Historic Photograph Likely Shows Black Union Soldier and His Family During the Civil War

This rare and historically significant photograph, dating from around 1864, captures an African American Union soldier alongside his wife and two daughters. The image, a quarter-plate ambrotype, is widely recognized as the only known photograph of a Black Union soldier posed with his family. For years, the identities of the subjects were unknown, but recent research suggests the soldier may be Sergeant Samuel Smith of the 119th U.S. Colored Infantry, with his wife Mollie and daughters Mary and Maggie. Despite this identification, some archival records still list the family as officially unidentified. The photograph was discovered in Cecil County, Maryland, suggesting that the soldier likely served in one of the seven United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiments raised in the state. The original ambrotype is preserved in the Library of Congress as part of the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs, making it an invaluable visual record of African American military service and family life during the Civil War. The image provides both historical insight and a personal glimpse into the lives of Black soldiers who fought for the Union and their families during a tumultuous period in American history.