The rarest of artillery artifacts of the American Civil War. From the estate of William Foskit of Monson, MA, Company G, 46th Massachusetts Infantry. Foskit's estate contained three examples of this rare artillery artifact. Only three Whitworth cartridge cases wre know to exist before these were purchased - one in a museum in Georgia, one in a museum in Virginia, and an excavated example in private hands, found many years ago by Stanley Phillips.
The Whitworth cannon cartridges were loaded with rifle powder and sealed with beeswax lubricating wads. The cartridge case was inserted into the breech behind the hexagonal projectile and provided an effective gas seal. Made of sheet iron, the catridge was shaped to fit the hexagonal bore. After firing it was extricated with a special tool. If used as a muzzle-loader, the case was enclosed in a cloth bag.
The cartridge was handmade on an anvil with the hammer marks visible. Measures 9 1/4" tall, and 2 7/8" in diameter at the base. Excellent condition. Comes with a small container of the original rifle powder.
(M18439) $5,500.00
120 pp., in black and blue ink, w/pencilled jottings, on lined paper w/marbled edges. Thin black glazed cloth covers, measuring 6 x 4", w/rear document pocket and front slip-fastener flap. Tight spine w/ covers exhibiting light to medium wear at the extremities. Interior entries lightly faded but legible, w/light scattered foxing throughout. (Entries are more clear than some of the photos at left show due to the camera flash). Else VG.
Johnson's name, company, & regiment appear in the front end-papers, rendered in large, artistic ink lettering-[along with the name of a soldier brother-- "Benjamin Johnson/ Co. "F", 102nd Regt. Pa Vols/ 1st Brig. 2nd Div. 6th AC"]. Followed by an entry making clear that Johnson intends this not so much a diary as a soldier's record of "Incidents and Events of the Campaign's of 1863 to 1864 up to June 10th 1864."
And so it is. Johnson provides a fairly detailed descriptive record of 29th Pennsylvania activities - regimental marches, troop movements, skirmishing and fighting - over the twelve month period between Gettysburg and the Kennesaw Mountain phase of the Atlanta Campaign, just prior to Johnson's mustering out in late July 1864. He appends to his record an eight-page list of command changes in all the commands under which he served---from army level right on down to corps, division, brigade, regiment, and company level. Followed by a four page, 56 town list of "Places visited while in the service. With name of town and [cross-indexed] distances". And a page detailing "James W. Johnson Acct. with the U.S. for clothing from June 16th 1863 to June 10 1864," which comes to $24.34. It is worth noting that Johnson went through three pairs of shoes and six pairs of "socks" on the marches from Gettysburg to Kennesaw Mountain.
Just what prompted Corporal Johnson to begin keeping a record of the 29th Pennsylvania in the third and final year of his three-year enlistment is hard to say. Indeed, the timing of Johnson's record reverses the customary pattern of wartime diaries, which are generally begun at the beginning of service, and afterward off as soldierly enthusiasm and curiosity begin wearing thin.
Since Johnson chose not to re-enlist as a veteran volunteer, it is unlikely that his record keeping stemmed from patriotic feelings or feelings of attachment to his regiment. It seems more likely that as Johnson's enlistment progressed he began realizing that he was participating in events of great historical significance and felt compelled to make a record of his final year of it, whether or he continued on or not. [12-2-1864-"Put down my name to get in the new Regiment now forming for the Veteran Corps but have not decided wether I shall go or not. Probably not."]
For many, Johnson's Gettysburg section will probably be of greatest interest. Which is understandable in as much as there are few good 12th Corps enlisted accounts from the Culps Hill sector of the field, where 29th PA maneuvered with Kane's brigade of Geary's "White Star" Division. Johnson says the following of the July 2/3 fighting on Culp's Hill:
"About the time action commenced on the left [Longstreet's July 2nd, 4 p.m. assault] Gen. Geary ordered Gen. Kane to march us all around the works and away to the right of our line about 2 miles…. by the time we arrive to our first position it was about 9 P.M….In the meantime the rebs finding our Right so weakened they thought it was a good chance to occupy our works and when we returned to surprise us and throw us into confusion….they succeeded in surprising our regiment but did not throw it into confusion….
