Lieutenant Colonel Theron Edwards Parsons
date: label: date made
content: 1861-1865
name: label: depicted (sitter)
content: Parsons, Theron E.
label: maker
content: Powelson
notes: label: Description
content: Lieutenant Colonel Theron Edwards Parsons, Aide-de-Camp, carte-de-visite, by Powelson, Rochester, New York, c. 1860s
label: Description
content: Theron Edwards Parsons served with the 108th New York Volunteers. He was also the acting assistant adjunct general 3rd Brig, 2nd Div. 2nd Corps, and was on the staffs of Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Smyth and Major Gen. Humphrey. Born to George W. and Avira Parsons in Rochester, New York, on April 4, 1842, Parsons received all his education there. In 1860, he began work at the Rochester Gas Light Company.
label: Description
content: At age twenty in August 1862, Theron Parsons joined the war as a quartermaster-sergeant. During the spring of 1863, he was commissioned second lieutenant of Company D. By June, Parsons was the acting aide-de-camp for Smyth (3955W). Parsons survived the Battle of Gettysburg, and in a letter dated July 4, 1863, sent to his father, he writes:
label: Description
content: "We have had a terrible battle, as you will see by my diary enclosed. Thanks to a merciful God I am safe, though I had no expectations of seeing the sun set last night. We are very busy getting returns of killed and wounded."
label: Description
content: Theron Parsons was acknowledged by Smyth for his performance and conduct at the Battle of Gettysburg. He was slightly wounded on May 6, 1864. By Smyth’s (cat. #3955W) request, Parsons was promoted to captain and assistant adjutant general, on November 5, 1864. When Smyth (cat. #3955W) was injured in Farmville, Virginia, Parsons was at his side when he briefly regained consciousness. Following Smyth’s death, Parsons was transferred to Major Gen. Humphrey’s staff and remained there until he was mustered out on June 7, 1865.
label: Description
content: Following the war, Theron Parsons served in the National Guard. He was heavily involved with post war veterans’ activities, and was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, and Alexander Hamilton Post 182, Department of New York. A year after he was mustered out of service, he married. Parsons moved from Rochester to New York City in 1884.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Rochester
topic: label: Subject
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Battle of Antietam, 1862
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
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content: Seville Collection
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content: Photography
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of M.W Seville
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PG.003955X
label: accession number
content: 117896
label: catalog number
content: 3955X
objectType: label: Object Name
content: carte-de-visite
label: Object Name
content: photograph
label: Object Type
content: Carte-Visite
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 in x 2 5/16 in; 10.16 cm x 5.842 cm