A Case of Wartime Propaganda

On occasion when the picture of the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, CSA, is published, someone will come forward and claim that an illustration of a supposed USCT unit somehow "proves" that the picture of the 1st LA Guard was in fact part of a photo from which that illustration was taken. Fact proves to be far different from such fiction.

The soldiers in the Union illustration are clearly taken from the soldiers in the picture with certain "editorial license." Although the artist did not change the gray uniforms to blue, a Federal flag was added to the near-center, a Union officer (looking very artificial) was added to the far left, and a drummer boy was overlaid onto the image of the soldier second from right (see detail) to balance the image. Note also that the features of many of the men of the Guard were altered by the artist to make them have more exaggerated negroid features (check third from left).

What has been posed previously as "proof" of the supposed "phony" Native Guard picture is now proven instead to be Union wartime propaganda.

1st Louisiana Native Guard, CSA
(Courtesy of www.rebelstore.com)

Union officer added

Union flag added

Drummer boy added

(Courtesy of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania)

Detailed Comparison

When comparing the plate and the illustration, the best way to prove the modification of the original photograph is by showing how the cartoonish "drummer Boy" (with an artillery kepi) was overlaid on the leg of the soldier second from right.

The "dummer boy" is too small, very cartoonish, and obviously was not removed from the original plate by retouching but added later.

The three soldiers pictured were also altered to make them look more negroid.

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