Civil War-era quarter-plate ambrotype, possibly Confederate William Franklin Hart (1846-1879), depicted standing with a long rifle in his right hand and attired in a long-sleeved shirt with red-tinted necktie, plaid pants, and belt with a gilt buckle that holds a revolver and knife. Pencil inscription on the interior of the partial leather case reads "Presented to Lizzie Hart by her brother Frank. Sent from Pensacola while at 'war'. /61". Note: Ancestry.com records a Civil War pension record for William Franklin Hart, who served with the 13th Tennessee Cavalry, Company K, filed on September 8, 1876. War records show that he enlisted on October 1, 1864 as a private and mustered in September 1, 1865. Hart was born in Greene County, Tennessee and died in Rogersville (Hawkins County), TN. It is possible that he was involved in the 1861 Battle of Pensacola, among the earliest conflicts in the Civil War. In response to the succession of southern states during the winter of 1860-1861 Federal troops were stationed at forts along the Gulf Coast. In January of 1861, fighting broke out between these troops and local militias in Florida, many members of which would eventually be mustered into the Confederate military. The lack of a uniform in this photograph (along with the use of scare quotes around the word "war" in the inscription) suggests that the sitter was perhaps a militia member involved in one of the initial conflicts of the war. However, uniforms were often scarce, especially during the early days of the war.

PROVENANCE: A Knoxville, Tennessee collection.

CONDITION: Some craquelure noted to back of image and extending through to the image, primarily to the background. Some minor spotting to image, also primarily to the background. One-half of the case is missing, remaining case with surface wear. Minor oxidation to upper-right edge of gilt frame.