This is a very unusual pose showing a fully equipped infantry man lying down as if taking a rest during a long march, having thrown off his knapsack to use as a pillow or cushion, but keeping everything else on and his rifle ready to be picked up as soon as the column is called into formation again and the march resumed. He rests on his knapsack with one elbow and has positioned his rifle across a bent knee, steadying it in the crook of his arm with its lock toward the camera, showing it to be an 1861 Springfield or contract rifle musket, with its shoulder sling attached. His cartridge box sling shows its round eagle sling plate and his bayonet appears on his hip protruding from its scabbard.

In some ways, his gear on display is more interesting than his weapons. He has not taken off his canteen: it still hangs by its strap from his shoulder, and his boiler, “mucket,” or bail cup that rests on the ground next to it with its handle up, indicating he has carries it on the fastening billet of his regulation tarred canvas haversack, which is prominent by its flap and broad sling, also still on his shoulder.

He wears a regulation frock coat and forage cap. The cap seems to have a small letter or number on the top, but it could be a commercial ventilator, purchased privately to make the cap more comfortable on a hot day. He is bearded and has the mature look of an experienced soldier. Notably, he does not wear army-issue shoes, but boots with a knee flap, indicating he has experience dealing with muddy roads churned up by a column of men.

We have seen just a few other photos with this pose, one a carte-de-visite with a Pennsylvania photographer’s backmark, who may have specialized in this pose. His subjects likely found it familiar and thought the folks back home should know what campaigning was like. For all that, it took some doing. Tintypes laterally reverse details, so the soldier had to go to some trouble switching his cartridge box over to his other shoulder to make it appear worn correctly and do the same for his bayonet, while leaving his haversack and canteen in place so as to drape nicely in front of the camera. Lastly, he had to steady that rifle. There is nothing so hard to contrive as a casual pose.

The photograph is a quarter plate ambrotype with some solarization around the perimeter, but a very good size to show a lot of detail and the photographer took advantage of it. The image is glassed, matted, and framed, held in a half case. This would be a very unusual image for a photo collector and would also be the perfect image to complement a display of Civil War infantry arms and gear.  [sr] [ph:m]

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