Charles Alexander Macy Jr.
Ronald S. Coddington Collection
On June 1, 1861, the 7th New York State Militia arrived in New York City to a hero’s welcome. The men had just completed a six-week deployment to the imperiled nation’s capital. These first defenders were met by cheering throngs as they marched through the city to their home armory.
More than 1,000 strong, clad in gray uniforms and the finest trappings, the regiment had earned national attention as one of the best organized and best drilled military bodies in the country.
The regimental historian commented: “Every on-looker noted some change which six weeks’ service had wrought—the bronzed and hardy look of the men; or their uniforms, neat, but worn and travel-stained; or such little fantastic emblems of campaigning as the black and battered pipes worn in the caps.”
Charles Alexander Macy Jr. (1840–1902) posed for this portrait about a month after the regiment’s grand return, sporting one of these “fantastic emblems.” His meerschaum pipe with a wood stem is secured by an improvised holder formed by twisting and looping the cotton elastic chin strap on his hat’s brim. The arrangement is visible on the lower portion of the pipe stem.
Ronald S. Coddington is publisher of Military Images, a magazine dedicated to showcasing and preserving photos of Civil War soldiers and sailors.
