Bidspirit auction | (AMERICAN-JUDAICA).  CARTE DE VISITE PHOTOGRAPH

(AMERICAN-JUDAICA).  CARTE DE VISITE PHOTOGRAPH of Confederate Major Octavus S. Cohen. Photographer: I.G. Steiger.Penciled on reverse: “Uncle Octy Cohen.” Savannah, GA.1860’s.     A third generation American Jew, Octavus S. Cohen (1814-76) was born in Charleston, South Carolina. The Cohen family’s American story began with Octavus’s grandfather, Moses Cohen (1709-62) who emigrated from London and was appointed the first rabbi of Charleston’s congregation Beth Elo-him.     Octavus and his wife Henrietta lived in Savannah where they were members of Congregation Mikveh Israel. A commission merchant who exported cotton, Cohen was a man of means, who volunteered for the Savannah Artillery for the Confederacy once the Civil War erupted and rose to become the aide-de-camp to Gen. William D. Smith.     His son, also named Octavus Cohen (1844-87), also served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy.