Hey, just got a response from a kind fellow who helped me figure out what this was. Dang, you guys are good! Thought I'd post it here so others would know:
Hello: I studied and "photo shopped" the image you posted on the pickelhaubes.com forum and can shed a little light for you. The...
Alright, here's a family photo I've got. The only person in the DIRECT line it could have been was a guy who was born in 1837 in Prussia. He immigrated to the US in 1859, likely after his military service around the late 1850's. The photo is definately period - a rough cut tintype about three...