Sergeant A.M. Chandler of Co. F, 44th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, and Silas Chandler, family slave, with Bowie knives, revolvers, pepper-box, shotgun, and canteen
Photographer: Unknown. Date Taken: between 1861 and 1862
Photograph shows identified Confederate soldier, A.M. Chandler, and identified slave, Silas Chandler, who accompanied two Chandler brothers during their military service in the Civil War. For more information, see "Glimpses of Soldiers' Lives,"
In 1861, A.M. Chandler enlisted in the "Palo Alto Confederates," which became part of the 44th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. His mother, Louisa Gardner Chandler, sent Silas, one of her 36 slaves, with him. On September 20, 1863, the 44th Mississippi Infantry Regiment was engaged in the Battle of Chickamauga, where A.M. Chandler was wounded in his leg. A battlefield surgeon decided to amputate the leg but, according to the Chandler family, Silas accompanied him home to Mississippi where his leg was saved. His combat service ended as a result of the wound but Silas returned to the war in January 1864 when A.M.'s younger brother, Benjamin, enlisted in the 9th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment. (For more information, see this source: Coddington, Ronald S. A Slave's Service in the Confederate Army. New York Times Opinionator blog, September 24, 2013)
Citation: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Read Glimpses of Soldiers' Lives: A.M. Chandler and Silas Chandler, Family Slave
Citation: Library of Congress: Glimpses of Soldiers' Lives: A.M. Chandler and Silas Chandler, Family Slave
Read A Slave’s Service in the Confederate Army from the New York Times
Citation: New York Times: A Slave’s Service in the Confederate Army by Ronald Coddington September 24, 2023