This is a hand painted lanternslide with handmade wooden frame. This slide is part of a collection made by Samuel James Reader documenting his experiences in the Civil War. It shows the capture of a soldier during the Battle of the Big Blue on October 22, 1864, and may depict Reader's own story. He was a soldier in the 2nd Kansas State Militia and was captured during the battle, then later escaped by disguising himself as a Confederate soldier. Reader kept a diary that included his experiences at this battle and as a prisoner of war. Reader was an early settler in Kansas, building his own home just north of Topeka. He began painting slides in 1866 and continued throughout much of his life, holding magic lantern shows for the local community in his house and at church.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Samuel Reader lanternslide, Capturing a Yank at Big Blue