Item No. 1984540

CDV view of the dashing yet controversial Confederate general Earl Van Dorn. A Mississippi native and West Point graduate of the Class of 1842, Van Dorn earned distinction as a cavalry officer in the Mexican War and on the western frontier before casting his lot with the Confederacy in 1861. Elevated rapidly to high command, he led armies in the Western Theater at the Battles of Pea Ridge and Corinth, where boldness and personal bravery were offset by poor coordination. Despite his flaws, Van Dorn remained a popular figure, later finding greater success as a cavalry leader under Sterling Price. His life was cut short in 1863 when he was shot and killed by a doctor claiming the general had carried on an affair with his wife. The CDV image measures about 2 1/4” x 4” with slightly trimmed corners. On the reverse is the imprint of E. & H. T. Anthony of New York.