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Sale 14
Coins, Collectibles and Memorabilia Auction
| U.S. Civil War & Early Photography |
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| Lot |
Photo |
Description |
Realized |
Lot 1645 |
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Young, Pierce Manning Butler. Chest portrait carte de visite mounted above a clipped signature ("PMB Young/Georgia"). The uniformed portrait is mounted on a cream colored card with a double stripe border. There is dampstaining at the bottom edge of the card, the image is unaffected; minor toning to the edges; one ½" long, narrow chip at the top right corner and one small hole at the top right edge, else the cdv is in very good condition. The signature is in fine condition and may be from Young's time as a congressman, given the identification of "Georgia". The pieces have been matted and framed to 9 x 13".
Estimated Value $600 - 700.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 1646 |
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Confederate Generals Composite. Large (6 x 8") cabinet card composite image of Confederate generals' portraits with Jefferson Davis as the center figure. Matted and framed to 12 x 10". The 39 generals pictured include Jackson, Johnston, Colquitt, Bragg, Archer, Buckner, Cooke and Lee. Backmark by "C.R. Rees & Co, Richmond, VA". Minor toning to mat, else fine. Removed from frame for inspection.
Estimated Value $3,000 - 4,000.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 1647 |
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CSS Ram Stonewall. Stereoview mounted on pink card, matted and framed to 12 x 8". Dampstaining around edge of card does not damage image; minor chipping around edge of card; bottom right corner of right-side image shows some ink marks and a small chip at the bottom edge of the photo. The image itself is in very good condition.
The Confederate armored ram Stonewall had a very brief period of service in the Confederate Navy. The only seagoing armored ship commissioned in the Confederate Navy, the Stonewall was built in France, sold to the Danes, returned by the Danes, bought by the Confederacy and surrendered to the U.S. Navy in May 1865 in Havana, all without seeing any action. After the war, the Stonewall was sold to Japan, where she was in service until 1891.
Estimated Value $600 - 700.
View details and enlarged photo
| Unsold |
Lot 1648 |
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Letters from the Civil War Homefront. Lot of two letters, one obviously from the South. The southern letter, signed "EMM," is four pages (with another quarter page intertext), written from "Wildwood" August 13, 1862. The second letter, signed "From your affectionate mother, ASR," is dated Arlington, August 17, 1861. Both letters show some toning and edge separation at the folds, but are in very good condition, overall.
Our first letter talks about Poindexter's troops and the requisitioning of horses, as well as trying to arrange leave for an ill relative. A crisis has also arisen with "Mr. M, " in part: "…Mr. M. went in voluntarily long ago and took the Conventional oath intending religiously to keep it, not had he violated it. Tis a bad state of affairs truly when an unprincipled negro's testimony should be received to the injury of his master; whose rule in all cases has been to injure no man…"
The second letter reads from a mother concerned with her son's physical and spiritual health: "…Do you like the guard duty as well as you did, and, do you have to be on guard nights. I am afraid you tell us the best part and keep back the hardship and privations you meet with…" (a poignant note given how early in the War this letter was written -- any privation would be so much worse in four years, and the mother would probably know all about it from other sources). "…I want that you should write as often as you can for you cant think how anxious we feel about you and Rufus. I know that you will take as good care of yourself as you can without my asking you for our sakes at home. It is dark and I must close now…".
Estimated Value $200 - 250.
View details
| Realized
$150 |
Lot 1649 |
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Berdan, Hiram. Excellent carte de visite uniformed standing portrait. Early Anthony/Brady backmark overlaid with a Guille & Alles Interior Decorators "Sold By" label. Striking, clear portrait; very minor toning/silvering to top right corner and table at right edge; minor toning to card. Pencil ID verso indicates portrait from 1857. Overall, fine condition.
Gunmaker/innovator, acknowledged as the best shot in the nation for almost 20 years before the War, Berdan developed two regiments of specially-trained sharpshooters for the Union Army. Dressed in distinctive green uniforms and equipped with the best long rifles, Berdan's men underwent rigorous training and received special bonuses for qualifying for the sharpshooter units. Although Berdan was a brilliant inventor, he was a poor commander and he resigned in January 1864.
Estimated Value $500 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$426 |
Lot 1650 |
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Withdrawn
| Unsold |
Lot 1651 |
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Harris, John. Standing uniformed portrait carte de visite. Brady imprint at bottom margin. Pencil ID verso; one abrasion recto at margin; two small abrasions at the extreme top edge of the image. Strong contrast, beautifully shot -- extra fine condition.
