This is a very nice pair of dead-on Civil War shoulder straps for a First Lieutenant serving in a staff position. The bullion borders are single borders made of alternating dead and bright bullion with narrower jacqueron wire borders inside and out, the same arrangement as the single bar rank insignia at either end. The black velvet interiors are very good, with good color, no oxidation and no moth damage. The fabric has been trimmed to the strap edge and the backs are open, as is usually the case with Civil War straps. Old brown ink numbers “5.00” on the back of each strap may well indicate the original price- no small sum at the time, almost half a lowly privates monthly pay.

Staff duty encompassed a number of important posts in the army that not only had status attached to them, but the dubious honor of getting shot at without being able to return fire. A regimental Quartermaster might linger to the rear, forwarding supplies, but regimental Adjutants, also first lieutenants, served in the very front lines of battle with a regiment’s field officers. Assistant Surgeons, too, ranked as first lieutenants on the medical staff. The regimental surgeon might choose to remain at a regimental, brigade or division field hospital. Assistant surgeons, however, might be assigned to follow an advancing column of troops headed into the fight with a few assistants and a team of stretcher-bearers.

This is a very nice, near mint example of a regulation set of Civil War officer’s straps.  [sr]

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