We are starting a new series of posts called “Unknown But Not Forgotten.” A new photograph of an unknown Civil War soldier or civilian from the Ohio Historical Society collections or sent in by the public will be posted bi-weekly to both acknowledge and honor these men and women.   It’s a long shot but maybe someone out there will be able to identify the person in the photo.

Our first unidentified soldiers:

Unidentified soldiers (Ohio Historical Society Collection)

In this picture, one of the soldiers was identified as J.M. Southard but the other is just listed as “companion”.   Unfortunately, it doesn’t say which is which. This came from a photo album that belonged to Jane Swan Parsons, the wife of Columbus’ first millionaire, George McClelland Parsons.

We welcome your comments and questions below.

Do you have a photograph of an unidentified soldier or civilian from the war? Are you unsure if your photo dates back to the Civil War? Send it in to kkuehling@ohiohistory.org and we’ll post it on the website for public feedback!