State Guard for many years. Sometime before 1917 he came to Hollywood, CA with Selig where they produced the pioneer epic, 'The Spoilers." A few years later Langley became art director for the Fairbanks Studio on such films as "Thief of Bagdad...

Beautiful mid century California landscape of trees reflecting over a nearby lake by an unknown artist (American, 20th Century), c.1940s. This idyllic setting is dotted with wild flo...

Vintage 1920's California landscape of a path through tall evergreen trees with the grand Sierra mountains in the background by listed female artist Willamean Soderberg Tufts (Americ...

David Grossman's (US based) "Autumn Cottonwood in the Arroyo " is an oil painting that depicts a Cottonwood Tree's changing autumn leaves with a vast mountain background. David Gro...

David Grossman's (US based) "October Cottonwood with Coming Storm " is an oil painting that depicts a cottonwood tree's brilliant changing autumn leaves with a storm brewing in the d...

This is an original oil painting by master painter, Donald Jurney. The project was one near and dear to the artist's heart. A lover of books, Jurney rescued a number of old, cloth-bo...

This is an original oil painting by master painter, Donald Jurney. The project was one near and dear to the artist's heart. A lover of books, Jurney rescued a number of old, cloth-bo...

This is an original oil painting by master painter, Donald Jurney. The project was one near and dear to the artist's heart. A lover of books, Jurney rescued a number of old, cloth-bo...

This is an original oil painting by master painter, Donald Jurney. The project was one near and dear to the artist's heart. A lover of books, Jurney rescued a number of old, cloth-bo...