CDV: Young Atlanta Belle
Click to Enlarge |
A lovely young girl splendidly dressed in her Civil War period best!
The type of child who witnessed the siege of Southern cities, burning of plantations, as well as the upheavel of her entire culture. Bears an Atlanta backmark.
Civil War Chromolithograph of Fire Zouaves Embarking from New York City, 1861.
Click to Enlarge |
A very colorful chromolithograph by Sarony,Major & Knapp of N.Y. for D.T.Valentine's Manual of NYC (1862). Shows the rather festive patriotic parages had for departing regiments from New York in early war period of April '61. Size: 11 1/2" x 6 1/2". Few creases & glued to board. (Of course, anyone who has seen the movie "Gangs of New York" might realize some hard facts of life that are missing from this story...)
Goodbye and God Spare Yoiu..
Click to Enlarge |
This is a small, yet heavy, bronze wall plaque showing a Union soldier in finely crafted-relief hugging his sweetheart farewell. It was a scene reenacted across both North and South throughour the Civil War. Farewell to a mother, father, children or spouse~ at docks, upon a porch, at a train platform or in the quiet front yard under the apple tree. Would he return or be a lasting memory for decades to come? People during the Civil War did not solely celebrate patriotisdm and battles won, but they also ached in their hearts over the ironies, sadness and bereft loss of war's cruel side as well. But fate is strange ~ for while some familes were torn apart, other life-long friendship and romances began because of the Civil War...
Backpack is Packed!
Click to Enlarge |
Ready to march off to war. A soldier often carried many needed "household" good in his backpack: tobacco, tea, coffee, stamps, ink, needles, thread, extra socks, mittens, a bible, and maybe photos of loved ones... When battle loomed, the entire company would put their backpacks in a bunch, hopefully watched by the Quartermaster or an attendant till they returned. Some were never reclaimed and contents were shipped back to grieving families. Occasionally, if the company needed to flee in quick retreat, all the men lost their worldly good rather than losing their lives... Eventually, learning the strain of carrying such packs over great exhausting distances, hardened "veteran" troops simply carried a few items rolled in a folded blanket across their backs.
1818-1835 Eagle Sword by Christopher Giffing
Click to Enlarge |
This is a wonderful American Militia sword made by New York silversmith Christopher Giffing, active 1815-1835. Look at that perched eagle holding a US Shield on the pommel. Has a bone grip and steel scabbard. Very ornate work to all of the devices. These swords were much more ornate and individually-crafted than those mass-produced at a high-pace for the huge armies of the Civil War.
Eagle Head Militia Sword: 1830-50
Click to Enlarge |
This is a wonderful Eagle-Head Militia sword from the 1830-1850 period. Look at that eagle head pommel which comes down as a backstrap behind the carved bone grip! The langet is very snazzy and ornate, but the quillions (cross handles) are a unique, stacked-ball design. Blade shows traces of bluing and patriotic engravings. Comes in a plain steel scabbard with a tapered drag. The Civil War was a conflict caught at a cross-roads between two worlds in collision: the Old World of Gentleman Warriors and the New World of Efficient Mass Destruction. Rifles were now more precise than muskets; cannons fired precision shells; grenades, torpedoes and iron-clads were making their first appearances; and swords were giving way to repeating carbines. When the Civil War began, the Eagle Head Swords were only a generation old, and yet, they represented a culture fast disappearing. Soon gallant men riding horses would be no more. As warfare evolved and lost all semblance of graciousness, the Eagle Head sword would become a sad forefather to the land mine, the machine gun, the helicopter and eventually the cruise missle...
Dug Colonial-Period Buckle
Click to Enlarge |
This very interesting small Colonial shoebuckle dating from the 1700's in Ameri8ca. It was recovered from private property in the Winchester, Virginia area. When metal detecting for Civil War items, the relic hunter often will stumble upon items from before and after that War. This small and attractive item is one such coincidental discovery. Remember to nly "hunt" on private lands with the true owner's direct permnission. Be respectful~ be careful~ and neatly refill all of the holes that you dig.
Scarlett O'Hara's Green Velvet Fan!!!
