Favorite Relic in your collection....

jpro

Corporal
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
I guess everyone probably has one favorite CW relic in their collection, although mine changes periodically.
Thought the relic forum could use some fun activity so why not show a photo of your favorite CW relic, it's
History, how you obtained it etc..just limit it to one. Any takers or should I go first?
 
I guess everyone probably has one favorite CW relic in their collection, although mine changes periodically.
Thought the relic forum could use some fun activity so why not show a photo of your favorite CW relic, it's
History, how you obtained it etc..just limit it to one. Any takers or should I go first?

Ok, I'll go first. Currently it's my dug CS button collection. I have a few but have been focusing on I and A buttons of late. Here is a photo
Of a few of mine. I made the photo to look as old as the buttons. I acquired mine from other collectors and relic hunters. I have never dug a block I. The only Confederate buttons I have dug have been flat buttons in camps around here in Tn.

image.jpg
 
Ok, I'll go first. Currently it's my dug CS button collection. I have a few but have been focusing on I and A buttons of late. Here is a photo
Of a few of mine. I made the photo to look as old as the buttons. I acquired mine from other collectors and relic hunters. I have never dug a block I. The only Confederate buttons I have dug have been flat buttons in camps around here in Tn.

View attachment 14394
Hang in there- you'll find the good'un you are seeking. Reminds me of a story I heard once: a fan was distraught over Roy Rogers' having his beloved 'Trigger' embalmed and on display, He simply said: "would u rather the worms eat him"? Thats how I feel about CW relics; IN THE GOUND, NOTHING IS LEARNED. Good luck on your hunts- contact me and we will check out my honey holes- invitation only.
 
My favorite is an 1860 light cav. sabre by Ames Mfg. Co. It was passed down to me by my great uncle Frank. It was unissued ( dated 1865 ) it still had packing grease on it according to him. He got it from the old Bannerman's company back in the 50's. He also left me an 1808 Springfield flintlock musket. A funny story how he obtained that, he was driving up in Vermont ( he was from NY ) when they stopped at a little antique shop, the first thing he noticed was a wrought iron fence made from old musket barrels. Then he saw the 1808 driven into the ground with a dog chained up to it. He asked the propietor how much for the old musket and he replied $1.00. So my uncle bought it and took it home and restored it. He actually took it out and fired it.
 
I guess everyone probably has one favorite CW relic in their collection, although mine changes periodically.
Thought the relic forum could use some fun activity so why not show a photo of your favorite CW relic, it's
History, how you obtained it etc..just limit it to one. Any takers or should I go first?
This is a photo of the 1st Lt. shoulder strap and Kepi hat emblem of my g-g grandfather William B. Phillips, who was Adjutant of the 2nd. PA Provisional Heavy Artillery. He was captured at the Crater and spent the final 7 months of the war as a prisoner at Camp Asylum in Columbia, S.C.
Insignias 2 Photo-reduce.jpg
 
My favorite is an 1860 light cav. sabre by Ames Mfg. Co. It was passed down to me by my great uncle Frank. It was unissued ( dated 1865 ) it still had packing grease on it according to him. He got it from the old Bannerman's company back in the 50's. He also left me an 1808 Springfield flintlock musket. A funny story how he obtained that, he was driving up in Vermont ( he was from NY ) when they stopped at a little antique shop, the first thing he noticed was a wrought iron fence made from old musket barrels. Then he saw the 1808 driven into the ground with a dog chained up to it. He asked the propietor how much for the old musket and he replied $1.00. So my uncle bought it and took it home and restored it. He actually took it out and fired it.

Man, I wish I knew of bannermans in the day. Would have bought them out..lol
 
This is a photo of the 1st Lt. shoulder strap and Kepi hat emblem of my g-g grandfather William B. Phillips, who was Adjutant of the 2nd. PA Provisional Heavy Artillery. He was captured at the Crater and spent the final 7 months of the war as a prisoner at Camp Asylum in Columbia, S.C.View attachment 14415

That's so cool. I have found lots of artillery pieces since I've started relic hunting. Fuses, sabots, shell frags etc..I even collect
Toy soldiers, artillery only. Guess if I would have been in ACW, artillery would be where I'd end up. Really nice relic Greg!!
 
That's so cool. I have found lots of artillery pieces since I've started relic hunting. Fuses, sabots, shell frags etc..I even collect
Toy soldiers, artillery only. Guess if I would have been in ACW, artillery would be where I'd end up. Really nice relic Greg!!
Thanks, jpro. Even though my g-g grandfather was in an artillery unit the 2nd PA/HA actually functioned as an infantry regiment during the Overland Campaign into Virginia in 1864-65. In fact, his "artillery" regiment led the assault into the Crater after the mine explosion of July 30, 1864.
 
This is a photo of the 1st Lt. shoulder strap and Kepi hat emblem of my g-g grandfather William B. Phillips, who was Adjutant of the 2nd. PA Provisional Heavy Artillery. He was captured at the Crater and spent the final 7 months of the war as a prisoner at Camp Asylum in Columbia, S.C.View attachment 14415
I like but am curious as to why a Heavy Artillery officer was in position to be captured at the Crater.
 
