Ordnance, Private 1866

"Ordnance, Private" is a tintype photograph taken in 1866 by Oliver H. Willard, a prominent American photographer. The image depicts a Union soldier in full uniform, standing at attention with a rifle in hand. The soldier's serious expression and the presence of military equipment, including a drum and a knapsack, capture the era's somber atmosphere. Willard's work documented the lives of soldiers during the Civil War and is a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict. The image is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.