"ID Federal Unit" Topic

I recently came a cross a photo of three brothers all in the same regiment. Photo was taken in Philadelphia and the Family is from the area. I'm try to identify the regiment. All three are dressed and equipped the same.; Hardee hat, frock coat, dark trousers, boots, leather traps are non-regulation type (no breast plate nor box plate, belt buckle is two piece militia type), double envelop pack. They are armed with model 59 Sharps rifles with sword bayonets. It is the rifle I'm hoping that will lead to the identity. There were only a little over 40 regiments armed with the Sharps and of that number less with the sword bayonet.
So if any of you fine folks have an idea please post. The regiment could be a PA or an NJ one. If I can I'll try and post a copy of the photo.
Thanks

Since most weapons and equipment in these photographs were props furnished by the photographer, I don't think that they will be much help. That holds true unless the photographs were taken "in the field", because even during the Civil War troops only carried weapons on duty.

I was thinking along the same lines. How do we know that the weapons posed with were the actual weapons carried or issued?

Can you post the photo?

I'm a bit skeptical of the rifles being photographer's props. He's a businessman so why would he use one of the most expensive guns available at that time as a prop? And it's clearly an early war photo, so I'd expect three different smoothbore relics than three nice Sharps.

I have to agree with Scott. I've seen enough period photos to spot props. It is clear that these three men are all uniformed and equipped the same. I'm trying to get a copy of the photo to post.

To add to this, two of the men are corporals, their strips appear darker than the piping on the coats, but it is hard to tell colors when dealing with these photos. Also their hat insignia is a bugle, so they are not any type of artillery unit.

Why would they use expensive props? Because every soldier wants to look like a bad ass, so if he has cool toys and another photographer does not it may give him an advantage.

You tend to see the same tired old guns in numerous photographs from noted studios. So Scott is probably correct. Three men with 59 sharps and the sword bayonet. If you can ID the photographer and get a providence of where his studio was located, that would be a helpful clue.