Click to Enlarge |
This is a typical CW Period folding lady's fan which is coated in a lovely light green velvet, reminding me of that green velvet dress that Scarlett O'Hara made our of her curtains to see Rhet in prison during "Gone With the Wind." When fully opened, it reveals a black & white patterned paper fan. Some people call these "mourning fans" which might well be the case for the all-black examples, but this design was a common-place lady's accessory, going to dances, the theater, picnics, dinner-parties, and practically any occasion held during hot summer days and nights...
Revolutionary War: Lake Champlain 2 Pound Solid Shot
Click to Enlarge |
A number of 2 pound solid shot (2 3/8"diameter) were found in the potatoe cellar of a collapsed stone warehouse in Mount Indepence, NY along Lake Champlain. Research tells us that these came off the Schooner Liberty and were intended for one of General Benedict Arnold's gondolas being prepared to meet the British fleet. Never used and then left stored for over 200 years!
1850 Parke's Farmer's and Mechanic's Arithmetic
Click to Enlarge |
This book of arithmetic has various notations on the inside leaves by "Jesse Utz" from 1862 & 1867. He also rubbed crayon or colored pencil over coins to get impressions of the backs of period Large Cents. It is interesting that children did that prior to the Civil War just as we all have done with paper & pencils over coins. Rubbing aluminum foil over a coil is fun too, but they didn't have that during the Civil War!
Civil War Period Student Certificates of Merit
Click to Enlarge |
These CDV sized cars were awarded by a teacher to student who excelled at certain studies. They bear a patriotic motto, a colorful lithograph, and the written-in name of student and teacher. As dads and uncles fought and died at Gettysburg and Cold Harbor, kids at home got these... From teacher M.E. Conant to student Rebecca J. Sinch.
1861 Enrolled in New Jersey Mercer Brigade
Click to Enlarge |
A notice to "Wm. S. Yard, dated Trenton July 27th, 1861, announcing his enrollment in Co. K. 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of the Mercer Brigade. Beginning of War before standardized Federal forms were used. Signed by the local Judge Advocate, it measures 7 1/2" by 2 1/2"
Ambrotype of a Pre-War Southern Belle
Click to Enlarge |
This ambrotype photograph created on a glass slide shows the dress and demeanor of a reserved Southern Belle. Her clothing and jewelry are indicative of the pre- Civil War period. Often, such women lost their husbands, siblings and family homes to the destructive ravages of a war that was largely fought right upon Southern soil. In trying to wear down the resolve of the Southern States, the Union Army was authorized to confiscate livestock, goods and property. They also tore up railroads, destroyed bridges, burned crops and leveled entire towns and estates. Much of the South was left in a shambles. And as the War dragged on, such a woman may well have sold her fine jewelry to help buy clothing and goods for the troops at the front. During Union sieges, a large proportion of citizens often fled their hometowns while others took refuge in basements or caves
Youth goes off to War!!!
Click to Enlarge |
The youth and determination of young men is shown on the face of this Union private . What lay ahead? Would their be glory , parades, victory~ old age?~ or sad loneliness, fright, defeat and death? War has no certainty or sweet soul to it...
Location, Location, Location!
Click to Enlarge |
It is quite sad when relics and artifacts lose their individual history over the years. Sometimes old soldiers put them on a shelf or away in a desk drawer, and yet, they forgot to write out a tag to recall the battlefield from whence they came... Other times, the old vet's descendants forget the stories that they were told by Grandpa as children... In many ways, historical items and antiques become much more "alive" and meaningful when they are associated with tales of origin and their original owners... So too, military objects from the American Civil War are best when kept tied to their own unique stories. These three sets of "buck and ball" musket shot all look the same to the modern eye. But one set is from Gettysburg a desperate Union victory which made Joshua Chamberlain of Maine a hero; while another set is from Chancellorsville where Confederate leader Robert E. Lee enacted his greatest tactical victory; and the last set from Sailor's Creek, a name not recognized by most modern Americans~ yet men fought, bled and died upon all of those hallowed fields. So you may ask ~ "What's in a name?" Well, quite a lot. The places are as important as the names of the men who fell there. And thus, we should not let any of those proud, fine words and stories be lost or forgotten to time.
