Patriotic CDV
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This is an interesting photographic miniature copy of a formal certificate presented to "W.F. Dale"…as a "tribute to patriotic zeal…" It is only 2 1/2" by 2" on a cardboard CDV mount card. Created by a photograher in "Sing,Sing, N.Y" which is the site of a Federal prison near Tarrytown along the Hudson River. It is inscribed "Julia Jones from W.F.D. Aug. 1867"
Ivory Handled Boot Pull
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This is a lovely item. An ivory handled boot pull of fine quality, with a heavy, solid construction. The shank/hook portion appear to be plated in silver, but could be an early nickle-alloy. In any case, this item would be used by a cavalry officer to help pull up his boots by the top strap.
CW Period Stencil Kit in Original box
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Many soldiers carried stencil kits to mark their clothing, books and personal possessions. This was most true for officers who often received such kits as gifts from wives, friends and family members before marching off to war. This stencil kit has a typical brass plate perforated with Edwin R. Yeaton, the name of the original owner, above a perfoated garland. It also contains two more plates for numbers and letters. The box is labeled "Metcalf's Stencil Cutting Rooms" in Boston. A yellow page of instructions is still folded within. When these kits belonged to soldiers, they often listed their Company and Regiment under their names.
Sexy Lady CDV
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This is an interesting CDV "entered according to Congress in the year 1865" for a copyright. It shows "Euterpe", a classic historical figure as a partially-clad young lady. Her long, lovely back is exposed as well as part of her breast. This was a good way to justify a saucy little photocard in the days when women were totally kept wrapped in black to the ankles! Men missed their sweethearts when facing certain death. People liked kissing and holding hands as much as we do these days...
Length of brass chain from Fredericksburg
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A clumped length of brass chain found in Frederickburg camp area. Was it used for decor on sword belts or is it just watch fob chain???
1865 Tin and Mica candle lantern.
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This is a very interesting item. A tole decorated, tin candle lantern which is "Minor's Patent" from Jan 24th, 1865, as marked on side. The rear door opens to allow candle insertion and a lever at back can move the light side to side as a signal. There are two mica "panes" in the front to allow out the light. Top is perforated to allow heat escape. There is a single handle at the rear for carrying it. A very nice item from the close of the ACW. These are rarely seen…
Period Tin Shaving Mug
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This is a Civil War period shaving mug with attached outer compartment to hold the soaped brush. The soldiers of the civil war were teasingly said to be "the hairiest Army ever seen on the face of the earth". Though many men did shave to a clean face or simple moustache, most tended to prefer a full or partial beard. Thus, in the early mornings, officers and enlistedmen on both sides of the battle lines carefully shaved around their goatees, handbars, and Burnsides using straight-edge razors and lather from such tin mugs~ just prior to going into battle for the last time.
Silver-Handled & Ivory Lice Comb
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Yes, Friends... Lice! Among the many torments of crowded camp life, longer-hair and beards! Lice! And everyone with sense carried a very fine toothed comb that would pull out the lice and their nits (eggs) from combed hair. This is a very, very fine officer's example with an ivory comb supported by a silver handle. A few teeth missing from battling those buggars! Suger Cool! You just don't get good lice combs like this at WalMart any more...
SC Coat Button pounded into a poker chip
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This is cool! A Horstmann & Allien SC Coat Button pounded totally flat to be used as a poker chip during card games in camp.
A Bullet for War turned into a Dice for Fun
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This is a lead .69 Caliber bullet that was carved by a Civil War trooper into a gaming dice. It was recovered in 1985 from the Camp of the 55th New York Vols. along Warrenton Turnpkie, Centerville, Va.
Lighthouse shaped Needle Holder
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This item is a walnut needleholder with a screw top in the shape of a lighthouse! Interestingly, before the Civil War, General George Meade was in charge of maintaining lighthouses along the coast, supervising the construction of the Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island in New Jersey.
Civil War Period Sibley Stove
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This is an original Civil War Period hand-forged Sibley Stove which was being used in Texas as a smudge pot to heat the trees in an orange grove! The hinged door works great. There is some rust at top where stack pipe would be added to carry fumes out the top of a peaked (Sibley) tent. There is also some flakey rusting and mild corroded spots along the base that was against the ground for all those years. But overall, this is a very solid (and heavy!)item, measuring about 29" high and 20" across at base.