"The fight commenced early with the enemy advancing to charge our position….and after six hours of the hardest fight were driven in confusion and disorder from the field…they tried to surprise, but they were surprised themselves and fairly massacred by the continuous fire poured on them .So great was their surprised and fright when our boy's opened on them that they fairly cried murder…." On the following day-July 4th-Johnson notes that "my company was detailed as skirmishers, and sent out to the front. But did not find anyone to skirmish with. except 5 or 6 who were taken prisoner….about 11 O'clock Gen. Slocum [12th Corps commander] rode along the line. And as soon as our boys got a glimpse of him they give 3 of the heartiest cheers I ever heard. They were cheer's as soldier's only can give…"
In September 1863 Johnson's 29th PA and their 12th Corps mates were transferred west to reinforce Gen. Rosecrans. Soon after arrival Gen. Geary's Division marched south an attempt to establish contact the Union garrison in Chattanooga. On the evening of October 28th, Geary when hit in a mid-night attack by Gen. Longstreet, whose forces greatly outnumbered his own. Johnson has the following to say of the famed "Midnight Battle of Wauhatchie", in which the 29th Pa had provided the pickets, and his own company "C" had sounded the crucial alarm.
"We had scarcely got our supper when the Regiment was detailed for pickets. Our Company was sent with Co. G out toward the Gap in the mtn. about a mile from camp We had got the pickets posted and laid ourselves down to sleep. when we were suddenly aroused by the pickets firing. We were soon in line but the fire ceasing we laid ourselves down again, being tired for we had march almost twenty miles…. when the enemy came on us on both flanks. The men became panic stricken and could not be rallied. but we gave the alarm time enough for men in camp to be in line….
"The enemy came up fast and were soon in front of us when the fight began, and raged fearfully for about two hour's and a half when the enemy decamped leaving us master of the field. It was afterward learned that the 11th Corps attacking them in the Gap was the reason of their withdrawal from our front. Had they continued the fight for another half-hour they would have captured the half of us for our ammunition was almost exhausted. Our loss will not amount to more than 200 while their's is twice that. not counting the prisoners we have taken…."
During the winter of '63-'64 Johnson's slacken, resuming in full force in May with the beginning the Atlanta Campaign, by which time the 11th and 12th Corps have been combined into the 20th Corps, commanded by Slocum. Johnson is a keen observer of troop movements, and offers continual commentary on a life of constant maneuver. For example:
"7th [May]. Camped Pevine Ridge and marched though and beyond Nickajack Trace, and camped with the cavalry.
"8th Marched with Kilpatrick Cavalry to Lavergne to hold Snake Gap until the arrival of McPherson. We then marched over to our division at Big Gap, Rocky Face Ridge. In the afternoon 2 Brigade of our division charged the Fort, but were repulsed with heavy loss.
"23rd Resumed the march…. when we came upon the enemy heavily posted on a line of hills. Skirmishing soon commenced, and soon quite an engagement. About 5 pm the 1st and 3rd Divisions came up….shortly after our brigade was ordered in. We advanced at double quick and before we were aware of it got within 200 yards of a Rebel battery, which gave us grape and cannister very handsomely. We continued fighting til 8 pm when it began raining which silenced both parties."
The 29th PA inches slowly further south as May become June and the 20th Corps and Sherman head toward to Kennesaw Mountain. Johnson's time is now running out and he is able to report-on June 30th-that "all that did not re-enlist was ordered to Chattanooga to muster out." Arriving in Chattanooga on the July 1, he reports the 16th that "there is now only 4 left," and then on the 24th that "the body of Gen McPherson has arrived in this place." Finally, he reports leaving for home and arriving safely "at Philadelphia on 2 of Aug.", and signs off with a flourish, "James W. Johnson/ Citizen."
Johnson's soldier's record of the "Incidents and Events" the 29th PA between June 1863-July 1864 is one of the better-enlisted accounts we've seen. A superb collectable for 12/20th Corps buffs and Pennsylvania regimental collectors. Accompanied by information on the 29th PA.