Regional Bank Notes (Pre Civil War)
Click to Enlarge |
Prior to the Civil War, many local and regional bank privately issued their own currency based upon their deposited assets. These were often full-sized bank notes that bore colorful designs and fancy vignettes in addition to showing denomination, location and signatures of bank officers in orginal hand-signed ink! As the Nineteenth century progressed, the Federal Government assumed more and more of that singular task of printing & supplying monetary notes to the nation. But during the Civil War, the Southern States which broke away from the Federal Union in 1861 would issue their own CSA Currency notes. Shown here is an earlier 1840 note of a $20 Face Value. It was issued by the Ocmulgee Bank of Macon Georgia, having serial number 194. Notice the lovely images of: a sidewheel-paddlewheeler; a locomotive; horse-drawn hay cart and beautiful maiden.
Southern Friends Prepare for War
Click to Enlarge |
Many lifelong friends were about to part, entering an uncertain arena of danger and death created by the Civil War. Towns had parades, farewell dances in the Noth and gal "bnalls" in the South. There were picnics, concerts, and long, lazy days of talk and reminiscence before the lads' departure. By tradition, men from the same town and counties were often mustered into unified "companies" of a hundred men and larger fighting regiments of a thousand. This was true for both the NOrth & South. And while it kept old friends fighting side-by-side with old pals and kin to which they had a fiercesome loyalty, well sadly, a lost battle could suddenly kill-off the youth of an entire town in one fell-swoop of fate! By WWI and certainly WWII, men from the same towns were not assigned to the same units in order to prevent such calamities. During the Civil War, men who were going to different branches of the service would fight in other regions. Perhaps they might never see one another again this side of Heaven. And thus, they immortalized their brotherhood with one last photograph before departing by march, steamer or train. Did either of these lads make it back from such a costly drawn-out war???
WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE???
Click to Enlarge |
Being Educated sure helps... You need to know about things to recognize them, understand them and realize how they work. When a relic hunter finds a buried object, it might look like a gnarly, rusted clump of grime to the common fellow on the street. But the knowledgable mind and trained eye of the historian can see through the dirt and grit, recognizing what is hidden at its core. That is why we go to school; browse through museums and visit historic sites: to see, learn and ever-after know. The brown-rusted rod shown in this photograph might look like nothing in particular to the untrained observer. But indeed it is something special! It's a multi-tool carried by Confederate Company Sergeants to repair the various parts of imported English Enfield rifles! Perhaps after visiting the various rooms of this Civil War Cyber Museum, you'll be able to "see into" things which you couldn't know or understand before! So...Welcome In, Y'All...
DUG RELICS: BEFORE & AFTER
Click to Enlarge |
A hundred and forty years later~ one might wonder how anything recognizable still comes out of the earth. But many interesting and attractive items continue to reside relatively intact just two- to twelve-inches under the soil over vast areas of the Eastern United States. The debate still rages whether to leave these items to eventually rust away completely or to retrieve them for display & study. As archeologists well-know, anything that glorifies previous cultures and individuals is not driven by bad intent but rather by warm admiration. Brass, silver and gold are still relatively well-preserved after a century-and-a-half underground... but iron objects are now quickly rusting away while wood and fabric are already gone... In this image, we see the difference in appearance of an iron Hotchkiss shell which has been cleaned of rust by the process of electrolysis and then surface-coated for future stability. No matter what side of the fence you choose in the relic-hunting debates, most would agree that we need to carefully preserve what has already come to light.
Friend to Friend
Click to Enlarge |
With the rapid advent of photography just prior to the American Civil War, many soldiers obtained images of themselves before being mustered-out toward armed conflict. Pictures were exchanged between parents, siblings, sweethearts and sometimes even future enemies! Soldiers who served together often requested and collected signed images of one another for memory's sake. Not everyone came home to be seen again... After the war, many proud warriors assembled albums of tintypes or CDV's from men in their company and regiment. Often, they were personally endorsed on the backs or in the margins, specifically indentifying the soldier, his rank and unit. Historians who specialize in particular regiments from specific states can often slowly assemble a collection of most of the men who lived, fought and sometimes died side-by-side. The autographs help determine exactly who was who... And they lend faces and soul to mere lists of names~ leading us to recall that wars are truly between real men and not faceless gameboard armies.
