BOOTS STATED TO BE THOSE WORN BY GENERAL SAMUEL K. ZOOK WHEN KILLED AT GETTYSBURG & OTHER RELATED ITEMS

$15,000.00 SOLD
Originally $22,000.00

Quantity Available: None

Item Code: 355-39

These boots surfaced in the collection of the late Stan Landis of Quakertown, Pennsylvania and then passed to a New York collector where they were obtained in 1975 by George Lower, owner of the well-known shop “The Gettysburg Sutler,” who then sold them to the present owner.

These boots are knee high and square-toed with a flap at top that can be worn up to protect the knee or folded down. The uppers of both boots are made of alligator leather which is one of the finest leather materials available. The shafts and knee-flaps are of cow leather with a main seam and welt running up the back. The inside of the shafts are lined with a soft calf skin leather. Each boot has two pulls that are made of ticking. The leather soles are pegged as is the “walking” type heel.

The condition of the boots is good overall. Despite the leather being a bit dry it still retains some ease of movement.

The left boot has a “T” shaped tear on the top of the upper that measure approx. 1.50 x 1.75 inches. There is another small separation on the vamp. The shaft has two horizontal creases. One is an inch above the vamp and has surface finish loss and a small hole. The other is at the top of the shaft at the base of the flap. The front of the boot has a vertical line of surface finish loss running from the top of the flap down to the top of the vamp. The flap has heavy crazing and some surface finish loss. The ankles of the boot also show light wear. The crazing on the shaft is moderate. The pegged sole is in nice condition and shows some signs of use. The pull has an old 20th Century handwritten tag that reads “BOOTS WORN BY GEN. SAMUEL K. ZOOK WHEN MORTALLY WOUNDED AT GETTYSBURG JUNE 2, 1863.” (Of course the date is incorrect on the label and should read July 2nd.) The reverse of the tag has a collection number of “ID17.”

The right boot has a 0.50 inch hole where the vamp and the upper meet. The shaft has a hole approx. 1.75 inches long at the bottom just above the vamp. The front has a vertical crease like the other boot, however the surface finish loss is more severe on this boot. There are moderate amounts missing on the flap and on the side of the shaft. The pegged sole is in nice condition and shows some signs of use. Attached to the pull of this boot is a small tag that reads “BOOTS WORN BY GEN. SAMUEL K. ZOOK WHEN KILLED AT GETTYSBURG, PA. JULY 2, 1863.” The back of the tag has a collection number that reads “ID17” This same number can be found on the heel of the boot.

With the boots is a very old and very worn sign that is typical of those found with items from the Stan Landis collection. The sign meas. approx. 3.00 x 5.00 and comes encased in hard plastic. It reads “BOOTS WORN BY GENERAL SAMUEL K. ZOOK WHEN KILLED AT GETTYSBURG 1863.” Sign is badly worn. Lettering is missing and in some cases whole words are gone but the text can be understood. Reverse has a small label with “ID17” matching the collection number on the other tags and the boots.

Although the boots are not marked with the General’s name the quality of the materials used imply a wealthy or high ranking officer and are what one would expect for a general officer. Also, the wear and age of the sign just described shows that these boots were believed to belong to General Zook for quite some time. At least since the early to mid-20th Century.

Also with the boots is a pair of brigadier general’s epaulettes in good used condition. The rank field of each is made up of gold ribbed cloth outlined with a wide twisted bullion wire. Within the rank field is a single 6-pointed star made of silver bullion thread and sequins. The “clamshell” has a raised brass border outlined with a double row of dead bullion. Suspended under each “clamshell” are tassels of spring bullion. The underside of each epaulet is lined with a soft yellow cotton. Both epaulettes have light to moderate surface dirt throughout and no anchor buttons or hooks. They also show minor wear such as small dents to the brass and small amounts of frayed bullion on the edges. Overall they are a nice honest used pair of general officers epaulettes. It should be pointed out that these have always been present with the boots.

The following items are all original but were added to the boots and epaulettes for display purposes.

The first item is an original printed invitation for General Zook’s funeral. The black bordered paper meas. approx. 3.75 x 6.00 inches. It reads as follows:

THE REMAINS OF BRIGADIER GENERAL S. K. ZOOK WILL LIE AT THE RESIDENCE OF HIS FATHER, MAJOR DAVID ZOOK, NEAR PORT KENNEDY, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, WHERE YOURSELF AND FAMILY ARE INVITED TO VISIT THEM ON THURSDAY NEXT, JULY THE 9TH, 1863, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9 A.M. AND 4 P.M. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER THEY WILL BE CONVEYED TO NEW YORK CITY FOR INTERNMENT-

JULY 7, 1863

The document is in excellent, clean condition. All printing is strong.

