Description
Ninth plate ambrotype of a young Federal infantryman dressed in his great coat and cape. This has an old period tag affixed to the opposite side of the case which identifies the young man as “Samuel Waters Civil War Uniform”. There were only a handful of “Samuel Waters” to serve during the war and of those, most can be whittled away due to age and other branches of service. I am 99% positive that we are looking at a young Samuel Waters of the 71st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Samuel would serve as a drummer with Company F. The regiments service would be brief mustering for only 3 months during the summer and into the fall of 1862. This view most likely dates to Samuel’s discharge when the regiment was mustered out of service during the last days of October. Housed in a full patriotic leatherette case with the US flag motif on the front cover.
