An unidentified young soldier is portrayed in this ninth-plate tintype, most likely dating to the Civil War era of the 1860s based on the uniform details and period mat style. The image is housed in an ornate embossed gilt mat with scrollwork and beaded border designs, presented without a case cover in the surviving images. No photographer's imprint is visible.

The soldier wears a dark frock-style coat with two parallel rows of small buttons running down the front, consistent with mid-war military dress, paired with a light-colored shirt and loosely knotted cravat at the collar. A dark forage cap, commonly known as a kepi, sits atop his head tilted slightly back, revealing dark wavy hair framing his face. His direct, level gaze and composed expression give the portrait a confident, unguarded quality. Both hands rest in his lap, with arms crossed loosely at the wrists.

The forage cap and double-breasted button configuration are consistent with Union Army enlisted or officer dress of the Civil War period, though the buttons are too small in scale to confirm branch or rank markings at this reproduction size. The gilt mat is a standard ninth-plate format commonly used by field and studio photographers throughout the conflict.