Patented by Major Henry H. Sibley in 1857, getting a $5 Royalty from the War Department on each stove until he resigned in 1861 to join the Confederacy. These were also still heavily used in the West during the Indian Wars. This is shown in Francis Lord's Volume I Civil War Book.
Adams Express Envelope Money Going Home
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Well, way before there was UPS, there was the popular "Adams Express Company" which during the Civil War period sent secure packages and envelopes directly between individuals. It was often used to ship important notices, letters, private documents, money and even goods between two locations. Even those places close to current armed conflicts! This is a five wax-stamp sealed envelope originally containing $50 (a LOT of money then!) sent home by a soldier to his family in Minnesota. Yes, in spite of war and deadly conflict, men still needed a reliable messenger service to send practical items and currency to-and-fro from their distant campsites to their families back home.
Waiting at home for Daddy...
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Not only did soldiers have their own images prepared and sent to wives, sweethearts and parents, but they carried-off pictures of their loved-ones to war with them. In fact, after the Battle of Gettysburg a photograph of children was found upon the unidentified body of a Union soldier. It was copied and published in various newspapers across the Union until the widow recognized her childrens' image and stepped forward to identify her sadly-lost husband. The woman was given the priviledge of running the orphan's home in Gettysburg for many years afterward. This particular image shows a little girl in a sash-adorned dress who misses her daddy...
Civil War Period Animal Bone Dice
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Dice were a popular game od chance between bored soldiers in camp. Before the advent of plastics, dice werre made of animal bone or ivory.
Lead poker chips...
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Poker and gambling at cards was very popular amongst troops on both sides of the poicket line. Chips for poker games were often field-crafted from lead bullets that were hammered into flat discs.
Wooden lice comb
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While officers used ivory, bone and shell, the common man used lice comb of basic wood. Combing lice and their eggs (nits) out of one's hair and beard kept the itch off a soldier on the march or under his blankets...
Euterpe's Sexy CDV
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In a country still largely ruled by fundamental Christian ethics on a daily basis, moral values were very strict as far as sexuality. What was done and practiced in private was totally taboo in a public arena. It would take nearly one-hundred more years for the "liberation" of the 1960's to bring carnel delights out of the closet and into the public limelight. In essence, EVERYTHING during the Civil War period was G-Rated. But men were men and couples were couples... babies still kept coming from somewhere. So when away from their sweethearts and spouses for years, boys would be boys! There were quite a few court-martials of both privates and officers for spending surreptitious time with questionable young women in their camp tents and during furloughs to towns. There was even some cross-fraternization between a few ladies of the South and passing soldiers from the North. The young U.S. Capitol of Washington, D.C. grew like wild-fire during the Civil War. Many new buildings and businesses sprung-up, while the huge U.S, Capitol building was finally completed. Literally thousands of foreign young "ladies" were imported to entertain the Union troops who visited for food, whiskey and companionship when "on leave" between battle campaigns. And thus, the newly developed CDV photographic image was quickly adapted to offering images of bare and robust young ladies. As in this case, the true intention was masked behind the "idea" of art & mythology. But the soldiers simply liked to look, dream and imagine other more basic things... For in spite of all the warnings and Sunday lectures, boys will always be boys...
An excavated pocket watch...
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Wrist watches did not yet exist. Therefore, most gentlemen of means carried pocket watches in their vests.
This imasge shows the fragments of a Civil War pocket watch which were found in a Union camp site. One might imagine a Colonel staring anxiously at the minute hand of this item as the seconds ticked toward the pre-arranged start of battle. How curious that a man could gaze upon such a watch, well-knowing that when the hands had fully turned again, then he and many others might no longer be alive... Obviously, this timepiece did not survive the battle. But did its master?
Religious Icon
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Many Civil War Soldiers were deeply religious in various faiths, but Christianity tended to predominate at that time. Troops carried Bibles, crucifixes, medallions and even small religious icons made of brass or painted-lead like this tiny cased statuette shown. Often, before going into deadly action, Priests and Ministers would bless a Regiment. Brothers would soon move onto other spiritual spheres...
