IDENTIFIED, 91st PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY SOLDIER’S TEN PIECE GROUPING

$4,750.00 SOLD

Quantity Available: None

Item Code: 465-184

A fine grouping of original Civil War uniform items along with personal artifacts that belonged to 1st Lieutenant William Letourneau, an infantryman from Company G, 91st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry regiment. Included in this fresh grouping are Letourneau’s oval US belt plate, eagle breast plate, 3-year Veteran Volunteer service chevron, 1st Sergeant’s infantry chevron with lozenge, 5th Corps ID badge, 1st Lieutenant’s shoulder straps, Model 1851 officer’s sword belt plate, and a small brass pocket case.

Letourneau enlisted as a private on Sep 11, 1861 for three years and served in the same company until mustered out on July 10, 1865 as a Veteran Volunteer. Organized in September 1861, the regiment initially spent time on guard duty at various points in Washington. Combat operations followed at the battles of Fredericksburg including the Mud March, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg at LRT, Lee’s Retreat, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Petersburg, Cold Harbor, Weldon R/R, Hatcher’s Run, Five Forks, Sailor’s Creek, and Appomattox. The regiment mustered out on July 10, 1864 at Washington, D.C. It also marched in the Grand Review.

Letourneau’s oval brass US belt plate and Eagle breast plate are in great condition. Belt plate has a mottled gilted surface with few dings and dents. Lead backside is strong, shows no erosion and is carved with “1861 / PA” at one end with letters “W. L. / 61” near the center. Arrowhead hooks and clasp in very good condition and show slight residue from the display case foam backing. Breast plate also in very good condition with some denting to the upper face. Steel loops are strong and intact with one loop bent inward. Lead backing is very strong and smooth; no erosion. Light carving shows “1861.”

A single, excellent condition service stripe given to veteran volunteers is included. Veteran stripe measures 11” long x ¾” wide and was meant to be worn on one uniform sleeve. Consists of a ½” wide kersey blue wool strip sewn on a ¾” wide red cloth backing. Colors are vibrant with no mothing or insect nips. Next is a complete, seldom seen infantry First Sergeant’s 3-stripe chevron complete with the diamond shaped ‘lozenge’ device. The infantry blue color has faded but the cloth chevron is in super condition with no rips, frays or tears.

A beautiful 5th Army Corps Maltese Cross silver suspension badge device bears a scalloped pin back bar engraved with “Wm. LETOURNEAU.” Bar suspends the four-segment Maltese Cross that displays a cutout with numerals “91” at the center of badge. Backside of Cross has “Co G” and “PVV” on the top and bottom segments. Next is Letourneau’s pair of excellent condition 1st Lieutenant of Infantry shoulder bars, a.k.a. rank straps. Handsomely made of gold and dark bullion with double borders and a dark blue (almost black) field. A rank device of a single, gold and dark bullion 1st Lt’s bar sits at each end of each strap. Both straps excellent with complete unfrayed, unripped backing material. No maker’s name.

The officer’s M1851 brass sword belt plate is excellent. The convex plate has the fine stippled base with the integrated spread-winged centered on its surface. Eagle holds a pennant in its beak surrounded with thirteen stars spread on rays of sun at plate’s top edge. Eagle holds an olive wreath in one talon and a set of three arrows in the other. A gold gilt integrated laurel wreath sets below the eagle. Backside has the wide brass tongue and is benchmarked with “3 3 S.” No maker’s mark on plate. Last is a small ID’d brass pocket item that appears to be a match dispenser. Shows a patent “SMITH’S PATENT / JAN 17, 1860” on one side and a hand carved engraving “Lieut. W. L. / P.V.” on the other.

Grouping deserves more research. This is a great collection of original, identified, Civil War artifacts carried by a Pennsylvania soldier from a hard fought unit. Grouping comes in a walnut glass display case.

 

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