A roster of less than 3000 men, an officer corps decimated by the resignation of Confederate sympathizers, and a reluctant staff ensured that any role the Marines would play in Union strategy would be a small one. Mostly relegated to guarding forts and ships, Marines did participate in the landings at New Orleans and in the attack on Charleston and Fort Fisher. Harris was in favor of this minimal involvement, believing (rightly) that the Army had the greater resources and better leadership necessary for success. Fewer than 150 U.S. Marines died in the war.
Estimated Value $500 - 600.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$426 |
Lot 1652 |
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Withdrawn
| Unsold |
Lot 1653 |
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Withdrawn
| Unsold |
Lot 1654 |
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Union Officers, Cartes de Visite. Lot of five Union officer cartes de visite, including one signed and inscribed.
The signed card features a chest portrait of Major J.S. Katner of the 33rd New York Volunteers, inscribed "Fraternally Yours". Backstamped by B.P. Paige of the Plumb Gallery in Washington, there is minor soil and toning, but the overall condition is very good.
Two identified officers on unsigned cards: A chest portrait of Eliakim Sherrill (killed at Gettysburg) of Geneva, New York, is backstamped by J.G. Vail of Geneva. A pencil ID verso, but, except for very minor toning, very good condition. The other officer has been identified as Aaron Woodhull and appears in a chest portrait (in what appears to be a lieutenant's uniform), backstamped by W.L.Germon's Photographic Studio of Philadelphia.
We must admit, to our chagrin, that although the next two gentlemen are familiar faces, but we cannot match faces to names and invite identification from any of our esteemed readers. The first unidentified CDV features a bearded gentleman not in uniform, rather in a dark coat. We are not certain if the gentleman was in the Union Army or not. This carte de visite is backstamped by McGonegal's of Geneva, New York, and shows only minor toning. The second unidentified CDV features a chest portrait in uniform of an unbearded gentleman of distinguished bearing and was published by C.D. Fredricks & Co. There is very minor toning, foxing and soil, otherwise the card is in very good condition.
Estimated Value $150 - 200.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$1,208 |
Lot 1655 |
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11th Tennessee Cavalry, U.S.A. Document. One page, quarto, Washington DC, January 14, 1865. Being a true copy of orders to the 11th Tennessee Cavalry, ordering its consolidation into the 9th Tennessee Cavalry, Special Order No. 22. Signed by John C.Wright, Captain of Company D, 11th Tennessee Cavalry Volunteers. Transmittal folds; adhesive residue verso from old mounting, some show-through at extreme bottom edge. Overall, very good condition.
A quick look at the history of the 11th reveals a unit of some notoriety: three months after mustering in, Colonel DeCourcy described the unit as made up of raw, undisciplined troops; the entire first battalion was captured in February, 1864; a report from a commanding officer in March of 1864 indicated "…the 11th Tennessee Cavalry (10 companies) 252 men for duty, no horses, are without discipline, and with their present organization of but little value…" As indicated in the document offered here, the troops of the 11th were consolidated with the 9th Cavalry in early 1865 and: "…all officers present and absent rendered supernumerary by this consolidation will be mustered out of Service at date thereof. The Commanding General, Department of the Cumberland, will charge the proper Commissary of musters with the prompt execution of this order…"
Estimated Value $200 - 350.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$150 |
Lot 1656 |
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3rd Colorado Cavalry Statement of Service. Document. Partially printed, accomplished in manuscript. One page, quarto, Washington DC, June 30, 1866. Being a statement of service for one Christian Housworth, to Lieutenant Colonel J.W. Nicholls. Stamped signature of Sam Breck, Assistant Adjutant General. Two horizontal folds; top left corner missing, no loss of text; minor toning. Overall, very good condition.
A 100 days regiment, the 3rd Colorado Cavalry was raised to quell Native American unrest in Colorado, filling a gap caused by the necessary loss of Army troops to Civil War battlefields. A volunteer regiment, created with War Department authorization, the 3rd is infamous for its decisive part in the Sand Creek/Chivington Massacre, an incident where troops attacked a band of about 500 Cheyenne and Arapahoe, almost 2/3 of whom were women and children. Believing they fulfilled the terms of an amnesty offered by the Territorial military leaders, the Native Americans had made winter camp about 40 miles from Fort Lyon, flying an American flag and a white flag of truce. The 3rd Cavalry, under Colonel John Chivington, attacked the camp and killed or mutilated almost 200.