(L13285) $4,950.00
Here is an identified specimen of a London-marked, 36 caliber Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver carried by Lt. Edward Good who was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. Identification to Edward Good of "F" Company, 11th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteer Infantry is by his great grandson along with family descendant records. It is highly possible that the officer had this revolver on his person at the time of battle. Good, a native of New York City, was a twenty-nine year old resident of Trenton, NJ when he was mustered into Federal service on August 13, 1862 as a 2nd Lieutenant in Company "F", 11th New Jersey Volunteers for three years. He served with the regiment until October 1, 1862 when he was placed in temporary command of "F" company, a command he held until Feb 9, 1863 when he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the company. The hard-fought 11th NJ infantry regiment was part of the General Sickle's Third Corps and served in the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division. Lt. Good was with the unit when it arrived on the Gettysburg battlefield until he was wounded in action on July 2, 1863. During the afternoon of the second day's heavy fighting, the 11th New Jersey was posted in the area of the Peach Orchard near the Klingel House along the Emmitsburg Rd where it confronted the attacking Mississippi and Alabama brigades of CS Generals Barksdale and Wilcox. The probability is high that Good received his gunshot wound here. According to his regimental surgeon's report, Lt. Good "received a wound from a rifle ball from the enemy in the right arm near the shoulder shattering the bone thereof, said wound was received in the battle of Gettysburgh in the state of Pennsylvania on the 2nd day of July AD 1863." Good was honorably discharged for disability on October 7, 1863 with his right arm paralyzed and his elbow contracted in place at nearly a right angle. Edward Good returned to New Jersey and resided in Hamilton Square, Mercer County where he married and raised a family. The Civil War veteran died on September 1, 1916.
Lt. Good's London Colt is an original Second Model British version of the popular 1851 Navy Revolver in complete and dark condition. One of the most sought after sidearms ever produced by Samuel Colt was his Colt Navy pistol, a premier medium caliber handgun. Sam Colt designated the term 'Navy' to imply the caliber (.36) of the weapon, and later used the term 'Army' for its heavier .44 caliber companion, the Colt Model 1860 Army. U.S. manufactured sometime in late 1856, this weapon is an honest example of a much-carried personal sidearm before and during the American Civil War. Pistol bears serial number #41766 marked on all its components (barrel, frame, triggerguard, loading lever, buttplate, cylinder and wedge. With a .36 caliber, six-shot capacity, this cap and ball percussion specimen features an octagonal 7½" long barrel with attached loading lever. Barrel still enjoys some sharp edges and holds a clear, one-line address marking that reads "ADDRESS COL. COLT LONDON". Mechanics are tight overall, with strong half cock and full cock positions, but the indexing calls for some minor adjustments. Cylinder bears just traces of the roll-engraved naval engagement scene between the Republic of Texas Navy and the Mexican Navy. It also exhibits a dark patina with scattered spots of pockmarking overall. Cylinder safety pins are present but are hammered down as normally found. The six original nipples are in strong condition. No original colors remain on the three-screw frame. "COLTS PATENT" stamp appears on the left side of frame but is thin. Screws are unbuggered. Octagonal barrel with its attached loading lever exhibits light peppering and no bluing. The original, one-piece varnished walnut grips are in very good condition with no chips or cracks. Sidearm bears steel gripstraps and a large rounded triggerguard. Exterior surface of the metal exhibits a dark plum coloring with scattered patches of light peppering overall.
Lt. Good's London Colt, recently purchased at a local Gettysburg auction, comes with a copy of the soldier's military and pension records from the National Archives, and a copy of the actual auction. The purchased will also receive a letter from the family of Lt. Good attesting to the weapon's provenance. This London Colt Navy, with its fine provenance and Gettysburg affiliation is a wonderful Civil War artifact that will enhance any firearm display or New Jersey focused collection.
(G2572) $3,250.00
This fine, presentation wooden artifact, known as a 'swagger stick', was crafted from a section of a tree that grew on the Gettysburg battlefield. Presented in 1906 to Gettysburg-wounded veteran Diogenus D. Chase of the 157th New York Infantry, this short, presentation 'swagger stick' is a wonderful personal memorial to the soldier and serves as a symbol of authority in military circles.
Diogenus Chase was a nineteen year-old young man from Morrisville when he enlisted in the army as a private on August 26, 1862 at Eaton, New York. Chase mustered into Company "F", 157th Regiment, New York Volunteers on September 19, 1862 and served until mustered out on January 1, 1865. During his military service, Private Chase experienced a number of battle experiences but none was more harrowing than his time at the Battle of Gettysburg. The young soldier was with his regiment when he was severely wounded in action on July 1, 1863. The 157th NY regiment was on the fields north of the town adjacent to the Carlisle Pike in line near Captain Dilger's 1st Ohio Light Battery. During an artillery duel early in the afternoon, Private Chase was wounded with a projectile that passed completely through his body. He was left for dead on the battlefield and remained where he fell until 4PM of the second day when he was removed from that exposed position by passing rebel soldiers. The soldier was on the field for four days before he was moved to a corps hospital. Chase survived and remained in the army with the Veteran Reserve Corp until his discharge. Chase returned home, took up the study of medicine and graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City in 1869. Young Dr. Chase went on to become a leading citizen held in high regard in the community and in the GAR post at Morrisville.
