Description
Sixth plate ambrotype of a Federal infantry corporal. Standing pose of this NCO dressed in his infantry jacket with corporal’s rank visible on the sleeve. Outfitted with his cartridge box, US waist belt and cap box, he grips his musket with the bayonet attached. A second pre-war civilian image of the same subject accompanies the image as well as a clipped obituary for James Woolard (Woodard). Of the nine children raised from the Woolard family, four of them would muster with “F” Company of the 115th Illinois Infantry. Of those 4 men, 2 of them would serve as corporals. John Woolard would muster as a private with a promotion to corporal and would serve for 3 years from 1862, through mid 1865. Milton Woolard, also spelled (Woodard), would muster as a corporal in September of 1863 and would be killed in action at Chickamauga the following September. Official records have multiple misspelling’s for both first and last names for all the members of the Woolard family which further complicates the id. Whether this subject is Milton or John, remains to be confirmed.
