I'm a member of a stereophotography club. One of our members downloaded many stereo pairs of Civil War stereo photos including this one. He cleans them, resizes if needed and shows them. They look awesome. He also shows what the originals look like. Some are very dirty, some are missing areas of the image - well, the originals were glass and accidents happen.

Do you guys know of any other photos with Custer and tobacco?

One year and ten days after this photo was taken, 23-year-old George A. Custer would be appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers, the youngest in the Army. Custer loved dogs and was often photographed with them.

The caption say that it's Porter's staff, it doesn't say that Porter himself is present, and as near as I can tell he isn't. The officers - at least the ones wearing their shoulder boards - all seem fairly junior. None is more than a Lieutenant. As far as I can tell Custer was just visiting since he was attached to McClelland's staff rather than Porter's during the Peninsula Campaign.

The two bottles nearest to us, one standing one on its side, are most likely just what they seem, earthenware bottles. They were hardly uncommon and indeed I believe they were frequently used for beer for many years.

[General Porter is in the photo, standing at the right. - Dave]

Yes, I was checking out the bottles, also. Are the bottoms of the closest two covered in a clay finish, kind of an 1860's coozie? Also, which one is the General? Alot of these guys don't seem to be wearing any insignia, and two look like civilians. And I'm amused at the popularity of the checkered shirts and undershirts during the civil war era. Did Federal PX's include Gap stores back then?

It seems that G.A. Custer had his portrait taken quite often. I found one, dated 1859, where he just looks like a kid. And another, dated maybe 1864, under the same kind of tent. He has shaved his whiskers, keeping only mustache and goatee. And he still has the same dog, but it has grown up, when here it still looks like a pup.

Another amazing look into the past. I tried to blow up that bottle to see the label--looks like wine and beer or ale for their break. Also, no smoke from the pipes--I guess they had to pose and keep still.