Sixth plate half-length studio portrait ambrotype. [Georgia], circa 1861-1865. Uncased. 

A highlight of the Booth collection is this sublime portrait of a member of Company D of the 5th Georgia Infantry, nicknamed the "McDuffie Riflemen." The McDuffie Riflemen were the first volunteer company organized in Warren County and were among the first such militia organizations in Georgia to offer their services to the Confederate army. This image is beautifully sharp and clear, and the addition of subtle tinting to the subject's skin brings an almost life-like quality to the plate. 

The unknown subject, clad in an 8-button frock, grasps what appears to be a seldom-seen M1855 Fayetteville rifle fitted with a fearsome saber bayonet, both of which were produced in a North Carolina arsenal. His headgear leaves no doubt as to his affiliation, with the brass letters "MDR" clearly visible pinned to the front within laurel leaves.

While the sitter's identity is as yet undiscovered, he and his brothers in arms of the 5th Georgia complied a hard-fighting reputation in the Civil War's western theater. The McDuffie Riflemen were heavily engaged at Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, where more than half of the regiment suffered casualties. What was left of the regiment after its service in Tennessee returned to Georgia, where it was active in campaigns against Gen. Sherman's army, culminating at the battle of Bentonville in 1865.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Georgia] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards]