A Private Uniform with Shoulder Straps?

[Discipulus]

I thought I would join to ask you experts to chime in on some questions I have --

My great aunt Jennie was a family historian, member of the D.A.R., anything and everything related to genealogy.

She said this was a picture of her father (my 2xg-grandfather), and geesh, we would expect she would know her own father?

However I have his service record and his pension file, and in five years of enlistment with the 26th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, he never advanced past the rank of private.

But this soldier appears to have shoulder straps on his shell jacket. A private with shoulder straps? Is that possible?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

 

[7thWisconsin]

He certainly does, and seems to be wearing them on a junior officers frock. My first guess is that this is NOT your ancestor, despite the family story. Not doubting his service. You have documentation of that. I just question whether that's him. It's got to have been a long time since Great Aunt Jennie actually saw him, and possibly never saw him in his uniformed youth. I think she simply mixed up his identity with another's, someone to whom you may or may not be related!

 

[Discipulus]

Jennie's father had a brother who was a first lieutenant, and was killed in action at Jackson, MS. (I have his service record too, hoping to find a pic that is sometimes included with officer's records, but there was none there.)

However he was a member of the 3rd Iowa Infantry. Is there anyway to tell if this soldier was enlisted from Illinois or Iowa?

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I agree with 7thWisconsin.
Welcome to the forums.

 

[7thWisconsin]

I would lay money that the photo is the brother. From that photo, there's no way to tell his state. He seems to have a company letter on the front of his hat, but I can't make it out

 

[Patrick H]

I also have a hunch it's the brother. They might have had a remarkable resemblance to each other, thus Great Aunt Jennie, viewing the picture many years after it was made, might have been mistaken about the identity.

 

[shanniereb]

Yelp, I have a hunch it is the brother too. Those look like Lt. boards on his shoulders.

 

[major bill]

It is not uncommon for people to mistake who is in a photograph. I have often tried to help people who simply cannot accept they are wrong. One woman was very angry with me foe saying a photo of her great great grandfather in his Civil War was a Spanish American soldier. Wrong uniform for the Civil War, wrong rifle it did not matter. She broke off contact when I pointed out her great great grandfather was 5 in 1865 and few five year old drummer boys had such impressive handle bar mustaches.

 

[lelliott19]

Looks like either a "C" or a "B" on his hat? Or perhaps a lower case "g" ? Although I never knew they used lower case letter so probably not. Dont know if that info helps anyone make a determination?

 

[E_just_E]

Are we all sure that this is a Civil War uniform in the photo?

 

[chellers]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

 

[major bill]

Is the image reversed?

 

[Discipulus]

I have no idea if the image is reversed. My cousin (Jennie's grandson) has the original. It is a tin-type.

Could it be a non-Civil War uniform? You folks are the experts, and I trust you. I know that the "low slouch" hat was not common in the Civil War but it was also not completely unusual.

One of the things it has in its favor for being Civil War is the era of the type of photograph -- tin-type. Not an absolute rule, but still a general rule.

 

[7thWisconsin]

I think the image is Civil War vintage. I also think it's reversed because it looks like his jacket buttons the wrong way. Company letters were all upper case, but I can't make that hat badge into anything. As an officer, he could be wearing a wreath with a script US, but a company letter isn't out of the question. Those low crowned hats were popular. It also looks pretty new. Do you know his date of commission? It could be his "look at me, Ma," picture.

 

[Pvt.Shattuck]

I cant say WHO he is, but that there is an officer.

 

[John Hartwell]

What are the brothers' names and company letters? We'll do some poking around. Can't tell what we might turn up?

 

[major bill]

I have also seen a very few officers wearing the old rifleman straight bugle badge in brass. Could this be that insignia?

 

[Discipulus]

My 2xg-grandfather George Hall, private, company K, 26th Regiment Illinois Infantry
My 2xg-granduncle Edward W. Hall, mustered in as private, promoted to sergeant, promoted to 1st Lieutenant,
company B, 3rd Regiment Iowa Infantry, killed at Jackson, Mississippi, 1863

 

[7thWisconsin]

It's too small to be the old bugle, and looks too shiny for the US. I could squint and make it into a "B" though.

 

[E_just_E]

My 2xg-granduncle Edward W. Hall, mustered in as private, promoted to sergeant, promoted to 1st Lieutenant,
company B, 3rd Regiment Iowa Infantry, killed at Jackson, Mississippi, 1863

Looks like he might be in that picture of the 3rd IA VI:

Uniform could be close, check those Lieut's up front.