Which * Phineas Sr or Jr? Asked Gerry Osborn...04/09/2009

This has been a hot topic at my house for a few years. I’ve never settled on an answer so can not make a compelling argument one way or another. When we received the war album back in the 1970’s, page nine as shown here had the only photos that were not identified; the rest were soldiers whose names were somewhere on the photo. It became my assumption that those unidentified persons with the exception of the lower right likely were family members or very close friends, since he was headed for war. The one on the lower right is a trick picture showing the same man twice. Of the other three photos only one positive ID has been made and that is the woman on the left in the photo on the lower left. She was Caroline Osborn Rockwood born in 1827 the oldest of Phineas A Sr’s children. The rest in that tintype are unknown; likely a family grouping. The ID was made by comparison to a known photo. Our guess is the one on the upper left was Phineas Sr’s oldest son Duane born 1834. He had migrated to Michigan and a Michigan Photo Studio is identified on the reverse. He also entered the service for the GAR from Michigan. Rationale? Who else is it likely to be? The one on the upper right I always believed was Phineas Sr; absolutely no proof of course. I think this guy is about the right age; 55 to 60 or so. He was dressed very much like you might expect a deacon to be. He looked pretty sharp; had just snagged himself a new wife 20 years his junior. Again, who else of that age but his father would a 19 year old take to war him? Not his mother because she died in 1855 and this was 1861.

Dick Osborn supplied the photo in question from someone I believe was a relative of one of Hart Osborn’s 3 wives. In that group of photos were pictures of Hart, his three wives, Caroline Osborn Rockwood, Daniel, and Phineas A Osborn. I don’t believe the war album and Dick’s photo are of the same man. If it is possible that the style of clothing he is wearing in Dick’s photo was worn shortly after 1900 then I think it is likely he is Phineas Jr otherwise it probably is the old man which shoots my theory in the tail. That’s OK I’m flexible. I even went to the internet and looked at antique clothing but didn’t feel comfortable with anything I saw. My first thought was Dick’s photos must be all wives and siblings. My next thought was damn why wouldn’t Hart have a photo of his dad among his pictures?

Now that this mess is all cleared up I guess I’ll go to bed.   Jerry