Revolutionary War Period Flint Striker
Click to Enlarge |
This piece of blacksmythe-forged metal was used as a flint striker to bring fortn a spark. During the Revolutionary War, firing a smooth-bore musket involved having a piece of flint srike a black powder charge which lay in a pan just outside the barrel. But by the time of the American Civil War (1861), such weapons were widely obsolete. The musket cap containing a small explosive charge of fulminate of mercury was put over a raisded opening (nipple) that took the spark down into the rifle. However, black powder was still poured down into the muzzles of rifles by the typical civil war soldier. Bullets with a bgrass casing were just being invented and were largely reserved for cavalry riders who carried carbines. Soon, soldiers would not directly "see" gunpowder again...
So Tell Me, Are They Real?
Click to Enlarge |
Sadly, wherever there is money to be made in this world, there are scam artists. Because of their age and sometimes rarity, original Civil War relics and weapons can cost a pretty penny to own. Over the last 50 years, unscrupulous people have often copied or reproduced Civil War items (a nice way to say they faked them) in order to deceive novice collectors who are not well-versed in subtle details and also hoping to find a bargain price... In some categories, such as buttons and buckles, the reproductions can look almost as good as the originals (in fact, sometimes they look too good!) Forgers can also artifically age the surface of new items using various chemical techniques. The old expression "Let the Buyer Beware!" is very wise in regards to purchasing Civil War items. New collectors should visit as many shops and museums as possible and learn from "old timers" who harbor a wealth of experience. This photograph shows two North Carolina Sunburst Coat buttons... one fake and one real. They both cost the buyer the exact same amount but one is not worth didley-squat! So... One must always take a real careful look and ask himself aloud "Are They Really Real?"
Young Lads in Harm's Way....
Click to Enlarge |
Did lads this young really go into the deadly fray of battle during the American Civil War? Well, the answer is "Yes, Indeed!" For in a Society where boys of eight worked in factories and maintained the work upon family farms after fathers fell ill... ten, twelve and fourteen were not considered too young an age to serve and even die. Such was the case with drummer boys on both sides, who often fell to musket fire or evaporated as a cannon blasted at point-blank range... In fact, ten year old Johnny Clem became a Union National Hero after his bravery at the desperate Battle of Shiloh... In the 1860's, there were no video games to test one's daring, the game of "DOOM" was played in real life conflicts that had no "reset" button.
Succession Badges down South!!!
Click to Enlarge |
In the spirit of Southern Succession from the Union, many Southrons wore cockaded colorful "Succession Badges" that indicated their belief that a separate Southern Confederation was better than remaining with the Federal government that catered largely to Northern beliefs and lifestyles... Here is a proud gentleman that wears his belief out upon his coat for all to see! War would soon drag everyone into its cyclone!
Why do Old Soldiers Fade Away?
Click to Enlarge |
Without care and some caution, we can lose traces of mankind's past: the pyramids get buried; ancient languages become forgotten, brave men and strong women dissolve into a mist of a murky thousand years... but there are those of us who choose to preserve the memories of the evolving man and his civilizations through both written history and relics. Even ugly things like prejudice and war hold important messages about what to avoid in the future... Yet despite all our best efforts, many things are completely lost to time... Even worse yet, facts are sometimes suppressed by those who wish to change the "reality" of the past. It is therefore most important to hold onto the Truth. For it will set you free from fear, from confusion and from mistaken ignorance. In this ghost-like image an old soldier gradually disappears into oblivion as the chemicals in our modern atmosphere etch away at the chemicals from the past that once captured his proud likeness... Who was he and what did he stand for? We will never know... But let us strive to never let go of one more good man or his message... Be brave in fighting to keep and know the Truth! And Welcome, All My Friends, to the Joshua's Attic Cyber Museum. Where we join hands and hearts across time in order to unite all men through Pride, Respect and a true thorough Knowledge...
Sergeant Father with Musician Son....