Swagger sticks ('short sticks') were most often carried by uniformed military authority, usually commissioned officers and / or senior non-commissioned enlisted men, who used the 'stick' to direct military drill and maneuvers or to administer physical punishment. Normally placed under the right arm pit with the uplifted hand holding on to the stick's end, the swagger stick was used to keep the officers from putting their hands into their uniform pockets. This inscribed 'swagger stick' was presented to former army private Diogenus Chase in 1906 some forty-three years after his Gettysburg service and for his subsequent dedication to the call of medicine. In outstanding original condition, this cylindrical and tapered artifact likely crafted from a tree limb is a handsome specimen of finished oak that appears to have been coated with a clear varnish or sealer. Device measures 15 7/8" long and has a ¾" diameter at one end with a ¼" wide tip.
Trimmed with two, fine german-silver ferrules at each end of the swagger stick, one of which displays a jeweler-engraved inscription that states "From tree grown / upon the battlefield of / Gettysburg, Pa. Fought / July 1, 2, 3, 1863. / Presented by / Julius M. to / Diogenus D. Chase, / Co. F. 157th Reg. N. Y. Vols. / July 27, 1906. / 1863 Testis in Cello et pace 1906". The top cap of this ferrule, which is slightly loose, also displays engraved initials of "D D C" in old English script form. Both ferrules are secured to the wooden stick via tiny brads. Specimen is in excellent condition with no cracks or splits of markings on the wood. Just slight scuffing to the scattered spots on the surface.
Still in its original, brown pasteboard case, this artifact is a very fine example of an identified swagger stick inscribed and dedicated to a Gettysburg-wounded soldier from New York State.
(534-01) $2,500.00
This album features 46 photographs, to include three in military uniform. Included is Dr. John E. Parsons who enlisted on September 15th 1862 as an assistant surgeon in the US Army Medical Department at the age of 27. Parsons later served in the 28th Massachusetts Infantry, resigning in July 1863 and resuming wartime service in the US Navy Medical Department from October 1863 until December 1866. Album contains three CDVs of Dr. Parsons, a beautiful full standing image in double-breasted frock coat, cap, and naval officer's sword. The second Dr. Parsons CDV is a bust view in double-breasted frock coat bearing the rank of first lieutenant. The third CDV is Dr. Parsons in distinguished civilian attire. Military CDVs have Charlestown, Massachusetts backmarks. He is identified by period pencil ID. Dr. Parsons' military service is described in the American Civil War database and the General Navy Register.
The other military CDV in the album is a waist-up view of a young, bearded naval officer. He wears a double-breasted frock coat with naval rank resembling that of a Commander. This is possibly the image of George W. Hatch, acting assistant surgeon in the US Navy from May 1863 through March 1865. CDV has no identification; however, the subject bears resemblance to a tintype in the album identified as Surgeon George W. Hatch. The CDV has fine clarity and a Frederick and Law of New York backmark.
Additional images of interest include a full standing view of a gentleman who is clearly missing his lower left arm! Another CDV features the full standing image of Demetrios L. Sakellarios, identified on the back in period ink. Sakellarios is dressed in traditional Greek attire, to include a fez, decoratively embroidered jacket, and white skirt. Sakellarios served as a missionary in Greece from 1876-1882. On the back of the CDV he wrote Proverbs 7:4 in Greek, "He also taught me, and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and live." Backmark is Black and Case of Boston.
The remaining photographs include nine tintypes, to include three thumbnail tintypes. Twelve individuals are identified in period pencil on the album's pages. Photographs are in excellent condition and feature individuals in a variety of poses. Individuals are well-attired and are captured with superb detail.
Album measures 4 ½" by 6", cover is an embossed Victorian pattern in purple velvet. Binding is faded white and has moderate fraying at the top and bottom ¼ inch of the album. Binding is well intact, pages are in very fine condition with only three pages having small tears below the photographs.
A fine Civil War family album with diverse historical interest!
(P12084) $550.00