Uniform ID

[DLCO]

Can anyone say what type of uniform this is and specifically the hat? I don't think it's official. Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery? I think Union. The photo has number since I will have other questions based on other photos to put names to faces. Thanks.

 

[7thWisconsin]

I think that's a raccoon skin cap! "Davy! Davy Crockett! King of the Wild Frontier!" I think he's probably a cavalryman and early in the War. No one made a military winter cap back then, so it may be a winter wear package from home. Some companies kitted themselves out in coonskin caps as "uniforms" like Gordon's "Raccoon Roughs," so it might be something he and his pards got together. I think a cap like that would be fun to have a cap like that to wear around camp.

 

[Ole Miss]

Perhaps it is Second-Lieutenant Henry C. Foster, of Company B, 23d Indiana Volunteers, who wore a coonskin cap while snipping away at the Confederates at Vicksburg?
"He was an unerring shot, and wore a cap made of raccoon fur. From this he was called 'Coonskin' the Seventeenth Corps through, and wherever he was, woe to the Confederate head that appeared above a parapet."
Regards
David

 

[major bill]

Artillery? Does anyone else see red pointed trim on the right arm?

 

[captaindrew]

I was thinking artillery too @major bill

 

[major bill]

I was thinking artillery too @major bill to me the trim looks a bit too dark to be yellow.

In some period photographic processes yellow will appear to be black. It I think I see red tint on the right sleeve.

 

[captaindrew]

In some period photographic processes yellow will appear to be black. It I think I see re tint on the right sleeve.

I actually just blew up the picture and was editing my last post, it's red for sure

 

[DLCO]

Thanks for the replies. The Artillery information is actually good news. I have a relative who was Ill 2nd light artillery and I have a post war photo that ID's him for sure. So I will post it (tomorrow) and a couple of others to check if anyone sees them as the same person or not. I don't know about the hat but none of my relatives that served were from Indiana. Gordon's "Raccoon Roughs" would have been confederate and none of my relatives served the confederacy (Edit: The Maxey family matriarch was from Missouri and I may have Confederate relatives but I have no info on them). I appreciate the suggestions tho.
I put the other photos side by side and I say, sure they are the same person, then I walk away, come back and I say, they are not the same. My goal here is to identify the portraits then I can identify one with two soldiers in a landscape photo along with one other identified portrait of a person that served with my relative in the Ill 2nd light artillery. I do appreciate the help - I feel like me continuously looking at the photos is leading to analysis paralysis.

 

[DLCO]

I have a known photo taken after the war (#4) and I would like to know if anyone here thinks it is the same person as in my original post (#8). Further are either #8 (man in fur hat) and #4 (post war) the same as the man in #6. I include a photo (#5) as the case for the man in #6.
If I need to resize them for better viewing to avoid scrolling, let me know or right clicking and using save as... might work also. If I need to put the photo from my original post here (to avoid scrolling) let me know. Thanks for your help.

 

[lelliott19]

I have a known photo taken after the war (#4) and I would like to know if anyone here thinks it is the same person as in my original post (#8). Further are either #8 (man in fur hat) and #4 (post war) the same as the man in #6. I include a photo (#5) as the case for the man in #6.

 

[DLCO]

View attachment 360690

Thanks. What pixel dimensions did you use?

 

[lelliott19]

Thanks. What pixel dimensions did you use?

Youre welcome. Im sorry but I have no idea what pixel dimension it is. I just used the "snipping tool" - snipped the faces, pasted them side by side on a slide, added the numbers, snipped the whole group and pasted it in the post.

 

[Booner]

Raccoon hat?
What's wrong with you people, that's no raccoon, it's a badger hat.
Just because it's an old timey photo of a guy with a hunk of fur on his head and everyone thinks it's a raccoon. (BTW, Daniel Boone never wore a raccoon hat, but Davy Crockett did).

