Entrenchments above the Thomas Viaduct, Elkridge, Maryland — E. & H. T. Anthony

Uniformed soldiers stand among field guns and earthworks on a wooded height, with a flag hanging from a tall, slender pole. Beyond the position, a stone railway viaduct curves across the valley, its repeated arches visible through the trees.

The reverse label titles the photograph “Entrenchments commanding the Viaduct at the Relay House, Balt. & Ohio R. R.” under the heading “WAR VIEWS.” The number 939 at the foot of the right-hand image matches the label’s “No. 939.” The card was published by E. & H. T. Anthony, whose imprint gives the American and Foreign Stereoscopic Emporium address at 501 Broadway, New-York; no photographer is credited.

A legible pencil annotation identifies the position as the Elkridge end of the Thomas Viaduct and describes the men as Cook’s Boston Light Artillery, “Bouquet Battery,” in 1861. It cites the Howard County Historical Society and notes two cannons deployed on the hill. The unit identification and date rest on this annotation rather than the printed caption; neither the annotation’s date nor the card’s issue date is established by the scans.

The paired photographs are mounted on yellow card, measuring 6.8 × 3.28 inches. There is a small loss of the mount’s yellow surface at the lower-left front corner; the card is otherwise sound, with clear image detail and a readily legible reverse label.