This iconic image, dating from 1863–1865 (often cited as 1864), is a quarter-plate ambrotype featuring an African American Union soldier, his wife, and their two daughters. It is widely recognized as the only known photograph of a Black Union soldier posed with his family.
Long considered unidentified, research now suggests the soldier may be Sergeant Samuel Smith of the 119th U.S. Colored Infantry, pictured with his wife Mollie and daughters Mary and Maggie. However, some archives still list the subjects as officially unidentified.
The photograph was discovered in Cecil County, Maryland. Because of this, it is highly likely the soldier served in one of the seven United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiments raised in that state. The original image is held at the Library of Congress as part of the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs.
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