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Primary sourcePhotograph

General Hayes

A Civil War-era photograph of Hayes in military uniform, from the Library of Congress, documenting his war service before his political career.

This Civil War photograph documents Hayes's military service, which launched his later political career.

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Black-and-white studio portrait of a bearded man with combed-back hair in a dark military-style uniform with rows of buttons, seated with one hand resting on his knee and the other on a chair back, a cap visible at the lower right.
General Rutherford B. Hayes. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Civil War Photographs Collection.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows Rutherford B. Hayes in military uniform during the Civil War. It is held in the Library of Congress's Civil War Photographs Collection.

Why it matters

Hayes's service as a Union Army general was an important part of his public reputation and helped launch his political career after the war. Photographs like this one document how military service was used to build political credibility in this period.

Look closer

  • What details of the uniform and pose suggest this is a formal, posed portrait rather than a battlefield scene?
  • Why might a military record have helped Hayes's later political career?
  • What is missing from a studio photograph that an account of actual combat might reveal?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Rutherford B. Hayes on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Rutherford Birchard Hayes

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