The photo may be Henry Hoskins (1847-1915) of the 91st Regiment New York Infantry. The 1910 census states he was living in Albany, New York with his wife, Ellen. It appears that Henry married late in life during the year of 1875 and had three children. He was a carpenter by trade and owned his shop and house. The census also states he served with the United States Army and was blind in both eyes. Further research may provide clues on his activities during the war and how he was wounded.
As for the medal, it appears to be not cloth but of metal and the cross doesn't appear to be the symbol of a "greek cross" or a "kearney cross". It's possible that the cross was made later and given to Hoskins for his actions and/or his blindness resulting from wounds received during battle. Hoskins is buried at Union Cemetery, Washington County, New York.
Ironically, I was able to locate another postcard, similar to Hoskins, portraying another veteran of the Civil War who served in the 91st Regiment. Photo included below.
Pictured above is Mr. James Salisbury. In finding this, my next question is when were these photos taken and why were they distributed via postcards? I hope some of this data helps you with your search.
Sources:
1910 United States Census Record (photo courtesy of Family Search) "United States Census, 1910," database with images,
FamilySearch (
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5CQ-6B8 : accessed 23 October 2022), Henry E Hoskins, Colonie, Albany, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 133, sheet 9A, family 129, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 922; FHL microfilm 1,374,935.
Union Cemetery Records, New York
Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of New York
Photo and Postcard of James Salisbury courtesy of Jerry Beeman submitted 1998
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