site search
online catalog
FEDERAL INFANTRY OFFICER’S UNIFORM, PERSONAL EFFECTS AND DOCUMENT GROUPING IDENTIFIED TO CAPTAIN JAMES BENNET, 86TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
$13,950.00
Quantity Available: 1
Item Code: 591-01
Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer
To Order:
Call 717-334-0347,
Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail
This most interesting Civil War collection of a New York officer was part of his family’s estate until 1998 when it was made available to the collecting community. The memorabilia ensemble from Captain James Bennet includes: (1) his nine-button frock coat with both original ‘Smith Patent’ Captain of Infantry shoulder straps attached, (2) a pair of his light blue wool uniform trousers in excellent condition, (3) his crimson officer’s sash and (4) a NY State brass hat insignia. Collection holds (5) his commission as Captain from the Governor of the State of New York; (6) a large size oil painting of Bennet in uniform set in a period gold gilted, oval wooden frame, and (7) his IDd leather-bound officer’s trunk. Also, there are a number of personal effects such as (8) his large-size, field issue tin cup, (9) a pair of fine silver spoons, (10) an ID’d CDV with Bennet in military uniform, (11) two CDVs of his mother, (12) a CDV engraving of General US Grant, and (13) a tintype image of Bennet prior to the war. Rounding out the collection is (14) a 3” binder full of war-related paper documents that contain military papers, oversize albumen photos of the family homestead and cemetery in Port Jervis, NY. Various pre-war and war-dated letters are included with several General Orders, requisitions, Soldier’s Relief advertisements, passes, and other assorted documents totaling over sixty paper items in all. In addition, (15) military and pension records on Bennet from the National Archives in Washington DC.
Stuben County, New York native James Bennet was a 26 year-old telegraph operator and resident of Port Jervis, NY when he joined the Union Army on September 19, 1861. Bennet was commissioned a Captain and mustered into Company “G”, 86th New York Volunteer Infantry regiment for three years at Elmira, NY on November 12, 1861. The unit, aka “The Stuben Rangers” was recruited in Stuben, Chemung and Onondaga counties of the State and assigned guard duty at Washington, DC. It left for the Capitol on Nov 23, 1861 and remained there until August 1862 when it was ordered to the front under General Pope. At 2nd Bull Run the regiment lost some 118 killed, wounded and missing in the engagement. Captain Bennet served with the regiment until he was taken sick in mid July 1862. He took a 20-day leave of absence to go home to recover his health and arrived at Port Jervis never to return to the army. He died at home on August 25, 1862 and was buried in the family cemetery there.
Among the artifacts is Captain Bennet’s custom-made, company-grade officer’s regulation uniform frock coat complete with both original shoulder straps of a Captain of Infantry. Well-constructed of rich, dark indigo-blue wool broadcloth, the fine, original condition frock coat is the early war pattern and exhibits a six-piece body, consisting of two front panels, two side panels and two back panels. Coat is in fine overall condition but does exhibit lightly scattered moth nips that have small sewing repairs of the period to the exterior front panels, arms and on the back tail panels. Uniform has a one-piece standing collar of fine black broadcloth material and is lined with black velvet lining with no eyehooks. Interior collar exhibits very light wear. This frock coat exhibits two, very good condition “Smith-type’ brass metal bordered shoulder straps with faded blue fields featuring the rank devices of a Captain of Infantry. Both straps secured tightly to the coat. Sleeves are of typical two-piece construction and measure 9” wide across the elbow and 5” at the cuffs. Coat cuffs are not functional but display three, cuff size, Excelsior 3-piece brass buttons on the outer seam. The single-breasted uniform coat features nine, coat-size, ‘Excelsior’ 3-piece brass staff buttons arranged in one row down the front of the coat. All buttons are in very excellent condition and are backmarked with “SCOVILL MF’G CO / WATERBURY”. The front body panel of the coat interior is heavily padded and lined with fine, dark green polished cotton cloth. Both sleeves are lined with a light brown / red-striped linen material. Remainder of the coat body, as well as the skirts, is lined with the same green polished cloth material. Rear of coat is cut with a center vent with folded tails that feature pocket flap worked into each tail. Coat tails have a total of four, coat size, ‘Excelsior’ brass buttons in place at each tail flap. One interior slash breast, pocket is accommodated on the left side of the coat.
Bennet’s uniform trousers are the regulation light blue-kersey wool with a thin, dark blue welt down the exterior of each leg. These original trousers are in fantastic condition. The officer’s crimson silk sash is in fair to good condition with some fading and moderate to heavy tears and fraying overall. Tassels are complete with no fraying but heavily faded. A small, brass hat device of a shield with an eagle perched on top over a pennant titled ‘Excelsior’ still has its four pins intact. Bennet’s Captain’s unframed commission, 13½” x 11½”, is signed by Governor Edwin D. Morgan and dated Oct 7, 1861. In very good condition. Next is a large-size (21” high x 18” wide) oil painting of Bennett in uniform set in a period, wooden gold gilted oval frame.
A multi-compartment, leather-bound wooden field trunk is ID’d to Bennett with a handwritten inscription on the inside lid compartment. Trunk exterior measures 26” long x 15½” high when the lid is closed. Opened, the trunk exposes a multi-compartment top tray seated over a 10½” deep x 13½” wide box. The double-hinged lid is 2½”high and is also multi-compartmentalized. Entire interior is lined with a fine cloth liner. Leather exterior is dry with heavy scuffing and tears. Missing the leather tie straps but the leather handles with hardware are stowed within the trunk. The rolled edge and soldered seamed tin cup measures 4½” high x 4½” diameter with a loop handle, no rivets. Very strong with some rust at the base. Both silver spoons, one table size and one tea size, are excellent and were a gift set he sent to his mother from Washington, DC. The sixty-odd other paper items are too numerous to articulate here. His NARA military records are included. This fantastic uniform grouping with an accompanying plethora of military and family documentation from a New York Civil War infantry officer is an opportunity all collectors seek, but seldom find.
Inquire About FEDERAL INFANTRY OFFICER’S UNIFORM, PERSONAL EFFECTS AND DOCUMENT GROUPING IDENTIFIED TO CAPTAIN JAMES BENNET, 86TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Most Popular
Handsome Pre-Civil War Militia Officer's Kepi In Truly Outstanding Original Condition »
featured item
MINT, UNOPENED CONFEDERATE BUCKSHOT PAPER CARTRIDGE
Presented here is a true rarity in the small arms ammunition-collecting field. This outstanding original artifact is an unopened, Confederate .69 caliber paper wrapped cartridge filled with a number of .31 caliber buckshot. Used with the .69 caliber… (M20315). Learn More »
site search