"He Had Failed To Meet the Expectations of the Regiment, Its Promoters and Friends."

Carte de visite by an unidentified photographer. The winds of public favor and popular sentiment in the ranks were with Stephen Williamson Stryker, colonel of the 44th New York Infantry. He was a member of Elmer E. Ellsworth's wildly successful U.S. Zouave Cadets before the war. After it started, he served as a lieutenant in Col. Ellsworth's 11th New York Infantry and commanded the guard that escorted his late commander's remains home after his death at the hands of a tavern-keeper in Alexandria.

When the 44th formed as the "People's Ellsworth Regiment in 1862, 26-year-old, New Jersey-born Stryker was not given command. However, a sequence of events ended with him receiving his colonel's straps. Though he looked the part of a commander, he did not posses the leadership skills during the regiment's first campaign on the Virginia Peninsula. In its first battle on an open field, near Hanover Court House, Stryker left the 44th in charge of a subordinate to seek reinforcements. This episode marked the beginning of the end for Stryker. He was removed as commander and resigned at the end of the campaign.

The regimental history noted with candor, "He had failed to meet the expectations of the regiment, its promoters and friends."

Stryker attempted a military comeback in 1863 as lieutenant colonel of the 18th New York Cavalry. He squandered his second chance, which came to an abrupt end on Nov. 1, 1864, when the army dismissed him for fraud when he and others deprived Black under cooks of bounty money entitled to them as a condition of their enlistment.

Stryker's military career was over. He eventually settled in Chicago, where he worked as Western manager for Philadelphia hat maker John B. Stetson Company. In 1874, Stryker patented a fur collar. His interest in clothing may be connected to the natty Zouave uniforms of Ellsworth's Cadets.

Stryker died in 1897 at age 60. He outlived his first wife, Mary, and was survived by second wife Annie and a daughter.

I encourage you to use this image for educational purposes only. However, please ask for permission.

Taken on: August 19, 2023

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Carte de visite

Stephen

Stryker

Ellsworth

Zouave

New York

infantry

cavalry

resigned

dismissed

fraud

stetson

peninsula

Virginia « less

Sets appears in: • Identified soldiers

Groups appears in: • Cabinet Portraits, CDV, photos on cardboard • Veterans of the American Civil War more » • Photo Trouvée • Civil War Era Portraits • Early Photography in the U.S.A. • The 1860s • Private and historical pictures before 1914 « less

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