Click to Enlarge |
The Civil War was an odd conflict... Not just "brother" split against "brother" upon the same battlefields, but old friends from the same town watching one another die... The worst case scenarios were those in which relatives served together in regiments drawn from their local region and larger communities. Thus, a brother might be beside his cousin or brother, or a father next to his own son when fatal disaster struck. There are countless stories about fathers cradling their mortally wounded sons as the bullets still flew... or their children watching the older men who nurtured them as babes die. Too horrid for even the most stoic person to tolerate, this practice of blood relatives serving in the same unit was eliminated after World War I.... In this stunning Ambrotype, an older Union sergeant poses beside a Union musician. They appear to be father & son... ready for war... and hopefully both to return to mother if fate might choose to be kind.
CDV of small Boys Dressed as Union Zouave Troops
Click to Enlarge |
With the patriotic fervor of war unifying the peoples of both sides, parents in the North and South not only obtained images of relatives leaving for the war-front, but also pictures of their small children dressed-up as soldiers. Many of these images still exist showing toddlers in cavalry, infantry and even musical outfits which imitate those of their brothers, fathers and uncles who strode off into the hail of actual cannonshell and steel... This image shows two small boys outfitted as Union Zouave drummer boys.
Real Men Contemplate Fate and Fury....
Click to Enlarge |
How do real men of wisdom, insight and soulfulness understand or even justify warfare against others? Admidst their deepest fears and uncertainties, how can they resolve becoming violent in order to win peace; to dealing-out that kind of harsh injustice to their enemy simply to achieve a justice for themselves; or to lower themselves into that abyss of primal violence just to effect a higher intellectual goal? This superb 1864 image by an unknown photographic artist shows several men from the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery reposing beside a noble oak. Did they survive the war both spiritually and physically? Did they ever have all their most-perplexing questions answered?
Who Can Read His Future???
Click to Enlarge |
This is a daguerreotype taken before the Civil War of a young married couple: Caleb Baker Jones and Maria Bass Jones who owned the Cedar Grove Plantation in La Grange, Tennessee. Caleb Baker Jones was elected Captain at organization of Confederate States 13th Tennessee regiment. Sadly, at the battle of Murfreesboro, this same Captain Jones was severely wounded, causing him to lose a leg. His dear younger brother, John Walker Jones was killed that day. This haunting image recently surfaced on the Civil War marketplace after 140 years, being sold by Caleb's descendants. How strange for us to know of his future travails when the innocent-looking couple in this photo had no idea what was to come for them... A later tintype shows Captain Jones to have a worn, hardened look of tense severity in his face... What did his life become after the war~ with one less leg and one less sibling... Was he bitter, broken-hearted, or just plainly resolved to it?
The kind of Young Lad fit to die....
Click to Enlarge |
That vibrant, young enthusiastic "look" of a pre-teen on the verge of discovery and adulthood! Never changed over thousands of years. The clothing style of this alert young gentleman indicates this image to be from the late 1850's... Therefore, he likely was the perfect age to later fight in the American Civil War. Many times, family photo albums contain such a younger image of a man who later had a tintype taken in a Civil War uniform. And sadly, sometimes family records indicated that he laid forever in a "fallen hero's" grave, never to return to supper with his loved ones... A simpler life on the farm, in the village, fishing, walking and riding horses, candlelight, wood fires and quill pen... but easily come to a new world that was just as deadly and uncertain as the harsh warfields of today...
Stand Upon their Flag...
Click to Enlarge |
Troops on both sides would gladly die for their cause... risking existance upon their solemn oaths... and bearing anything in order to save & protect their dear Regimental Flag. In battle, most of the opposing guns were quickly directed upon the enemy's "colors" in order to incite alarm, anguish and confusion when their flag did fall. But even worse, was the loss of the flag to the enemy's possession! It was a horrible shameful thing! The majority of the men would gladly die in the process of trying to save their standard. Were it gone, the men would feel ashamed & beaten... emasculinated. And the enemy would then revel in its taking; displaying the captured flag at faires, camps and public events for many year into the future... In this CDV, a Union trooper proudly boosts an American flag aloft while grinding a captured Confederate banner into the dirt...
A proud and idealistic Confederate Gunner...