Seriously though, if you look at the shape of the head of the animal, how pointed it is, it's not a raccoon, which has a more blockier-type face; the shape of the head better fits that of a badger. And a badger has a reputation of being a fierce fighter and is from the northern parts of the U.S., which would fit a man that enlisted from Illinois. And speaking of fit, isn't that hat about two sizes too small?

 

[DLCO]

Raccoon hat?
What's wrong with you people, that's no raccoon, it's a badger hat.
Just because it's an old timey photo of a guy with a hunk of fur on his head and everyone thinks it's a raccoon. (BTW, Daniel Boone never wore a raccoon hat, but Davy Crockett did).

Seriously though, if you look at the shape of the head of the animal, how pointed it is, it's not a raccoon, which has a more blockier-type face; the shape of the head better fits that of a badger. And a badger has a reputation of being a fierce fighter and is from the northern parts of the U.S., which would fit a man that enlisted from Illinois. And speaking of fit, isn't that hat about two sizes too small?

Ok. I'll accept badger and it is small . And yes I think the man in post #1 is from Illinois. If anyone can help with the faces in Post #10 I would appreciate it. Later I will post the photo with one of them (one of two) and would like to try to put names to the faces. Kind of a connect the dots thing.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Y'know I thought that looked like a badger but I went with racoon because I didn't want somebody to come back with "Nah, ya moron, that's not a badger!" I don't think David Crockett wore a coonskin cap either but they were a part of Americana even by the time of the Civil War.

 

[DLCO]

Thanks for the previous replies.

The goal of this uniform ID thread is to identify the two soldiers in photo #3 (two soldiers eating). Questions at the bottom.

So far from this forum the man in the badger hat (photo #8 below) is in the artillery due to red trim on the sleeve.

Unless I am grossly mistaken the soldier on the right in photo #3 and the soldier in photo #8 (badger hat) are the same soldier by face and by uniform.

Photo #3 also shows the man on the left with red trim on the sleeve and running next to the buttons.

New photo added
Charles M Mills, photo #2 who is also from Ill 2nd Light Artillery company B. Photo #1 is from the reverse of photo #2.

Photo #4 is James T Anson (Ill 2nd Light Artillery company B) taken after the war.

So the questions are:
1 - Is the soldier on the left in photo #3 (Two soldiers eating) in the artillery?
2 - Is the man in photo #2 (Charles M Mills) the same as the soldier on the left in photo #3?
3 - Is the man shown in photo #4 (older James T Anson) the same as the soldier on the right in photo #3 (two soldiers eating) and #8 (badger hat)? This is the big question for names.

Thanks to anyone who can help by putting names to the two soldiers in the two soldiers eating photo (#3). I apologize if this is getting messy. There are several connections between the many photos.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Are these photos from a private collection or other small source that would suggest these are the same men? I myself am not seeing similarity.

 

[DLCO]

Are these photos from a private collection or other small source that would suggest these are the same men? I myself am not seeing similarity.

Private collection of the family in my possession. All have been passed down to me so they are in a central source. You see no similarities in any or for specific ones? I see a similarity between the soldier in the badger hat (photo #8 and the soldier to the right in photo #3. However I am posting to collect unbiased opinion as I may be trying to convince myself.

 

[7thWisconsin]

OK. I don't know. I'm not really good with faces; that's why I just stick with clothing details. Of course, I can pick myself out of my first grade class picture because deep down inside I think I still look like that.

 

[DLCO]

OK. I don't know. I'm not really good with faces; that's why I just stick with clothing details. Of course, I can pick myself out of my first grade class picture because deep down inside I think I still look like that.

I completely understand. Photo #8 and the soldier on the right (photo #3) have the same uniform - same collar and two buttons on the collar. Is this unique enough? Red stripe on cuff? Or would this be so standard in an artillery battery that it could describe any of them?
Maybe this sort of thing causes police to discount eyewitness accounts and mugshot ID's.