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A CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY OFFICER'S GROUP OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE – JOHN CHEVES HASKELL, SOUTH CAROLINA
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$69,500.00
Quantity Available: 1
Item Code: 1268-559
Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer
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Call 717-334-0347,
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Here for your consideration are the belongings of lieutenant to major to lieutenant-colonel John Cheves Haskell of South Carolina. We will break the offering into his history, his uniform, his pistol with holster and his sword.
HASKELL'S HISTORY: Born in 1841 he attended South Carolina College. When the Civil War began, he entered South Carolina's artillery service as a 2nd lieutenant in the 1st South Carolina Light Artillery. Soon transferred to Virginia he served as a staff officer to Generals Joseph E. Johnston and G. W. Smith. Near Gaine's Mill on June 27th, 1862, he had his right arm torn off at the shoulder by the discharge of an enemy cannon when he was within ten feet of the muzzle. While recovering he was promoted to major. Haskell returned to Virginia and was at Fredericksburg but not in combat. He was attached as an adjunct officer to the First Corps artillery at Gettysburg. He jointly commanded Henry's battalion of artillery, Hood's division, at Gettysburg which consisted of Branch's North Carolina Battery, The Charleston German Artillery. Garden's Palmetto Light Artillery and Reilly's Rowan Artillery. He commanded this battalion subsequently and through the Petersburg campaign. He was promoted lieutenant colonel in March of 1865 and surrendered at Appomattox. "At Appomattox he was sent on a furious ride by Longstreet to catch General Lee before he could meet General Ulysses Grant to surrender. General Fitzhugh Lee had reported to Longstreet that he had found a way out, John Haskell delivered the message to Lee before he met Grant, but Lee discounted the report and proceeded on to the surrender. At the formal surrender ceremony on April 12th, he led the Confederate artillery to the surrender site. Following the war, he practiced law and served in the South Carolina Legislature from 1877 to 1890. He married a daughter of Confederate General Wade Hampton after the war". Colonel Haskell left a memoir of his military service for his family which was published in 1960 under the title "The Haskell Memoirs" (a copy passes with this group as well as a wealth of research).
THE UNIFORM: Consists of both his frock coat and his trousers. The frock is a regulation Confederate Artillery major's and could date in manufacture to December of 1862. The frock is double breasted and made of a mid-gray wool satinet. There are Confederate eagle staff buttons in two rows of 7 on the front. Four buttons on the uniform are "H. T. & B MANCHESTER" and 10 are "EXTRA RICH TREBLE GILT" (CS-5, 24mm). All have matching age patinas but when purchased from the family only the four H.T. & B MANCHESTER buttons (and one cuff button) were in place. The others have been professionally put back in place. The "French" style buttonholes on the breast suggest tailoring by an accomplished tailor like C. Decau & Co of Charleston SC known for such quality and cut. There is a small pocket finely made on the right exterior of this frock. It was probably for a watch. The red collar is made of wool broadcloth. It stands 1 1/2 inches. Sewn to the collar on both sides were 2 metallic gold stars that measured 1 inch across the arms. Only 1 remains but the "ghosts" of the other 3 are clearly there. The front edge of the coat, the pocket flaps are piped in red wool broadcloth. The sleeves which measure 8 1/2 inches across the elbow have none functioning cuffs of red broadcloth that are 2 1/2 inches in back rising to a point of 3 1/2 inches. There were six buttons originally on the cuffs now only one very rare small (CS-5) Confederate eagle staff button remains. There is gold braid flat fall galons in quatrefoil pattern on the sleeves in three rows. The coat is lined with a copper-colored glazed cotton silk blend fabric about 85% intact. It is padded and quilted at the breast. The sleeves are lined with the same material There is also a large portion of the interior lined with red wool broadcloth. This suggests piping on the exterior of the coat where it projects, again very clever tailoring. There is a single pocket on the left side interior lined with tan cotton. The coat is raw finished at the bottom as expected. And all but one button is missing from the rear tail pocket flaps. The uniform is both hand and machine stitched. On the exterior of the frock there are a few scattered areas of bug damage, never-the-less the coat is in excellent overall condition.
