Nesbit Harry James (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Oblong small quarto measuring 10" x 7". Black cloth over flexible paper boards with "photographs" stamped in gilt on the front board. Contains 164 sepia-toned or black and white gelatin silver photographs measuring between 1" x 1" and 6" x 8" with captions. Some detached but present pages, toning, and edgewear else very good album with very good or better photographs. A photo album compiled by Pennsylvania native, Harry James Nesbit, while serving with the United States volunteer service during the Spanish American War. Nesbit's bookplate is featured on the front pastedown. On the first page of the album Nesbit lists his timeline with the volunteers writing, "left for Camp Hastings April 27, 1898; mustered in May 12, 1898; went to Fort Motts June 12, 1898; went to Camp Meade Sept. 2, 1898; went to Summerville, S.C. Nov. 17, 1898; Mustered out July 28, 1899." The images that follow show Nesbit and his comrades with the Company C, Fourteenth Regiment, where Nesbit rose to Captain in April 1898. He documents their time from training in New Jersey until returning home in 1899. Throughout the album soldiers are seen in their tents, at rifle practice, waiting for mess, and swimming in the Delaware. There are photos of a wagon train from Camp Meade, the drum corps, mustering in Philadelphia, exercise drills, a man getting a shave, and other scenes from the camps. One of the photos of a group of men is captioned, "vaccinated at Camp Meade;" another reads "Company C ready for dinner." Towards the end of the album a photo shows the men throwing their hats in the air as they read the orders to "muster out." Harry James Nesbit was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania to John and Jennie Nesbit in 1871. He went to Jefferson College and studied law with W.M. McGill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He joined the National Guard in 1888 and by the time of the Spanish American War he was happy to join to volunteers. The Spanish-American War was the first conflict to be partially instigated by the newspaper men of New York through "yellow journalism." Prior to entering the war the U.S. had been attempting to purchase Cuba from Spain, reviving the movement of Manifest Destiny for a spell. After using exaggerated stories of the atrocities brought upon the Cubans by the Spanish, Hearst and Pulitzer were able to sway public opinion and Americans called for action. Following the attack on the *U.S.S. Maine*, America officially declared war on the Spanish. An interesting and well-captioned album detailing a young man's time serving with the United States Army during the Spanish-American War.