John Omenhausser, Civil War Sketchbook (1864-1865)

Confederate John Jacob Omenhausser, who was captured in 1864 and spent about a year at a Union prison camp in Maryland, filled a sketchbook with over sixty paintings of camp life. The University of Maryland does not have all of Omenhausser’s paintings, but this one is the largest. Omenhausser, who served with the 46th Virginia Infantry, moved to Richmond after the war and worked as a candy maker. He had two children and later died in 1877. The University of Maryland has a number of other interesting digital collections available, including the “Sterling Family Papers” – which I highlighted in a previous post.