To celebrate the 236th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, we found this image of Civil War marines.
The caption reads, “The United States Marines and Marine Barracks at Washington,” reminding us that nearly 5,000 men fought for the Union and Confederate Marine Corps. While best known for their role in John Brown’s raid, Marines participated in the First Battle at Bull Run, the Battle of Fort Fisher, and aboard dozens of naval vessels, including the USS Kearsarge, the CSS Virginia, and the USS Monitor.
Image Credit: Harper’s Weekly, 14 September 1861.
