A scarce set of regulation Civil War shoulder straps for a major of infantry. With only one major per infantry regiment, any major’s shoulder straps are scarce. This is the regulation pattern with gold bullion embroidered borders, themselves edged inside and out with jacqueron wire, and gold bullion embroidered oak leaves indicating the wearer was a major placed at each end. The background is a deep blue, indicating service in the infantry.

The edges are turned over and sewn across but leaving the back open, which is expected in Civil War officer’s straps since they were frequently purchased on piece of fabric to be cut and mounted by a tailor, officer, or more talented spouse. The oak leaves and bullion borders still have a lot of bright gilt remaining, though with some darkening or rubbing. One strap shows some separating of the border strands and there are some loose threads, including some brown thread indicating the straps saw use on a uniform, but could be neatened up a bit.

The backs could be neatened up a bit as well, but each strap shows a set of initials written on the web underlay of the strap: “PPW,” or less likely “PPU.” Military goods dealers of the period occasionally used pricing or inventory letter codes, but the letters seem large enough to be owner’s initials. A cursory search shows three potential candidates with the initials “P.W.” with no middle initial given in Heitman’s list of field officers who served as majors in the 25^th MO Enrolled Militia, 25^th OH, and 35^th USCT, but there may be others and it may not be possible to discover the middle initial of every possible candidate or rule out the initials as those of a son or even collector.

In any case, these are scarce straps, literally ten times rarer than those of a captain or lieutenant. And, like them, majors and the other field officers of an infantry regiment served under fire in the front lines of battle and were true combat officers. These would display well on their own, as part of an officer’s display, or with an 1850 Staff and Field Sword.  [sr]

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