Click to Enlarge |
Note the confident pride upon the face of this young Confederate lad... almost noble and yet so assuredly self-righteous in his posture and demeanor... While such inner confidence might well serve a man in the heat of battle, such a raw verve might also backfire upon two opposing Peoples, sending them headlong into raw battle. Yes, there was certainly an element of that stubborn determination on BOTH sides during the American Civil War... neither party wishing to "lose face" by backing down. The end-result being ugly warfare: pain, grief and the ultimate loss of a broader view of our Humanity... Sadly, we still see that kind of arrogant stubborness in the conflicts which are lately engineered by our political and religious leaders in the world of today. But it only serves to lose our friends, brothers, sisters and the softness so needed in our deeper souls... If only men were more afraid of war.
Zou Zou Zou!!!
Click to Enlarge |
Thus was the cry of the Zouave regiments as they poured across bloody cornfields, rivers an ravines to either glory or death. "Zou Zou Zou!" Those Union and Confederate forces so gloriously "custom-clad" in fancy uniforms reminiscent of the daring French soldiers of Europe. So much energy was poured into that visual "image" created by their uniforms in the bright and sparkling ranks. But they ultimately fell just as easily to a red-hot bullet at Bull Run, Chancellorsburg and Gettysburg... Men risen to a noble madness: They were ever-after renowned on both sides for fighting like crazed, inspired wild banshees! "Zou Zou Zou!" Either win or lose your life...
After I am gone....
Click to Enlarge |
This Civil War period CDV shows a portrait view of a bearded Union officer. There is no photographer's backmark, but a pencil inscription on back of cardboard mount card quite interestingly reads: "For Mattie Hikock after I am gone. "L.L.C." What a host of questions this raises! How was this man related to Hattie: a lover, admirer or casual acquaintance? What did this soldier mean by "when I am gone": was it when he shipped-out to war; moved across the country; or perhaps died on a far-away battlefield? Did he survive the war? Did they ever meet again? Was Hattie in possession of this card through the remainder of her life? And WHO was this soldier L.L.C. ???
Early War Virginia Militiaman
Click to Enlarge |
Virginia Militiaman wearing "JEFF DAVIS" Hat. Hat displays a wreath encircling a large "VA" (shows in reverse on CW photos). Subject proudly adorns his uniform with belt, buckle, sash, epaulettes and holds his militia style sword. This image is from the former collection of the late Wm. A. Albaugh III and is published in his book "CONFEDERATE FACES" (1970), page 7 figure 11. He describes this photo in more detail on page 221 of his book as follows: "Ambrotype with "VA" (for Virginia) backwards on hat. Courtesy the Author. This man was probably a member of Capt W.C.Wickham`s "HANOVER TROOP", later Co. G, 4th Va Cav." SIXTH Plate Ambrotype on RUBY Glass. Photo size approx 2 3/4" x 3 1/4". Fully housed in original case approx. 3 3/16" x 3 11/16".
Amazing Bow Tie Man!!!
Click to Enlarge |
While the Hulk was Green and Spiderman red with webs... this Young Civil War Period lad might be known as "Bow Tie Man!" Whatever side he might have fought for during the Civil War, I'm sure his comrads had a flag painted on his huge tie to follow into battle! It is absolutely amazing how different some clothing was at that time: for instance, men rarely wear vests, long frock coats, tophats or boots these days. But they did not imitate us by wearing mohawks, tee shirts and short pants or tube tops, did they? The point is, no matter what the clothing styles of the era, the people inside are still just people, bound by a remote thread of life and common shared heritage.
Comrads in Arms
Click to Enlarge |
Going off to war seemed glorious and thrilling at the start... but then reality of its horror began to strike home both North and South. Fathers, uncles, brothers and best friends died. All it took was bad luck and a bullet to end a life. And it happened to many tens of thousands of good men and stoudt young lads. People began to clamor for photographs of their beloved relatives and chums. It could well be an image that would be their only remembrance for decades to come... a frail tin-plate gazed upon with misty sorrow into the coming decades... a faded, scratched & wrinkled image, cherished and tended with love by those left behind... to finally be reunited by time in another spiritual realm... In this tintype we see two young men uncertain of their immediate futures. Brothers or pals? Survivors or casualties? Only time and fate hold the secret of their paths...
