A young Union soldier occupies the full frame of this ninth plate tintype, produced during the Civil War era and presented in a gilded brass mat with an embossed floral and scroll border. The portrait is a tight bust view set within an oval aperture, a standard compositional choice of itinerant and studio photographers catering to military clientele in the 1861 to 1865 period. No photographer's imprint is visible.

The soldier wears a dark sack coat with a stand collar and a row of small buttons descending the front placket, consistent with issued Union enlisted dress. His forage cap sits squarely on his head with a visible leather visor and chin strap hook, and his dark, curly hair frames a youthful, direct expression. The image carries a faint blue tone across the background, typical of the tintype process of this period.

The forage cap and sack coat together present a composition recognizable across thousands of wartime portraits made for soldiers departing for service, serving as personal keepsakes exchanged with family. The gilded brass mat and embossed paper preserver survive intact, adding to the visual completeness of the piece.

The tintype measures ninth plate format and is housed in a leather case with a gilded brass mat; no photographer's imprint or inscription is present on the reverse.