Beyond the Canvas
I wanted to show this first. The image on the right is the box on the left and this is the format that I will use in this section
Can you see the cat, hes looking right at you ?
What about Sarah, shes wearing a pair of glasses that have tassels coming down and has a Lilly and rose in front of her? This is a ghost silhouette of her as she was in 1862 when she was 62 years old.
The first thing I'd like to say is that this is a very subjective analysis. These messages were meant for one person and one person only and there was a lot of effort to obscure what they were saying to everyone else. There are many visual distractions as a part of this message to confuse a person who would see them and not know what they are really seeing. I've done my best to try and identify and explain these images but its up to the viewer to decide for themselves. KSC
This is the section where Sarah and her cat are. The word (nee) shows up, also (Mrs) but I'm not sure of the picture that goes with it? I believe it might be a visual reference to Gen Isaac Quinbys wife since the word 'nee' is a nickname they called her (nee Gardner). You can see a chimney where smoke comes out and envelopes Sarah and her cat along with the outline of the cabin roof. I believe the 3-2 is when the painting was made, March 1862. There are two prominent three letter initials next to them but I will show them separate.
This I believe is the main part of the message. The top word is difficult to discern but I believe it says [initial]. Its telling the viewer to observe the first letter in the initials. It reads I F Q -Stay- The I is inside the F and the last markings after Q (looks like a wide heart) is a false letter. The first letter S in the word Stay is in cursive. I believe Sarah put a tiny heart on the loop because it was too prominent.
I F Q is Isaac Ferdinand Quinby and the message is telling him to -Stay- General Quinby was promoted to Brigadier General of volunteers on March 17th 1862 to command the District of Mississippi and I believe this painting represents orders given to him when he arrives.
This shows the two most predominate initials: Mgh which stands for Major General Halleck 'oys' and means 'boys'. The top word is sept which is September. There is a half arrow pointing down from from the (h). I believe this is interpenetrated as Major General Halleck 'boys' are heading down towards you and -Stay- by sept. His 'boys' are General Grant and the other union commanders. SMP - Sarah Miriam Peale. She wasn't initializing the painting but the message.
The one action during 1862 by General Quinby was his forces taking Fort Pillow May 22nd 1862 on the Mississippi river, It was basically a Union gunboat showing up and the confederates took off. In September of 1862 General Quinby transferred from administration duty to line command of the 7th division of the Army of Tennessee and was involved in the Vicksburg campaign as a part of General Grants forces. General Grant wanted him in his back pocket for Vicksburg.