This grouping includes a housewife with Stars and Bars 13 star flag sewn in center, several buttons with fabric from uniform, two postal covers (one pre-war from Columbus, Mississippi and one inverted usage Confederate), and cotton bag made of blue ticking.

The housewife has a painted canvas outer covering, and various cotton fabrics used for the lining and pockets. There is decorative hand-stitching. It contains five bone buttons, two tortoise shell buttons, and one wood-backed tin button. There are two- 3 piece staff officer coat buttons, and one- 3 piece staff officer cuff button. All have the maker’s mark on the reverse that reads, “EXTRA QUALITY”. There are eighteen straight pins. Seven of the straight pins and the two coat buttons are attached to pieces of dark gray jean cloth. Housewife measures 8 ¾”3 ¾” and has some surface dirt present. Cotton bag contains a variety of twenty-three buttons. Bag has yellowed and has a brown stain and tear. Bag measures 7 ½” x 9”.

These items are ID’D to Lieutenant Colonel Columbus Sykes. Sykes was born on February 23, 1832 in Virginia. The family later moved to Mississippi where Sykes became an attorney. He married Emma Moore in 1857. The couple had a son in 1860 and then a daughter in 1863. He enlisted on May 1, 1862 as a Captain and was commissioned into Co. “A”, 43^rd Mississippi. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and then to Major on November 10, 1862 where he was transferred in to Field & Staff. Sykes died on January 7, 1865 when he, along with two fellow officers, were killed while sleeping in camp as a dead oak tree fell on them. Sykes wrote many letters home to his wife and children. Some of these   letters were published in the book, “Echoes of Glory” by Larry Strayer.

This is an outstanding collection of ordinary items that a soldier would have carried, but are rare to find today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.