Shared Photo: Civil War vintage photo album __Unidentified Person_4 back

Question

Can anyone help read the faint writing on the back of picture 4?  It may identify the man in the photo.

I wanted to share this family photo of Mahershal McKinstry Civil War Photo Collection with the community. Location: Ohio. Date: 1865.

Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (1424 x 2336).

Answer 1

Hi Meghan,

I've been looking at your photo above and am still trying to figure it out. I did want to mention to you, unless you are already aware of these two sites, www.familysearch.org and www.gengophers.com, where you might be able to locate some kind of information on the McKinstry's. On gengophers.com, I just entered the name and a host of different books came up. I didn't go through them all, but perhaps you might find one or more that may have photos along with the records of genealogies, historys, etc. Meanwhile, I'll keep trying to figure out what it says. Only one idea I've had so far is Nineteenth Millitia, but that doesn't really fit the writing.

Things like this intrigue me. I love solving puzzles, especially handwritten items.

Blaire

Comments

Hi Blaire,

 

Thanks for your help.  I have more photos I will be scanning and adding to the collection.  I am hoping to identify some of them if I can -- trying to help others.

Mahershal enlisted with an Indiana infantry and served in Wheeling, West Virginia.  He married there and his wife and child died there.  He then transferred to Cincinnati and served as a hospital steward there.  He married his 2nd wife - who was the daughter of a steamboat captain in Madison, Indiana.  He then returned to Eaton, Ohio.

 

That is why the people in the photos could possibly be from any of those places.

 

When I look at the back of the photo I think I see Young  ____ McKinstry but I could be trying to make it say that.

Part of me wonders if it is actually Mahershal because of the ring and profile; however, I don't think he would carry his own picture or it does not like Mahershal on the back of the photo.

I am not aware of Genophers so I will check it out.  These McKinstrys lived in the Preble/Butler County Ohio area.

Thanks

Meghan