Description

Clear Glass Ambrotype, 6^th plate

Inside the case is an old family note identifying this soldier as Reuben Elijah Smith.  Reuben enlisted on 4/1/1862 as a private in Co. B, 16^th South Carolina Infantry.  His service records, which are included, show him serving through July and August 1864.  The records could be incomplete, however, with no additional muster records being available.  The 16^th South Carolina was known as the “Greenville Regiment,” as every company was composed of men from the Greenville district.  The regiment spent the early part of the war in South Carolina.  In May 1863 the regiment was organized into the brigade of Brigadier General “States Rights” Gist.  They saw action with the Army of Tennessee from Chattanooga through North Georgia.  Heavily engaged at Franklin, their commanding officer, Gist, was mortally wounded.  They also participated in the battle of Nashville.  A history of the unit is included with the service records.  The image exhibits solarization around the soldier, but it does not affect the subject.  Smith is posed seated with his arm resting on a table.  The image is housed in a complete leatherette case with repaired spine.  The image is value priced due to the solarization and would cost twice as much without it.  This is a good bargain for an identified Confederate soldier.