Early War Alabama Woman Soldier?

 I've dabbled with AI to animate photos of woman soldiers, which you can see on my YouTube channel.  I've got others I have not publicized yet but will at some point.  I want to go back and re-work some of them.  But they're neat, and I've used some in my presentations to add to the attendees' experience.  AI is controversial today, but it can certainly serve as a positive tool.  In the case of historical topics, these enhanced photos and videos can humanize the individuals we study and bring them closer to us.

 You can find various AI videos on YouTube.  Some are great.  Others are goofy.  I came across this video I found especially intriguing because it contains a couple of Civil War women soldiers. 

 

At the 3:44 mark, you will see one of Frances Clayon colorized and animated.  If you've researched anything on women soldiers, you've seen this picture, which is one of a series she had made.  That's for another time.

 

But I'm intrigued by the image at the 5:50 mark that the creator of the video claims to be a "Portrait of female Confederate soldier, 1861, Alabama, USA."  Either the USA is a mistake, or this would have to be prior to January 11th, 1861, when the state seceded.  Uh, I'm leaning towards the former. 

In March of 1861, General Order No. 1 defined the uniform for the Alabama Volunteer Corps.  The order designed the uniform coat to be a dark blue frock coat, not dissimilar from the regulation US frock coat.  The uniform in the picture/video follows this order in several respects but not all.  It is a dark blue frock coat with nine buttons.  But that's where the similarities end.  The cuff buttons and the gilt around the collar are of a militia style not of the AVC style.  AVC style had two cuff buttons and narrow piping around the cuffs and collar.  The coat in the image/video has four cuff buttons and what appears to be a gilted material in place of the piping.  With that being said, we can't rule it out that it is an Alabama militia uniform.

 

Here is an image of the Independent Blues of Selma, Alabama, which was an AVC unit.  

 

 Now, as far as the individual, the person does appear to have a narrow waist.  But this may be the result of the coat style, which was pigeon breasted to give a military appearance and bearing.  The picture alone leaves doubt as to the gender of this person.  Again, it is an AI-generated video, which can be programmed to portray what the user wants.  So if the creator automatically thought the soldier was a woman, then the person undoubtedly entered that information into the prompt.  Hence, the smile that gives the individual a feminine appearance.  Who knows...this may be a woman.  But it also may be just a young man.  One reason women soldiers were able to successfully pass is that they could be mistaken for young men who were unable to grow facial hair at that point in their young lives.  The point is we cannot definitively say that this is indeed a woman.  But it is fun to speculate, serves as a good exercise, and a reminder to never take a picture at "face value."

 

Until next formation.....rest. 

(I want to thank Mark for the lesson in Alabama material culture.  Back in the 80's and 90's he and some of his closest friends portrayed the 12th Alabama for many years and had done considerable research in this area.)