Soldiers in the 21st century have dog-tags that represent their identity if their lives are lost in battle. This item along with dental records or fingerprints can help service members let family members know of their fight at the end. However, in the 18th century, there were none of that. Most soldiers had nothing on them, except for names on their uniforms that they sewed in, letters, bibles, or their name carved into their muskets. Some photographers were able to take photographs of the battlefield a few days after battles to show the devastation. However, there are photographs of soldiers representing how they looked with their uniforms.
I think this tin-type is one of two people that I’ve been researching. It could be Daniel Smith, who was born on December 9, 1843. He was within the 16th U.S. Infantry and served between 1862 and 1863. It could also be a photograph of my descendant that fought within a Michigan regiment that fought within the western theater and survived.