Ninth plate ambrotype portrait. Half leatherette case. 

Fascinating Confederate soldier portrait that was found in the Confederate dead letter file in Richmond, Virginia. The subject is a double-armed man in civilian clothes, identified by a period ink label attached to the case that reads, "J.W. McClain, Memphis, Tenn." He holds a cavalry sword and sidearm in a warlike manner.

Images of subjects in civilian clothes brandishing weapons of war are typically considered "enlistment photos," where proud new soldiers ran off to a photographer after they joined the army, but before they received a uniform. The new recruit here is likely J.W. McClain, who enlisted in the 10th Tennessee Cavalry in 1863, a regiment that served under Nathan Bedford Forrest. McClain likely had this image made in Memphis before galloping off with the "Wizard of the Saddle."

We note that this image has captivated collectors and historians for generations. A sketch of this very image appears in the Battles and Leaders of the Civil War series, published in 1885 (pg. 349).  

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [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]