Photograph of an African American Civil War soldier with his family

Photograph of an African American Civil War soldier with his family

African American soldiers; African Americans; Portrait photography; American Civil War (1861-1865)

Black and white quarter-plate ambrotype photograph showing an African American Union soldier in uniform, wife in dress and hat, and two daughters wearing matching coats and hats. The soldier was originally unidentified but may be Sergeant Samuel Smith of the 119th United States Colored Infantry. In May 1863, U.S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton issued General Order No. 143 creating the Bureau of U. S. Colored Troops. This image was found in Cecil County, Maryland, making it likely that this soldier belonged to one of the seven USCT regiments raised in Maryland. (Source: Matthew R. Gross and Elizabeth T. Lewin, 2010) This is the only known photograph of an African American Union soldier with his family.

Library of Congress

United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division

1863-1865

This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1924. See this page for further explanation.

Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs (Library of Congress)

photograph: quarter-plate ambrotype

882 x 654 pixels