The next item is a vignette bust view CDV of Zook in the uniform of a Brigadier General. The image is clear and crisp with excellent contrast. Reverse has some collector information in pencil and a photographer’s imprint for E. & H. T. ANTHONY… FROM A BRADY NEGATIVE.

Two other items with the group are stereo views of the monument to General Zook at the spot of his mortal wounding on the Gettysburg battlefield. The first card is a close-up of the monument and the rock on which it sits. The image is mounted on an orange card with a photographer’s edge imprint of H. FRANK BEIDEL, SHPIPENSBURG, (sp) PA. Image is captioned “846 ZOOK MONUMENT, WHEATFIELD, LITTLE ROUND TOP.” View is clear enough to read the inscription on the monument with a loop. Background shows monument to the 27th Connecticut and Big and Little Round Top. Corners of mount are chipped and there is moderate surface dirt throughout.

The second is another view of Zook’s monument taken from further away. This view gets in a good portion of the Wheatfield Road, the Wheatfield itself and the Round Tops. Image is mounted on a yellow card with edge marks of ARTISTIC STEREO GEMS OF GETTYSBURG SCENERY / PHOTOGRAPHED BY W. H. TIPTON, GETTYSBURG. Image caption reads “746-ZOOK MONUMENT AND WHEAT-FIELD, LITTLE ROUND TOP.” Image is in good shape and fairly clean.

Along with the images is what looks like a salesmen’s sample of a GAR ribbon. The ribbon is black with a G.A.R. membership badge done in gold ink at center with “GEN. ZOOK POST NO. 11 G.A.R. DEPT. OF PENNA.” Lettering is also done in gold ink. At very top in silver script is “COL. MARTINDELL, RIBBON BADGES, 809 SPRING GARDEN ST. PHILA.” Ribbon meas. approx. 7.75 inches long x 2.50 inches wide with printed gold tassels at bottom. Item is clean and in excellent condition.

The group also contains another G.A.R. ribbon made of half blue and half red ribbon. The upper blue portion has a gold oak leaf wreath with a keystone at center with a blue number “11” at center over the word “NORRISTOWN.” The red lower half reads “GEN. ZOOK POST NO. 11 G.A.R. DEPT. OF PENNA. TO NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT WASHINGTON D.C. 1892.” Ribbon meas. approx. 6.75 inches long x 2.50 inches wide. Colors are bright and ribbon is in excellent condition. All lettering is done in gold ink.

The last items in the group are three modern Polaroid views of Zook’s monument at Gettysburg, a modern black and white image of the boots and a small black and white image of the General’s grave in Montgomery Cemetery in Norristown, Pa. in 1980. There are also several modern display signs and a binder of research to include the Generals records from the National Archives.

A biography of the General taken from “THE NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY” reads:

Samuel Kosciusko Zook was born in Chester County, Pa., in March, 1821, son of Maj. David Zook (or Zug), who was a descendant of Bishop Zug of the Mennonite church, of the canton of Zug, Switzerland. At an early age he joined the state militia, in which he became actively interested, and he was made adjutant of the 100th Pennsylvania uniformed militia, when he was nineteen years of age. He entered the Philadelphia office of the Washington and New York Telegraph Co. in 1842 and became its general superintendent, removing to New York in 1848, in order to better manage the business of the company. He became connected with several military organizations, and was made lieutenant colonel of the 6th New York state militia, with which he volunteered on the outbreak of the civil war. He joined the army in Virginia, and he was appointed military governor of Annapolis, Md. At the expiration of his three months' service, he returned to New York City, and organized the 57th New York Infantry, being commissioned its colonel, Oct. 19, 1861. He participated in the operations of the army of the Potomac, in the Peninsula campaign of 1862, being in command of a brigade on the march to Williamsburg, in the battle of Fair Oaks, and in all the subsequent engagements, including the battle of Malvern Hill. He distinguished himself at the battle of Fredericksburg, and was severely wounded while leading a charge. His conduct was mentioned by Gen. Hancock in official dispatches, and he was promoted brigadier general of volunteers, to date from Nov. 29. 1862. He was military governor of Falmouth, Va. till March, 1863, when he resumed the command of his brigade, and was engaged in the battle of Chancellorsville, again being mentioned in official dispatches. He was killed at the battle of Gettysburg. July 2. 1863.  [ad]

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