WARTIME UNIFORM AND SLOUCH HAT IDENTIFIED TO THE MAJOR OF THE 16TH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY

$12,950.00 SOLD

Quantity Available: None

Item Code: 163-107

This group consists of a double-breasted frock coat, sash, slouch hat, and shirt belonging to Major Charles E. Pearce. These items were purchased from the family of Major Pearce by the late, well-known Civil War collector and dealer James Stamatelos in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s.

The first item in the group is a very nice conditioned double-breasted frock coat. Made of a fine dark blue, almost black wool. The exterior surface is very clean and mostly free of moth action. There is one small hourglass shaped nip on the left sleeve and several nips along the bottom edge of the skirt. Each shoulder bears a single bullion bordered, Major of Staff shoulder-strap. Both straps show very light wear and are in very nice condition. The collar exterior matches the rest of the coat but the interior surface is lined with black felt. Down the front of the coat are two parallel rows of seven US Staff Officer buttons for a total of fourteen in all. All but one is back marked “SUPERIOR QUALITY” with the odd button being a “WATERBURY BUTTON CO.” button. Each cuff has three small Staff Officer buttons marked “EXTRA QUALITY” while the back of the coat has two buttons at the waist and one on each tail, all of which have “SUPERIOR QUALITY’ back marks. One of the more interesting aspects of this coat is a cloth flap at the left hip which helps hold the sash in place. The button that holds this flap is also a Staff Officer button with a “WATERBURY BUTTON CO.” back mark.

The interior of the coat is lined with a black polished cotton throughout the body with white muslin in the sleeves. The chest lining is quilted and there is a horizontal pocket in each chest and a pocket in each tail. The coat lining has several small scattered moth bites and the armpit areas are discolored from sweat. Where the muslin sleeve lining meets the body lining there is some minor stress separations but again, nothing major. There are no signs of any markings.

The shirt in the group is made of white linen or muslin. It is a long tailed pull-over shirt with pleats at the front and a single “mother of pearl” button at the throat of the fold down collar. Each functioning cuff also has a single button of similar material. Shirt is in excellent condition with only two or three very small spots of discoloration.

The officers sash meas. approx. 9.00’ long x 3.00” wide. The body has light surface dirt throughout and several small stains and pulls. Both knots and all tassels are present and slightly faded.

Also in the group is Major Pearce wartime slouch hat. It is made of a soft black felt with black tape binding around the edge held in place by two rows of stitching. Around the base of the crown is a nice conditioned officer’s hat cord. Attached to the front of the crown are stamped false embroidered white metal numbers “16.” The top of the crown is badly torn up. There is a split at front from left to right that meas. approx. 3.00 inches long. There is a piece of missing material at center that meas. approx. 2.50 x 1.00 inch. The final slit at the back of the crown also runs right to left and meas. approx. 4.00 inches long. The interior of the hat has no sweatband or label.

An online biography of Major Pearce reads:

“Charles Edward Pearce (May 29, 1842 – January 30, 1902) was a United States Congressman from Missouri. He was born in Whitesboro, Oneida County, New York. He attended Fairfield Seminary and graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1863, where he had been a member of The Kappa Alpha Society. He enlisted in the Union Army and was commissioned captain of Battery D, Sixteenth Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery in 1863. He was promoted to the rank of major in June 1864. On the occupation of Wilmington he was detailed as provost marshal general of the eastern district of North Carolina. He resigned from the Army in the fall of 1865; settled in St. Louis, Missouri in 1866. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1867 and commenced practice in St. Louis. He was also interested in the manufacture of bagging, rope, and twine. He organized and commanded the First Regiment of the Missouri National Guard in 1877. He was delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1888 and appointed chairman of the commission to treat with the Sioux Indians of the Northwest in 1891. He was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1901). He declined to be a candidate for re-nomination in 1900. He died in St. Louis, Missouri; interment in Fort Hill Cemetery, Auburn, New York.”

Included with the group is Major Pearce’s military records only from the National Archives. Also included are copies of a paper written by Major Pearce titled “THE EXPEDITIONS AGAINST FORT FISHER” which was published in “WAR PAPERS AND PERSONAL REMINISCENCES 1861-1865 READ BEFORE THE COMMANDERY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, MILITARY ORDER OF THE LOYAL LEGION OF THE UNITED STATES.”  [jet]

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