Runners? Beautiful Antique RPPC of A Bit of a Motley Group of Young Men needleworkj is the closest color wise

is the closest color wise

and I know that Middse refers to Middlesex

and heavy ordnance for the Union in the Civil War

stretched tight underneath) and the loss of one knit stocking and leather bootie along the way

an evangelical organization founded in 1825 for the purpose of publishing and disseminating tracts of Christian literature

Runners? Beautiful Antique RPPC of A Bit of a Motley Group of Young Men needleworkj is the closest color wiseI presume the young men with handwritten numbers pinned to their chest here are runners, but I might guess what connects the somewhat mottly looking group as a whole is something else. Whatever the case, I love the mix of faces and postures and outfits here, and find the image very tender feeling and quite beautiful. Found in Pennsylvania, c. 1910s 20s I believe. 5 7 16 x 3 3 8". Small burn mark lower left corner and a bit to lower right corner too.