The rare officer trousers are just about the Confederate regulation of 1861 for mounted artillery. The medium blue wool unlined trousers had five flat brass metal four-hole buttons at the fly, six buttons around the waistband. Only two buttons total remain at the rear interior both are blockade run and made by "J & E. BRADSHAW JERMYN St". There is a 1 3/4" red wool stripe down the side of each pant leg. These hide 2 pockets. Interior waist facing, pockets, and buttonhole lining are made of a cream-colored cotton. The pant leg ends with a 30% angle toward the heel. There is an approximate 8 inch by 8-inch piece of fabric missing in the front of the trousers. The pants have suffered about 20% loss from wear and insects, but these holes have been professionally filed in or backed.
Both the frock and the pants came directly from a descendant of Haskell's the living in Bristol Tennessee. A black and white photo taken decades ago and a COA from the seller passes with the grouping. There is little doubt that these items were tailored for Haskell in South Carolina in late 1862 when he was promoted from lieutenant to a major. The frock by cut and quality were made in Charleston. Once sent to Virginia in the winter of 1862 he, Haskell, never returned home until after the war. The galons on the sleeves fit his major's rank (as well a lieutenant-colonel) and when he was promoted in March of 1865 all that he was required to do was to add an additional bullion star on each side of the collar to upgrade to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He certainly had no opportunity to return home to have a new coat tailored. In fact, it is documented that by new year 1865 Lee was granting no furloughs to his ranking officers. A photo exists in the Library of Congress of John Cheves Haskell on the back is written "Major Haskell". It shows him wearing what is certainly this our frock coat. However, in the photo the insignia on the collar is that of a full colonel. This, the addition of rather large stars, was done post-war. It has to be as Haskell never made the rank of full colonel. One entry in the archives from late 1865 refers to him as colonel but this was an error. After the war he was certainly referred to as colonel in deference. A facsimile of this picture is in the file that will pass to the buyer. Another picture of Haskell as a lieutenant in the Library of Congress shows him wearing a single-breasted frock coat.
THE SWORD: The sword was purchased by Mr. Ray Richey a few years after he had bought the uniform. It is a Confederate version of the US staff and field officer sword Model 1850. With a "CS" crudely cast and finished in the brass guard and other characteristics on the pommel, finial and guard we can say the sword was made by James Conning of Mobile, Alabama. The leather grips are 99% in place and all the original twisted brass wire is intact. The typical Conning blade, with unstopped "blood gutters", is 30 inches long and is not etched. The surface is very good with no pitting. The scabbard is missing.
THE REVOLVER: A classic Colt Model 1851 Navy in untouched condition and all matching numbers (144,621) was made in early 1863. It has a pleasing dark mellow patina and while it shows smooth even wear there is no pitting to speak of. The octagonal barrel is 7.5” long with the top flat is strongly marked “ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA”. The bore is clean with strong rifling. The loading lever matches operates and locks securely under the barrel. Some of the rolled cylinder scene remains, along with the cylinder patent and serial number stamps. On the left side, “COLT’S PATENT” is stamped into the frame, as is “36 CAL” on the brass trigger guard. All brass frame furniture has a mellow hue. The walnut grips show wear but are still rich in color. The left side grip has a chip of wood missing and the bottom of the grip and the right has a small chip out at the top. The brass and the grip at bottom strap show many abrasions and knocks so typical of a field carried revolver.
With the revolver is its original Southern made "Slim Jim" dark brown leather holster. This one holds the pistol with the butt to the rear and has a single 1-inch belt loop mounted on the reverse that is secured by rivets top and bottom. The holster flap extends down 5 inches and was held in place by a leather toggle which is now missing as is the oval leather inset end at the holster's bottom. The finish is very good with some crinkling but only minor abrasion or finish loss throughout. The holster shows impressions that indicate this revolver has been in this dedicate holster forever.
In conclusion this compiler can confidently claim that the frock coat, trousers were worn by Haskell from Fredericksburg to Gettysburg to Appomattox. The sword and the pistol would never have been added to the grouping unless Mr. Richey, the consummate researcher, was sure of their provenances. Accordingly, we can place these, pistol and sword, in Haskell's hands no later than mid-1863. Proudly displayed in the Texas Civil War Museum for years this grouping is for you if you are easily satisfied with the best! [pe] [ph:L]
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