The Louisville Legion Photograph

It is assumed that the photo of the Louisville Legion was taken the night of the mayor’s review, April 28, 1889. The photograph itself was presented to Charles F. Huhlein by several other men, listed on the left margin of the photograph. The picture shows the entire company which was to attend the Centennial. The names of captains and lieutenants of each company are listed at the bottom of the photograph. The photo shows the men in their finery, presumably the uniforms they were to wear in the Centennial parade. The presence of civilians in the background shows that the event was as much as a social event as it was a show of martial excellence, much like many of the other events the Legion men engaged in when not dispatched to service.

Charles F. Huhlein    

This photo was likely a gift to Huhlein in appreciation for his service to the Legion, particularly because he could not travel with the Legion to New York due to business obligations. Huhlein had been a part of the Legion for over a decade when the photo was taken. He was enlisted as a private in Battery A in 1878 and had moved up the ranks to Captain of Battery A by 1889. Huhlein, born to German immigrant parents in 1859, was a successful businessman and notable soldier by the age of 30. He was the president of the Commercial Club in 1889, a business club which sought to increase Louisville’s economic prospects after the end of the Southern Exposition in 1887. Huhlein was one of many prominent businessmen involved in the Legion, which was equal parts a social organization as it was a state militia. The men who presented the photograph to Huhlein were not part of the Legion, but were fellow prominent businessmen in Louisville.