Rebel with flintlock musket

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This image was posted on facebook by Military Images. CASUAL CONFEDERATE WITH FLINTLOCK RIFLE.—"1/6th plate melainotype and stamped as such in a full thermo plastic case with floral basket designs. This western looking Confederate stands in an unusual pose somewhat leaning on his FLINTLOCK musket with fixed bayonet. He wears a slouch hat and has a cartridge box and cap belt on his wide leather belt. The image has some trivial blems in the left field hardly worth mentioning and has great contrast for an early tin [melainotype] which usually have a dark gray cast. His flintlock is sharp and clear and a typical weapon used by some western units where more modern weapons were not available."
BTW, this image is for sale if you have an extra $4,950 lying around. :whistling:
 
Maybe it's me, but I can't make out the fixed bayonet in the description, I see the ramrod but that's about it.

I would also agree.... there is also no cap box present as the description implies... Its a flintlock... wouldn't need one.
Closer look you can see what appears to be the bayonet hanging on the belt on the viewers left... with a canteen slung on a leather strap just behind it... The subject could be from anywhere... Many of the early volunteer troops in the East in the May-July 1861 time frame also were issued hoards of flintlocks...
 
I agree with Frederick14Va. The photo description wasn't quite accurate. It's a great photo, though, and the musket appears to be in excellent condition, too. How old might this firearm have been when it was issued to the man?
 
Maybe the flintlock is one he brought with him when he first enlisted. Probably replaced not long after that with an enfield or similar gun when they were officially issued their weapons.
 
The weapon in question is a military arm... Appears to be a M1816... not something the average citizen would generally have in private possession laying about the house in 1861 to hunt squirrels with... much less still with its bayonet.... These normally had been stock piled by the many thousands in various armories... Mostly state armories since they were generally secondary arms at the time... Some had been previously converted to percussion.... many were also issued as they were still with their original flintlock configuration in those early months of the war in both Western and Eastern theaters....

His attire is reminiscent of many of the early war volunteers.... not typically those of the pre-war militias...
 
Maybe it's me, but I can't make out the fixed bayonet in the description, I see the ramrod but that's about it.
Maybe the bayonet was broken and someone repaired it. Or it needed to be neutered to prevent it from making baby bayonets which just cause messes all over the house, and really, who wants that when you're trying to get ready for a war?

I agree though...it's not fixed and is probably hanging from his belt near his canteen.
 
Note-this image is "reversed" Gun locks are on the right side of Muskets!
 
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