This group of items belonged to Private Henry H. Renninger of Company F, 131st Pennsylvania Infantry. The group consists of his GAR kepi and wartime issue overcoat and boots.

The GAR kepi is in very good condition and just has some light surface dirt from age.

The dark blue wool body has 3 or 4 tiny moth nips and is otherwise very nice. The leather visor is bound on the edge and has some light surface crazing which is common. The chinstrap is made of thin leather with a single leather keeper but no brass keeper. It is anchored by two GAR side-buttons. Attached to the front of the kepi are false embroidered silver numbers “364” inside of a brass oak wreath. This insignia shows that Mr. Renninger was a member of the Captain G. W. Ryan Post 364 of the GAR located in Middleburg, Pennsylvania. The pin on the back of this insignia is complete but the catch is missing.

The interior of the kepi has a full dark brown sweatband with a brown polished cotton lining gathered by a string at the top. The underside of the disc is also lined in brown polished cotton with a slightly worn maker’s mark in silver ink that reads “J. H. WILSON…PHILADELPHIA.”

Mr. Renninger’s wartime overcoat is made of sky-blue kersey wool and is in fair condition. The coat is complete with the cape and fold-up cuffs and all buttons as well as the size adjustment belt and keeper on the back. Both the right and left sides have been modified and have had pockets added. This is something that was often done by the soldier.

The exterior surface is dirty from heavy use and has numerous moth holes and nips. The heaviest moth damage can be found on the right sleeve and cuff. Approximately 25%-30% of the folded up cuff section is gone. The next seriously effected area of moth action is found on the skirt of the coat. There are numerous moth nips and several larger holes that meas. anywhere from a 0.08 of an inch to 1.75 x 1.75 inches. The next area affected is the cape and collar. The inside collar was severely chewed up but has been professionally restored as has some of the holes on the cape. The best way to understand the moth damage on this item is to closely examine the photographs attached to this description.

The interior has approx. 85% of the lining with the majority missing on the right side. The section of lining that remains has a number of stress separations in the upper back area.

Despite the moth damage the coat will still display well. It is obvious that this coat had great sentimental value to Mr. Renninger in that he kept it through the rest of his life and took the opportunity to have his photo taken in it as an older man. The battle history of his regiment shows that the day he wore this coat at Fredericksburg was the worst day in the regiments service and coming through it alive must have left quite an impression on Mr. Renninger.

The last item in the group is a very nice pair of leather boots. They are calf length with black leather uppers and a russet leather front panel at top. The soles and heels are pegged and show signs of wear and use. The leather of the uppers is in excellent condition with wear creases and all the seams are tight. Each boot still retains a pair of “pulls” at top.

Henry Harrison Renninger was born July 21, 1843 in Franklin Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania. At the age of 20 he enlisted in Company F, 131st Pennsylvania at Middleburg on August 5, 1862.

The 131st was assigned to the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac and joined it at Antietam but too late to participate in the battle there. The regiment’s baptism of fire took place at Fredericksburg on Dec. 13, 1862. It was here that Private Renninger was struck on the outside of the left knee by a shell fragment. He was helped off the field at dark and taken to a field hospital and later transferred to a hospital in Maryland and was absent from his regiment until spring. He rejoined them in time for the battle of Chancellorsville where the regiment was lightly engaged. He was mustered out at Harrisburg on May 23, 1863.

After his service he returned to his home where he married in 1869. He was active in his church and the GAR and earned a living as a farmer and furniture maker. He died April 6, 1933 and is buried in Glendale Cemetery, Middleburg, Pennsylvania.

With the group are Mr. Renninger’s military and pension records as well as a long obituary copied from a newspaper with a Xerox copy of a photo showing him wearing the overcoat and GAR cap offered here. There is also the remains of an old worn and decayed paper label that attests to these items belonging to Mr. Renninger.

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