Family Spots "Uncle Dave" in Civil War Photo

The Washington Post -- This West Virginia soldier who fought in the Civil War was unidentified until recently when a family member spotted him in a Library of Congress advertisement.

I caught this article in my local newspaper and it just reinforces for me the great value of getting photographic images “out there” and in front of people whenever possible. You never know who might be able to “identify” someone!  

“The old photograph shows a young Confederate soldier posing proudly in an elegant uniform, with a pistol in his belt and a saber in his hand.

It is a well-known 1860s ambrotype worth thousands of dollars, and experts have identified the style of his buckle, the make of his revolver and the cavalry outfit in which he served.

But scholars at the Library of Congress, which was given the photo last year, had no idea who he was. Like scores of forgotten Civil War portraits, his was listed as "unidentified." Until this week.

Last Sunday, Karen Thatcher of Martinsburg, W.Va., opened a Washington Post Civil War history supplement. She spotted the picture in a Library of Congress advertisement, and realized: "That's Uncle Dave!" ...”

Read the full article.

Have you helped identify or has someone helped you identify individuals or groups in photos?  Please share your stories about such with us!

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