American Historical Ephemera and Photography

CDV on cardstock mount (toning, light soiling to print; mount with two pinholes to bottom , soiling, and wear/creasing to corners). Verso bears Fassett's New Gallery imprint alongside modern pencil inscriptions. Burbank is featured in this vignetted bust portrait wearing a brigadier general uniform.

Sidney Burbank (1807-1882) was born in Lexington, MA. He was the son of a lieutenant colonel, and himself attended the United States Military Academy, graduating in 1829. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry, fighting battles against the Seminoles before working to establish frontier forts, including Eagle Pass, TX. When war broke out with the Confederacy, Burbank was made Lieutenant Colonel of the US 13th Infantry. In September 1862, he was commissioned into the 2nd Infantry. He served the first part of the war with the Army of the Potomac, and was engaged in most of those Eastern Theater battles. By winter 1863, his health and eyesight were failing, so he was transferred to recruitment duty in Columbus, OH and northern KY, then stationed at Newport Barracks. He was brevetted a brigadier general for service at Gettysburg (in the Wheatfield) to date from 13 March 1865. He retired in May 1870 after 40 years of service, and lived the remainder of his life in Newport, KY. He died in 1882 and is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery (Cincinnati, OH).