An excellent pair of Civil War officer’s shoulder straps with the gold oak leaves of a Major set on a black velvet ground indicating a posting to staff. This is not to say a desk job. Staff officers at the regimental, brigade, division, corps and army headquarters level were in the field and often on the front lines under fire relaying orders, etc., and we also frequently see black staff straps worn by medical officers as well, the “medical staff,” with Surgeons carrying the rank of Major (and Assistant Surgeons ranking as 1^st Lieutenants,) their straps sometime supplemented with an “MS” on the strap and sometimes not.

This is an elegant pair of “Extra Rich, Three Row Shoulder Straps” as Schuyler, Hartley and Graham would label them, bullion embroidered, with borders consisting of three rows of bullion: one wide center row bordered by two narrower rows, edged inside and out by gilt jaceron wire. The high points- the top edge of the taller, central row, show some rubbing, as does the edge of the outer bullion row, but there is still lots of muted gilt and the alternating strands of dead and bright bullion are evident in each row.

The edges of the dark blue base fabric are turned under and stitched down, leaving the backs open with the web underlay and the embroidery thread visible. Some loose threads and one or two small wear spots indicate they were on uniform, but were carefully removed. One still has a paper label in the underside with what appears to be “aim” in small, brown ink letters- perhaps an officers initials or, more likely, a military goods dealer’s pricing code.

Civil War embroidered insignia is a great combination of history and eye-appeal and this set shows off very well.   [sr][ph:L]

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