Need help identifying uniform and badge

[schweim]

I recently found this locket with a photo of what appears to be a young man in Civil War era uniform. He's wearing what appears to be a shell jacket with a kepi style cap. The cap badge looks almost like a GAR badge, But it appears to have the initials "ACW". The same initials also appear on the collar tabs. The uniform also has cloth epaulets. I have done some cursory research but I've not found anything to help identify what this uniform is or what unit or group this young man belong to. Any ideas?

 

[major bill]

Have you came up with a year yet? I am guessing late or very late 19th Century. I lean towards the 1890s.

 

[RedRover]

The standing paper collar looks very post 1860s. I'm leaning toward a late 19th Century military school uniform.


I have no clue about the "ACW" insignia. I do see a listing for an "A.C.W." institution on this library record, in Albany, NY.

Here's a "LaSalle Military Institute" cadet of Troy, NY in the late century:

Here's a Pennsylvania Military College cadet in the late 19th C.

 

[Salterr]

I recently found this locket with a photo of what appears to be a young man in Civil War era uniform. He's wearing what appears to be a shell jacket with a kepi style cap. The cap badge looks almost like a GAR badge, But it appears to have the initials "ACW". The same initials also appear on the collar tabs. The uniform also has cloth epaulets. I have done some cursory research but I've not found anything to help identify what this uniform is or what unit or group this young man belong to. Any ideas?

View attachment 460568

While I can't make out the letters enough to say that they say ACW looking at his jacket the buttons are on the wrong side of his body so flip the image and try the letters again. His hat cord is also a post war product of his headgear which appears to at least be the 1872 kepi with wide flat squared thick brim. The next major change in headgear would be those huge helmets in the 1880's and then the garrison cap of the late 1890's but even then many soldiers still wore different older styles. Some civil war soldiers wore the wheel caps of the 1830's. His collar insignia would most likely be postwar 1880's to span am era when letters would be attached to the collar. Collar insignia was reinstated many years after the civil war ended as it resembled confederate collar insignia and confederates had to strip their insignia from their jackets. I would venture to say the gray is some sort of cadet or military academy.

 

[RedRover]

While I can't make out the letters enough to say that they say ACW looking at his jacket the buttons are on the wrong side of his body so flip the image and try the letters again.

Great catch on the reversed lapels!

Here's a flipped/corrected version.

If the above is correct, I would hazard the insignia letters "W. ? A". Perhaps stand for "West ... Academy."?

 

[Christian1863]

Great catch on the reversed lapels!

Here's a flipped/corrected version.

View attachment 460686

If the above is correct, I would hazard the insignia letters "W. ? A". Perhaps stand for "West ... Academy."?

You mean West Point academy maybe

 

[tmorr]

Looks like WJA to me