Armed solider Colt Tintype Union or Confederate?

TNcollector

Private
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Aug 15, 2016
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I was trying to figure out if this is a union or confederate solider in the image. I thought it was a federal solider but another older collector told me he thought it was confederate. Please let me know what you think. I don't have the image in hand I just have the one photo. Thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks, Rob
 
I would say Confederate. The jacket appears to me to have a plum collar (others may disagree) and I would guess a late-war cadet gray Houston depot jacket. It could be something else but has all the hallmarks of that depot (assuming I'm right about the collar). Federal jackets typically did not have shoulder straps. The pistol looks like a Spiller and Burr to me, which would mean probably Confederate.
 
Thanks for your response D.H. The graphic part was a mistake. The guy that currently has it says it's a tintype but I thought in the photo is looked like an ambrotype.
 
I would say Confederate also, could also be a Richmond depot jacket. Wearing a sword belt so I'd say cavalry. It's a shame the buckle is blurred. That would be a good piece of info. Very nice picture, would be great to know the person.
 
Thanks for fixing it for me and thanks for everyone's responses. Any other options and observations about the image are much appreciated.
 
I also know a lot of people don't like to talk about value on open forums. I may be able to buy the image so if any knowledge collector out there could send me a PM on value it would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Rob
 
I don't pretend to be an expert on much of anything. I'm only going on my instincts here. Take a good look at that revolver. Take a good look behind the cylinder, where we see a groove in the frame. Might we be seeing a Remington CONVERSION revolver here? And, if so, who would be most likely to be holding it? Or, I should rather have asked: A soldier of which side in approximately what year?
 
Might we be seeing a Remington CONVERSION revolver here?

I saw the same thing when I peeked in at lunch. This is not a Spiller & Burr as the notch behind the cylinder is a conversion notch which the S&B didn't have. Also, if you look at the belt plate it is rather large and the end of it has a belt slot which the CS Army didn't have one except on a CS 2 piece. Only 2 Southern States had a rectangle plate with a belt loop and this ain't one of them. IMHO he is not CS.
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Thanks so much Patrick and UCVRelics for your information! The seller wants way to much for him for him not being a confederate. I would not have know this with out your help. That's why CivilWarTalk is such a valuable forum to me!

Thanks, Rob
 
I took the notch on the pistol to be where you put the caps on, as the image is reversed, but I could be wrong. I do not profess to be an expert in pistols, or anything else for that matter.
SpillerBurr.jpg


My suggestion of a Houston depot jacket was extremely speculative (to the point I should not have mentioned it), as the photo is not clear enough to tell. They were issued to many CS troops in the Trans-Mississippi, not just Texas soldiers. It could be any number of other things- Richmond, US state jacket, etc.
 
I took the notch on the pistol to be where you put the caps on, as the image is reversed, but I could be wrong. I do not profess to be an expert in pistols, or anything else for that matter.
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My suggestion of a Houston depot jacket was extremely speculative (to the point I should not have mentioned it), as the photo is not clear enough to tell. They were issued to many CS troops in the Trans-Mississippi, not just Texas soldiers. It could be any number of other things- Richmond, US state jacket, etc.
I see your point. I am now scratching my head with regard to my previous post.
 
I took the notch on the pistol to be where you put the caps on, as the image is reversed, but I could be wrong. I do not profess to be an expert in pistols, or anything else for that matter.

Ive had this discussion before on the image being reversed but the notch is on the left side of his pistol and the notch on a S&B is on the right.
 
The image corrected with the notch on the right.
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On a separate not I had at first thought the narrow strap over his shoulder was the "Sam Browne" strap of his saber belt, but now it doesn't appear to be. The ring for that is clearly empty on his left above the J-hook. I agree it is probably a federal-issue belt- maybe the other strap is for a canteen?
 
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The image corrected with the notch on the right.

Now it is corrected. The one thing people miss even me is which side the buttons on the jacket are on. The plate I feel is the tell tell on this image.
 
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