1/6th Plate Ambrotype of Young Confederate Soldier in Homespun Jacket

1/6th Plate Ambrotype of Young Confederate Soldier in Homespun Jacket. 
 
This striking 1/6th plate ambrotype captures a youthful Confederate soldier seated for his portrait, likely early in the American Civil War. He wears a rare and visually compelling homespun jacket, distinguished by its coarse, woven texture and utilitarian design—an iconic example of the kind of clothing produced locally in the South due to wartime shortages and limited industrial capacity.
 
The jacket features double-breasted chest pockets, a somewhat uncommon and practical detail that suggests either a local militia issue or possibly a homemade or tailor-made garment. Beneath the jacket, the soldier wears an undershirt that peeks out at the collar, adding to the layered, everyday realism of the portrait.
His expression is solemn and steady, reflecting the uncertain future faced by so many young men of the Confederacy.