The photo below, published on Sikhnet, has garnered some attention:

Photo of a Sikh among veterans of the American civil war (source: SikhNet)

According to the person who released this photo:

It is a photo of British veterans of the American Civil War of 1861-65. The British veterans had gathered in London in 1917 to welcome the American troops on their way to Fight in France during World War One.

It’s a compelling story, if true. Is it a coincidence that a Sikh happened to be in this photo, or was he truly involved in the American Civil War?

If this Sikh did take part in the Civil War, one of the aspects of this photo that interests me is his turban style.  The Sikh empire ended in about 1850, and so his turban style would be reflective of what they wore during Maharaja Ranjit Singh‘s reign.