Ninth plate hand-tinted studio ambrotype. [Raleigh, North Carolina]: [Esley Hunt?]. Half leatherette case. Pencil inscription case interior behind plate reads: "S.P. Tate / Raleigh N. Ca. / January 22d. 1863. Weight 160 lbs."

A studio ambrotype of Samuel P. Tate (1840-1924), a Confederate soldier who saw hard service with the 22nd North Carolina Infantry. Tate was wounded twice during his service, once severely during the Battle of 2nd Manassas. The 22nd North Carolina Infantry was continuously engaged in the Eastern Theatre of the War and is best remembered today for its actions at the Battle of Gettysburg, where over half its men were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. When the 22nd NC Infantry was initially organized it comprised over 1,000 enlisted men and officers. By the regiment’s surrender at Appomattox, only ~100 remained. Captain Samuel P. Tate was one of those fortunate men.

The delicate tinting of the subject’s skin and uniform strongly suggests that this photo was the work of a Raleigh photographer Esley Hunt. Hunt made some of the finest southern images of the Civil War period, distinguishing himself not only for his composition skills but also for his masterful use of hand-applied color to breathe life into a photograph. Indeed, a period inscription inside the case confirms the city in which it was made.

Tate almost appears to smile in this photograph, in which he wears a simple grey uniform jacket and dark slouch hat. The unusual reference to his weight suggests he may have sent it home as proof of his robust health. This is a very strong image of a twice-wounded Rebel soldier that a master of the form likely produced.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Historic Photography, Early Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Ephemera]