This soldier doesn’t hide his profession of arms or his patriotism. He is shown seated, from the knees-up in this sixth plate tintype, and holds his rifle up on the viewer’s left with one hand, the bayonet fixed and gun sling in place, and holds a U.S. flag at the left with the other. He has pushed up the brim of his forage cap so as not to cast a shadow and looks slightly downward as if not wishing to interfere with the photographic artist at work. His cheeks have been delicately tinted red, and seem slightly swollen, perhaps from a toothache, or maybe just a chew of tobacco.

He wears a regulation infantry enlisted man’s frock coast with alternating buttons undone, but the collar trim showing. He has turned his gear around to make it appear properly in the reversed image. His cartridge box sling plate and waistbelt plate are shown, but lightly gilt by the photographer, obscuring some detail. His cartridge box, cap pouch, and the belt loop of his bayonet scabbard show plainly, as does a bone-handled belt knife in a scabbard that is thrust in his waist belt, the end of which is turned back behind his belt plate, probably being too much of a hassle to refasten after turning everything around for the camera.

The flag is about the size of a civilian patriotic parade flag or military guide flag or flank marker and is a stars-and-stripes, with white stars in the canton that appear to be arranged in a circle. The canton is a faded blue and the white stars took some of that tinting, but are well delineated. The stripes show a nice brick red, and are well tinted with no overflow of the color into the white stripes.

The figural thermoplastic case showing a basket of flowers has a couple of narrow cracks on one edge near the hinge, but houses the image securely. The plate itself shows an abrasion as a narrow dark arc across the soldier’s chest, but is not particularly bothersome given the amount of detail in the image. The cover glass has a short hairline crack at bottom center just crossing one leg of the soldier’s pants, but seems stable in the frame and under the mat.

This is a very simple portrait, but with lots of detail. There’s no doubt he’s a soldier.  [sr] [ph:m]

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