Daguerotype of a Fancily-clad Young Woman
Click to Enlarge |
This is a 1/9th-Sized Daguerotype Plate from the 1850's era. It is printed upon an actual silvered plate, the very first form of true photographs invented. It shows a young woman adorned in black with a lace collar, a fancy hood, and pendant earrings. She is pensive and pretty. Sadly, we do not know her name or age. The image has good clarity but is slightly light or washed-out in the face. Comes in its original glass and brass mats. This is indeed a nice example of a pre- Civil War daguerotype with a rather attractive young lass as the subject. She could have been the parent, older sister or aunt of a young Civil War soldier... We might well ask ourselves: Who did she know who was later killed in the upcoming American Civil War???
Two brooches of one honored man
Click to Enlarge |
In the times prior to and during the American Civil War, fashion dictated that women often wore brass or even gold photographic brooches on their neck collars of dress fronts. The images on silver, copper or tin plates were trimmed to fit into oval and round inserts which then pinned by way of a base-housing to the clothing. In civilian times brothers, sons and husbands filled the chambers for friends and owners to gaze upon... during wartime, the same men appeared as determined & severe-looking soldiers. Lert it be said that the man worn in such a brooch was cherished in either war or peacetime. Occasionally, their name, a poem, or even a lock of hair was hidden behind the image... a most touching connection. Sadly, in the case of these two large brooches, the bearded gentleman is not identified. These came from the same pre-Civil War family collection and are indeed the same man in different formal clothes at different times in his life. He was still young enough to carry a musket in the American Civil War.
Father and Daughter... time and uncertainty
Click to Enlarge |
For each soldier lost to battle or disease on either side, someone would be left behind to ache and wonder over them. An empty chair during holidays, a lonely hunting dog, a vacant seat at table's head... And what if fate dictated that the gallant warrior fall in heated battle? He was not just a soldier but a father who would be missed with a hollow ache for an entire lifetime of "what ifs"... In this image, we see a proud father and thrilled daughter... and we wonder what occurred to them both as time and men marched on to face destiny.
Beloved Brother of Ours!
Click to Enlarge |
Men march off to war and behind are left many who worry, ache & fret on a daily basis. Will the next letter be pleasant familiar chatter from their proud brethren serving his country? ~ or will it be a letter from his commanding officer telling of his untimely death? After large battles, newspapers often published long lists of the dead & wounded based upon the local regiments involved in the fray. Citizen back home scoured these dismal lists for information. Imagine seeing the name of your brother, son or love listed as "killed"... In the days of war a "farewell" at a dock, depot or train platform might well be that "farewell till eternity"... It was not simply "see you later"... men died by the tens of thousands and ofdten were hastily buried in unmarked, unforgotten graves. This lovely ambrotype shows two sistens tenderly resting their cheeks upon the strong shoulders of their brother who was about to depart to battle. Did he return or did his loss leave a lasting hole in the hearts of these two lasses???
All One Faith???
Click to Enlarge |
The Civil war was very odd: Though much different in ways, the Northerner and Southrons were still very similar in other aspects of their histories and culture. They used the same bone toothbrushes, inkwells, coins, clay pipes, instruments and shared the same religion. Whether Northern or Southern, they attested to hold a great "patriotism" toward the free America that broke away from England under the tutalage of Washington, Adams and Jefferson. Thus, the early Presidents and Symbolic Motifs of the Colonies were still revered in the South even as they dissolved their ties to the North which claimed to represent the interests of the true "Union"... This is a small silver medal that depicts George Washington on the obverse and the "Lord's Prayer" on the reverse. It was found in a Confederate Camp near Fredericksburg, VA. the site of a huge battle in December of 1862. So interesting that a troop on either side of the battlefield could have been wearing such a medal!
