Jeff Shields, Jackson's Body Servant Full-length outdoor albumen view 3 1/8 x 3 1/8 in. N.p, [1910-1918] Modern ink identification written to photograph recto. Mounted on cardboard which includes ink description to recto which reads: "A War Relic."

An intriguing photograph of an older African American gentleman, identified as Jefferson Shields, standing in a field of grass while balancing his weight on a walking stick. Ornamented by an elegant white beard and an array of decorative ribbons covering his jacket, Jefferson is clothed in a fine twill suit with a matching hat which he dangles to his side. In the foreground stands a tall white building blending into the tree line.

While not much is known about the life of Jefferson Shields (1829-1918), his time spent with the Confederate army is sparsely documented, providing intriguing insight into the life of an African American man in the South during the Civil War. Jefferson was the personal servant to Colonel James Kerr Edmundson (1832-1898) and was also attributed to serving as a cook for 'Stonewall' Jackson (1824-1863) and his Iron Brigade. Upon his gravestone is the identification of his service, which reads "Private in Company H, 27th Virginia Infantry in the Stonewall Brigade, CSA." While he would later be acknowledged as a Veteran, citing him as an example of a Black Confederate soldier, it is noted that the Confederacy did not arm their saves, and while some served as personal servants, they were not considered enlisted members. 

[African Americana, African American History, Black History, Slavery, Enslavement, Abolition, Emancipation][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, Stereographs]

Water damage to photo and tear to bottom right corner.