Exceptional and scarce cabinet photograph by famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady, showing Louis John Frederick Jaeger—also known as "Don Diego"—seated beside the Yuma Indian chief, accompanied by three young Yuma runners. Printed below the image is the caption: "Yuma Indian Runners. The Chief & Mr. L.J.F. Jaeger." The card mount is imprinted M.B. Brady, Wash., D.C. along the bottom and Brady's National Portrait Gallery and Museum of Historic Photography, Washington, D.C. on the verso.

Jaeger, a pioneer ferryman and trader along the Colorado River near Yuma, California Territory (now Arizona), was a prominent and colorful frontier figure. A biographical sketch published in 1888 notes that he ferried travelers across the river for over twenty-seven years, earning the respect of travelers, statesmen, and Native peoples alike. Nicknamed "Don Diego" by local Yuma, Jaeger was said to have offered kindness and hospitality to all who crossed his path—whether rich or poor.

The three young Yuma men standing in the background—identified as “Indian Runners”—likely served as couriers or messengers, a traditional role of physical endurance and ceremonial significance. Each wears a long-sleeved coat with fur-trimmed collars, and the chief seated next to Jaeger holds a staff and wears Western attire, suggesting the complexities of diplomacy and assimilation during this period of cultural upheaval.

A compelling Brady portrait with strong documentation, capturing an important frontier figure alongside Indigenous leaders during a transitional moment in the American West.