Officer's Inkwell...
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Ink tended to be sold for writing in small crockery bottles. But some men brought small lidded metal inkwells from home. They had a cork liner that prevented spillage when inside a lapdesk or even a knapsack. More likely the property of a young officer, but any man could have owned this desk accessory and used it to write home to mother just before facing the music of a hot cannon's roar.
Ivory Week Planner
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Before there were Office Superstores selling ledgers and yearly planners... before wall calendars and computer memory... there was the human mind and then the legendary pencil! These small weekly planners were made of pivoting sheets of thin bone or ivory upon which the days of the week were imprinted. The soldier could then use a lead pencil to scribble a tiny note to himself for upcoming days of that week. The lead could be wiped away with some spit or finger weat in order to use it over the next week. Can't you almost see the possible notes on these for a soldier: Monday get bullets/ Tuesday march/ Wednesday fight at Gettysburg/ Thursday reload/ Friday visit wounded friends/ Saturday go to a town social in Carlisle/ Sunday rest...
Straight-edged Razor
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In a war of bearded men, there was still a need to trim cheeks, necks and parts of the chin. With no double-edged or safety-razors as yet, the reliable straight-edged razor was carried and used by men on both sides of the battlefield.
1862 Fort Donelson Bible Flag
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This is an incredible piece of history~ a true rarity! A hand sewn commenorative "Battle Flag" bible bookmark that lists the dates of the major rengagement between Union and Confederate forces at Fort Donelson. It was likely sewn in honor of a soldier's service there. The construction and aging demonstrate that this was crafted during the Civil War itself. Sadly, the original owner's name and regiment was never added to the ink notation on the back cloth panel. It's size is 4 1/2 Inches by 3 3/8 inches in order to fit inside a bible or book. It appears to be made of pieced-silk sections with 5" long tassels and a early ring of concentric stars flag design. How fortunate that this delicate work has survived all of these many decades!
Soldier's Needle & Repair Kit: called
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This is a rolled kit of thread, needles and cloth patches that were carried by solders to mend their garments & socks. It was called a "housewife" in lieu of a real, caring woman to tend the wandering warrior... Being cloth and purely practical i9n nature, many of these did not survive the elements or later neglect of time. But they were a very practical matter of survival during war, like socks, stamps, ink, bread and a blanket in winter... It measures 3 3/4" x 7" and 3/4 thick, being made out of a black leatherette and cloth material. Still contains the original pins and needles. Both ends of the housewife are fashioned to be pincushions,where there are still pins present.When it is unrolled, the original needles are shown. A soldier would usually add thread and a thimble.This is very well preserved and quite a representative example.
Gold Medal of a Confederate Chief Surgeon
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This stunning gold medal demonstrates a fantastic sunburst effect. It is inscribed to: Dr. Frank Rice, Chief Surgeon of Gen. Cheatham's Div., Army of Tenn., C.S.A. Likely it was given to him after the Civil War by appreciative comrads or family. On the reverse, it reads: Surrendered at Greensboro, N.C. April 26, 1865." This is an extremely rare item attributed to a high-ranking officer. Its overall length is 6 inches in diameter. Unclear if solid gold or not. Descended directly through descendants. Now in a fine private collection. It is one of a kind, extremely rare item of tremendous historical significance! It is so lucky that the trail of information and identification was kept with this item for future CW enthusiasts to see and understand fully.
Wooden Civil War Period Chess Set
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Poker, dice and checkers were much more popular with the lower ranks, while some officers might also play the more "heady" games of backgammon and chess. This is the typical wooden chess set of the Civil War Period...
Refreshment Saloon & Depot for Troops on Leave
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Large cities, such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington had "refreshment saloons" or large depots where troops passing through town on leave could stop for food, lodging, companionship and minor ailments. For the more seriously sick or injured, there were large official military hospitals in bigger cities. The Philadelphia "Refreshment SAloon" was famous for its size and hospitality, quickly becoming popular with Union troopers. An association between the official armed forces and Christian charity groups made this service possible to tens of thousands of men in the course of the Civil War. Old lithographs often show these depots in their hey day. But engravings of military hospitals can be found as well. The soldiers liked to show where they'd been when tested to the limits of their endurance between 1861 and 1865.