Coin Buttons
Click to Enlarge |
Coin Buttons were plain metal buttons of various sizes that were used on a host of civilian garb such as coats, vests, cuffs and earlier breeches. They were common in Colonial & Revolutionary War America, but still used up until Civil War by civilians. Often made of brass but sometimes silver plated, some have their maker's markings on backs. Many of these buttons managed to find their way to Civil War sites on vests and overcoats which were brought as accessories to stay warm or relax. A few may have been on plain garb worn by Southern troopers who could not be issued uniforms which became in short supply later in war. Buttons for trousers were often made of animal bone or wood. Suspender clips were of brass or iron. Shoe & belt buckles either brass or iron. Therefore, quite a variety of items to be found on CW battlefields and in campsites!
Pre Civil War Militia Eagle Buckle
Click to Enlarge |
This is a lovely silver-plated militia belt buckle from the 1830 to 1850 period. When the Civil War broke out, much heavier plates with stronger hooks were needed in order to endure the strains of field combat and the need to support many more heavy items from the soldier's waist belt. Thus, these more delicate plates were no longer used as the common heavy "US" waist belt plates were introduced for the duration of the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln Political & Patriotic Envelope
Click to Enlarge |
This is a Civil War period envelope that celebrates Abraham Lincoln and his vice president who led the Union during the conflict. The graphics are very well drawn and spaced upon the cover. A CW period three cent stamp is on the corner. During the CW there were no automatic postal machines to cancel stamps. All stamps were hand-cancelled by postmasters using crude ink stampers. Such letters could be civilian gossip, business, little love notes, or sadly news of men lost at war...
1850 Era Ambrotype of a Young Couple in their Sunday Best
Click to Enlarge |
This is an excellently-achieved glass-plate Ambrotype of a young couple from the decade just before the Civil War. They are decked-out in their "sunday best" clothing. The flowers in her hair are lightly tinted pink. He has a cool Dicken's period top hat which seems a bit outrageous in these days of baseball caps! Later, when an older man, this lad could still have fought & died in the Civil War.
Steam Vessel Inspectors Badge
Click to Enlarge |
U.S. Steam Vessels Inspector's badge is 2-1/8" tall by 1-5/8" wide. This badge was made of silver and hand engraved at the U.S. Mint. They are very rare.
The design of the badge is topped with a U.S. 13 star shield and a pair of banners "INSPECTOR" and "STEAM" | "2" | "VESSELS" that frame a scene of a paddlewheel steam boat with rigging.
The Steamboat Act of May 30, 1852 authorized the appointment of nine supervising inspectors and also authorized appointment of local inspectors. They worked under the Department of the Treasury. The Act of February 28, 1871 actually created the Steamboat Inspection Service, which was also part of Treasury.
Sixth Plate Dag of 1850s Gent & Spooky Wife
Click to Enlarge |
This is a 1/6-th copper plate Dag from the 1850's of a gent with a huge tie sticking out to sides and his really hollow globed spooky wife. She clings to her book. Perhaps her up-coming Last Rites???
1857 American Express Company Receipt
Click to Enlarge |
In the 1800's, packages were often moved by shipping companies such as Harden's Express and American Express. United Parcel Service today is still such a company. But during the CW, packages big & small were shipped by train or steam boat to both citizens and soldiers. It was odd that sometimes a person in the North could still send items to a relative in the South in spite of both "countries" being at war! This is an 1857 American Express Label. It has cool graphics of a train and steam boat. If you think about it, the train was only thirty years old and steam engines only about fifty! But like our modern home computers that came on board about 1990, these innovations were spread everywhere in society within decades. Mankind does not stall on using great ideas!
Cased Sixth Plate Dag of 1848 Boston Teenager
Click to Enlarge |
This is a Sixth Plate Dag of a pretty bt simple young girl from Boston in a geometric patterned dress. She is identified behind image as Catharine N. Sloan of Boston. Taken in 1848 on some sort of "trip." It comes in a full leatherette half case with a carmine floral pillow.
1855 New York Powder Horn with tiny shot
Click to Enlarge |
Prior to Civil War era, powder was often carried in flasks or horns and poured onto the "pans" of flinklock type muskets. This is an original powder horn with maker's name scratched in rim "G.R. Wright." It also has "Madrid, NY, 1855" scratched into body. There are some tiny lead birdshot inside still! Has end plug and some decorative cord on wood end cap. Some surface insect holes, but overall is solid & pretty. About 9" long.
|
