This photograph is thought to show the devestation of Oxford, Mississippi after August 22, 1864. It was verified in the 1930s by a local DAR chapter. However its authenticity is disputed.
This photograph is thought to show the devastation of Oxford, Mississippi after August 22, 1864. It was verified in the 1930s by a local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter. However its authenticity is disputed.
“As a Photographer, Civil War Historian, and Oxford Native, I have closely examined this photograph,” said Newt Rayburn. “If it is authentic, then the remains of the old Cumberland Church must be on the left hand side of this photograph.”
“Judging from the shadows and the point of view, this was probably shot after noon in the vicinity near where Frank & Marlee’s is today,” Newt Rayburn continued. “The building in the background on the far right was probably located on the Southwest side of The Square.”
“There are other possibilities,” Newt Rayburn concluded. “But this location is very strong.”
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