Civil War Period Wallet
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This is a very attractive larger sized leather billfold from the 1860- 1880 era. Has nice soft supple feel with an oxblood color. The closure strap is in good shape. Inside is marvellously constructed: with two azure owl's-eye semi-circles that form pouches to hoild coins or stamps. The inner scalloped flap then lifts to reveal inner cardboard dividers marked for 1 to 100 dollar bills. There are also two red lined larger sections for bills/receipts at the rear. Overall a super-duper man's accessory from mid-late Nineteenth Century.
Fancy Double Carved Bullet: Chess Rook!
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Two bullets were artfully carved by a Civil War soldier into a fancy rook or castle piece for a chess set. Both pieces were dug up together!
Key to Survival
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Not all things come through the fury of devastation of a war intact or unscathed... Considering the force of weapons and degree of raw emotions directing them, the fragile wrap of a man's body can be blasted, pierced or boroken so easily... and not always brough back through repair. Imagine the awesome energies that squashed this pinky ring so flat at Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1862... Who wore it till the bitter end during that mean December battle?
Initial Ring from Battle of Winchester
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A squashed brass ring with a roughly engraved initial "A" from the area of the repeated fierce battles of Winchester, Virginia. A man wore this till something pulled it from his person: injury, death or a lost love? Who knows!
Union Army Reimbursement for a Black Servant
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This is an official Civil War Union army form that was filled out by 2nd Lieutenant F.H. Peterson to obtain reimbursement for his black manservant George Bowman. On the bottom left it has a box that names that servant who happens to be five feet five inches tall. This is an interesting Civil War period document considering that the North was supposedly fighting to free slaves down South, and yet, some Northern officers took their own blacks along with them to war as their technically "paid servants". This word-play seems a bit ironic to me!
Carved Chess Piece 4 South Carolina Infantry
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This carved lead minie bullet was dug from "Kamp Washington" at Jermantown, Fairfax County, Virginia by famed old tyme digger Norm Latcher. It was the camp of the 4th South Carolina Confederate Infantry. Looks like a chess Rook to me. Men often made their own pieces out of bullets
Marked a Thief and Carrying 40 Pounds!
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This is from a General Orders Document of Fenruary 1865, findimg a Union Soldier GUILTY of thievery. He is sentenced to carrying a forty pounds weight of sand or iron in front of comrads for 6 hours a day throughout 20 days! Worse than most murderers get in America today!
Small Tin Candle Lamp
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This is a small tin lamp with a glass window which has an separate lid holding a candle. It has a small handle for carrying. Not regular army issued. Bought by soldiers from home or from camp suppliers. It is only 3 3/4" high.
ID Grouping Harvey Bryant
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This is a group of items from Union Soldier Harvey Bryant. It includes locks of hair glued to a card from his family from 1860's to early 1900's. In fact, there is a 1917 postcard from a nephew to Uncle Grant Bryant when he was fifty! Also, were two envelopes from Department of Interior in 1904, one containing a Pension form for soldiers from 1901.
Tin Candlestick GAR paint
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This is a tin candlestick from 1800's. It was common household item which easily could have been purchased for camp life. One lifts the thumb tab which raises candle from inside shaft. It has gold paint on it, suggesting that it was donated to a GAR Hall display case after war. Slider still works!
Pocket Photo Album of John Johnson 49 NY Reg
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This is a small pocket photo album of John T. Johnson of Nunda, New York who was in Co. B, 49th NY Reg. His name is inside covers in pencil 3 times. Written inside it says: "Washington/ This is my present posision". So Johnson likely had it with him while serving in War. It contained 5 tintypes and 3 CDV of civilian family members. It is 4 1/2" by 3 1/4". Many troops carried small albums, bibles and diaries that were this size.
Saucy Civil War Soldiers Ring
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This gold plated ring was dug in one of Butler's Union Camps at Bemuda Hundred in Virginia. It shows saucy naked women on the sides. Guess the lads needed to be reminded of what waited back home if victorious!
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