PROFILE of WILLIAM H. BATES
8th MO Infantry (US)
Company H


Private William H. Bates of Peoria, Illinois, was one of nearly 400 Illinois residents who volunteered to serve in the 8th MO Volunteer Infantry (US).   On this page you can view the "Cabinet Card" that he had made as a very sweet gesture for his daughter in 1892.
 
Bates was proudly showing his daughter Teenie how he looked as an 8th MO volunteer some 30 years previous.   He is wearing his original 8th MO Zouave uniform in the Cabinet Card photo:

Photo of Bates

William Bates' Cabinet Card is in the collection of Bill Winters, a historian living in Missouri.
A copy of the card was supplied to this website by Jerry Wells, of ACW Toy Soldiers.


A "Cabinet Card" is a paper photographic print mounted on a commercially-produced mounting card.   They were first introduced in 1866, and became tremendously popular in the United States.   The last Cabinet Cards were produced in the 1920's, perhaps as late as 1924.
 
A Cabinet Card is a larger version (6.5 inches by 4.5 inches) of the "carte de visite", retaining the photographer's imprint and exhibiting similar styles of decorative artwork on the card face or back.
 
The majority of Cabinet Cards were albumen prints.   Tinted albumen papers gained popularity in the 1880s, offering subtle pink and blue coloration to the non-image areas of the picture.


Here is a transcription of what William Bates wrote on the Cabinet Card for his daughter Teenie:
 

Cabinet Card

The text on William Bates' Cabinet Card was transcribed by Steven J. Schmit,
who has spoken at Civil War Roundtables and has curated Civil War exhibits.


The photo on William Bates' Cabinet Card was used by Edmund Fangonilo to create a set of toy 8th Missouri (US) soldiers.   Edmunds Traditional Toy Soldiers can be purchased at ACW Toy Soldiers.
 

Photo of Bates   Toy Soldiers Close Up

Bates attended the 8th MO Peoria Illinois area reunion.

William H. Bates was also present at the 1882 Logan County Civil War reunion.   This reunion was held in Illinois.

(Click here for a explanation of why people from other states joined the 8th Missouri)