Attachment 11695
I believe this is the body of a Private William E Newlin of the 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment who was killed at Sharpsburg.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...liam-e_-newlin
Attachment 11696
Next to the body is scraps of paper and on one of them (top left) I think I can make out the beginning of "William" or "Williams".
Attachment 11697
Here's a few comparison images another poster made.
I think it could possibly be him.
What do you guys think?
Do you know where the photo was taken? I know William Frassanito did a study of Gettysburg photographs and I think he also did at least one on Antietam images where he tried to take the same principles to match terrain up. If you can find out where the photo was taken exactly and where his regiment fought you can better confirm that. I never read the book but I think I remember this photo being a known location.
Some people like to balk at attempts to forensically examine the photos of the dead and guess who they are or such but I actually don't think it's always impossible like people think. I'm doing a similar project right now and it's just straight-up creepy what you can find when you have too much time to do so.
Someone did a compelling case about the 'dead sharpshooter' at Gettysburg and I think they were spot on but there are many haters out there in the CW history community.
According to Alexander Gardner he took this Photograph on Samuel Mumma's farm.