We received the photo below today from our friends in the editorial department of the DAR in Washington, DC, with whom we work in publishing the organization’s national magazine, American Spirit.
Here are the facts about the photo we can piece together.
Rex Hammock, left, is wearing the cap of a Union soldier. While he’s a history buff, we feel somewhat certain that his Alabama and Tennessee roots make this a first. We have also learned that the woman on the right is an actress playing the part of Clara Barton, the angel of the battlefield, and founder of the American Red Cross, the next-door neighbor of the DAR in Washington. (Sidenote: While not related to the photo, we know that Miss Barton was a member of the DAR.)
We understand that the photo was taken at yesterday’s 83rd 92nd annual New York State luncheon at the annual Continental Congress of the DAR. And we’ve received a report from Rex that playing the part of a Union soldier is a great role if you’re on-stage in front of several hundred women from New York state.
Correction: We’ve learned this year’s was the 92nd annual New York luncheon. After a decade of working with our friends at the DAR on fact-checking historical dates, we never cease to be amazed by their ability to track down such information.