Estimated Value $200 - 250.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$138 |
Lot 1657 |
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Buffalo Soldier Stereoviews A. Lot of three stereoviews featuring images of the 10th Cavalry.
Card one: Part of the "Standard Series", published by the International Stereoscopic View, Co., of New York. The caption reads: "Tenth U.S. Cavalry 'The Heroes of Santiago'". Surface soil; image is somewhat faded (possibly a lower-quality paper or fixative was used); one small flaw under surface of image. The photograph shows the 10th U.S. Cavalry marching in a victory parade following the Spanish American War. Fair to good condition. The photos, on examination, do not appear to be true stereoscopic images, rather they were probably created from newspaper photographs of the time to fill the demand for mementos of the Spanish American War.
Card two: From the Keystone View Company, copyright 1898. Caption: "9120 -- Troop K, 10th U.S. Cavalry, Camp Chickamauga, Ga., U.S.A." Shows the soldiers and horses waiting by a road. Minor surface soil recto and verso; very minor fading to image; one abrasion on right edge of card; two chips from bottom margin; one bump to left bottom corner. Overall, good to very good condition with strong contrast and a clear image.
Card three: Published by Strohmeyer & Wyman, sold by Underwood & Underwood, copyright 1898. Caption: "Troop A, Ninth U.S. Calvary -- Famous Indian Fighters." Minor toning to very edges of card, else very fine. The renowned soldiers line up somewhere in the scrub deserts of the Southwest, or, maybe on the plains of Nebraska -- a striking image.
Estimated Value $350 - 500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$207 |
Lot 1658 |
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Buffalo Soldier Stereoviews B. Lot of three stereoviews.
Card one: Published by Keystone View Company, copyright 1898. Caption: "9442 - Away from the Fever Camps of Cuba -- Montauk Pint -- 10th U.S. Cavalry." Minor surface soil to card; two faint thumbprints from developing; one very faint waterstain on each panel; pencil ID verso. Overall, near fine. This is a very scarce view and in super condition.
Card two: Published by Strohmeyer & Wyman, sold by Underwood & Underwood. This is duplicate of "Troop A, Ninth U.S. Cavalry. Famous Indian Fighters" offered in the lot above. Card and image somewhat evenly faded; minor surface soil to card; pencil ID verso; bottom margin chipped at one spot. Overall, very good condition.
Card three: Published by Strohmeyer & Wynn, sold by Underwood & Underwood, copyright 1898. Caption: "Trumpeter -- 9th Cavalry, famous colored regiment". Minor toning and surface soil to edges of card; one tiny piece of paper adhered to one panel at the knee of the trumpeter; generally fine condition.
Estimated Value $350 - 500.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$207 |
Lot 1659 |
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Withdrawn
| Unsold |
Lot 1660 |
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Withdrawn
| Unsold |
Lot 1661 |
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Withdrawn
| Unsold |
Lot 1662 |
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Three Civil War-Link Letters. Three letters, various lengths, two war date.
Our first letter, on "Head Quarters, Army of the Potomac, Office of the Provost Marshal General" letterhead, is a request from Edson Fitch (after the war, he was a prominent match manufacturer and Mason) for leave to return home and settle his father's estate. To Brigadier General S. Williams. Docketed, commented on and denied on verso: "The interests of the service will admit only of the granting of leaves of absences in extreme cases and this is not considered an exceptional case." An endorsement of the leave is Signed by Marsena R. Patrick ("MR Patrick"), Provost Marshall. The denial is signed by S.F. Barstow on behalf of General Mead. Very good to fine condition.
The second letter, nine pages on "U.S. Sanitary Commission" stationery, signed "James Logan" and dated "Winchester Nov 7th 1864", contains a great deal of information about doctors and the wounded: "…When the field hospital of our corps was established and the wounded began to be brought in I went to work and did for the poor fellows to the extent my strength would admit. But O it is a sad sight to see so many poor fellows mangled bleeding and suffering from every variety of wound…"
The third letter was likely written by Union General Bernard G. Farrar to "Jim" on May 25 (?) -- it is signed "Bernard G. Farrar". Written before the Civil War. Apparently recuperating at a relative's home, Farrar writes of riding horses and cautions Jim about falling in love with "Eliza."
Estimated Value $250 - 300.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$288 |
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