Full-length studio portrait albumen CDV. New York, NY: R. A. Lord, 158 Chatham Street, [circa 1862-1863]. Photographer's imprint to mount verso. Period ink identification to mount verso read: "Horace Kimble / U.S.S.[S.]"

This exceptional full-length portrait captures a Union sharpshooter, Horace Kimball (signed Kimble), in the classic early-war aesthetic of the specialized marksman. Kimball is posed standing in a formal nine-button frock coat and forage cap. He rests his right hand on the muzzle of a massive, custom half-stock heavy target rifle. This weapon features a prominent brass patchbox and the heavy octagonal barrel typical of the slug rifles brought from home by the most elite marksmen. The military records confirm Kimball enlisted at 26 years old in Buffalo, New York, in September 1862, mustering into the 8th Company of the 1st Battalion New York Sharpshooters.

The presence of the heavy target rifle is the defining feature of this image. When units like the New York Sharpshooters were forming, recruits were required to pass a rigorous marksmanship test, often using their own heavy sporting or target rifles. These weapons, while incredibly accurate at long ranges, were cumbersome for field combat and eventually replaced. Images of soldiers posed with these early, personalized target rifles are highly prized by collectors for their connection to the genesis of the Union sharpshooter program.

Private Kimball and the 8th Company were engaged in some of the most grueling combat of the Eastern Theater. On May 10, 1864, during the opening phases of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House at Laurel Hill, Kimball was wounded in action. The fighting at Laurel Hill was notoriously fierce, with sharpshooters playing a critical role in pinning down Confederate artillery and officers. Kimball survived his wounds and saw the war through to its conclusion, mustering out in Washington, D.C., in June 1865.

This image was undoubtedly a favorite of Rick's because it perfectly encapsulates the weapon-focused early-war volunteer. Rick specifically sought out portraits featuring non-standard, specialized weaponry like heavy target rifles. Finding a sharp, identified portrait of a U.S.S.S. soldier armed with his pre-Sharps target rifle is a textbook example of the elite, narrative-driven material that defined the Carlile archive.

[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] [Civil War, Union, Confederate]

The image is in good condition, exhibiting some surface soiling and a small stain at the top edge of the albumen, typical of period handling. The tonal contrast remains strong, allowing for clear study of the target rifle's patchbox, lock plate, and heavy barrel.