Photography was invented in the 1820s and 1830s, and the Revolutionary War ended decades before, in 1783. This meant that most Revolutionary War veterans didn’t live long enough to have their photographs taken. That being said, there were a few war veterans who did live long enough to be immortalized in portraits.
In 1864, a full 81 years after the war ended, Reverend E. B. Hillard and two photographers went to New England to interview and photograph the six men known to have survived. All of the veterans were over 100 years old. These amazing photographs were made into a book called The Last Men of the Revolution. This is a fascinating look into history that we’re lucky to have.