I like but am curious as to why a Heavy Artillery officer was in position to be captured at the Crater.
By the spring of 1864 the 2nd. PA Heavy Artillery had swelled to 1800 soldiers, making it the largest regiment in the Union Army. The 2nd. PA "Provisional" HA was formed from the excess soldiers and attached to the IX Army Corps of Major General Ambrose Burnside. My g-g grandfather was promoted from private to 1st. lieutenant and named Adjutant of the new regiment. This regiment, along with a number of other heavy artillery regiments functioned as infantry regiments during the Overland Campaign in Virginia. Grant needed infantrymen for the final push to end the war. He found a rich source with the many heavy artillery regiments manning the defenses of Washington, D.C. My ancestor was one of 6 officers of his regiment to be captured at the Crater having helped to lead the charge after the mine explosion. Amazingly enough, just 4 months prior to that he was working as a clerk at Ft. Lincoln in Washington. For more details of his story go to my website at: http://wbp2ndpaha.wordpress.com/
 
My favorite is a full size muster roll of Company E (later H), 1st VA (WV) Cavalry from February 28, 1862-August 30, 1862. It contains a Medal of Honor recipient and his signature. They fought at Gettysburg under General Farnsworth and later during the Appomattox campaign under General Custer when which General Custer himself saw the First Sergeant of Company H, 1st WV Cavalry charge the Confederate line and take the colors of the 12th VA Infantry. I bought it at The Regimental Quartermaster store in Gettysburg.
 
By the spring of 1864 the 2nd. PA Heavy Artillery had swelled to 1800 soldiers, making it the largest regiment in the Union Army. The 2nd. PA "Provisional" HA was formed from the excess soldiers and attached to the IX Army Corps of Major General Ambrose Burnside... This regiment, along with a number of other heavy artillery regiments functioned as infantry regiments during the Overland Campaign in Virginia. Grant needed infantrymen for the final push to end the war. He found a rich source with the many heavy artillery regiments manning the defenses of Washington, D.C.

Another such regiment was the 8th New York Heavy Artillery. It, along with the 1st Maine, 1st Mass., 2d N.Y., and 7th N. Y. Heavy Artillery Regiments, was stripped from the Washington defenses by Grant's orders following the bloodbaths of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania and combined into what was then called the Fourth ( Heavy Artillery ) Division of Hancock's Second Corps to replace his heavy losses. Brig. Gen. Robert O. Tyler commanded the division, which the order of battle does not show to have been further divided into brigades.
I have several pieces that belonged to Lt. Col. Joseph Holmes who commanded the 8th N. Y. H. A. following the death of the colonel at Cold Harbor. Holmes led it through the Petersburg Campaign and siege. After the war, he supposedly moved to Dallas, Tex., where he was a Baptist ( ? ) minister. In the late 1960's when I was a college kid his maiden daughters consigned his personal military effects to a then legendary shop, Militaria, run by something of a mentor of mine, Bob Cowan. Stupidly, instead of putting the entire pile on lay-away and paying it out, I instead bought some of it piece-by-piece. In the large photo below, only a portion belonged to Holmes: the French-made binoculars, "punkin seed" whisky flask, chess pawn and pair of bone dice, and the unfolded red-and-white striped polished-cotton sewing kit or "housewife"; his lt. col. of artillery red shoulder straps are the upper pair in the small shadowbox. Unfortunately, doing it that way I missed out on the "big" items like his comissions and his M.1850 Staff-and-field sword!

IM000450crop.JPG

scan0005A.JPG
 
Another such regiment was the 8th New York Heavy Artillery. I have several pieces that belonged to Lt. Col. Joseph Holmes who commanded it following the death of the colonel at Cold Harbor. Holmes led it through the Petersburg Campaign and siege. After the war, he supposedly moved to Dallas, Tex., where he was a Baptist minister. In the late 1960's when I was a college kid his maiden daughters consigned his personal military effects to a then legendary shop, Militaria, run by something of a mentor of mine, Bob Cowan. Stupidly, instead of putting the entire pile on lay-away and paying it out, I instead bought some of it piece-by-piece. In the large photo below, only a portion belonged to Holmes: the French-made binoculars, "punkin seed" whisky flask, chess pawn and bone die, and the unfolded red-and-white striped polished-cotton sewing kit or "housewife"; his lt. col. of artillery red shoulder straps are the upper pair in the small shadowbox. Unfortunately, doing it that way I missed out on the "big" items like his comissions and his M.1850 Staff-and-field sword!

View attachment 14489
View attachment 14490
A very nice group of memorablia. Unfortunately, as college students we did not have an abundance of available money, and our judgement wasn't always the best. Still, you did good. Darn! It sure would be nice to have that sword!
 
I only have a few minie' balls and one piece of grapeshot from Missionary Ridge, but my treasure is a glass "bleeding cup" from someone's medical gear. Don't know the history of it.
 
My Dad was EOD when I was a kid...he had to destroy a shot shell that was still live...I have a 6" piece of the shell of the ball and 7 pieces of shot that were inside of it.
 
That would be hard. I have the CW medical bag of John Grammar Brodnax, a prominent Confederate medial officer, but also his complete writing desk. I also have a large photo album that contains several CW tin-types and 100's of silver nitrates, maybe 10% CW era, but numerous pictures of ships, White House and other locations taken some time in the 1800's. The album is obvious of one certain family from the CW era to early 1900's. Course I have my large collection of relics from detecting. My favorite, not mine yet, already posted is the M1850's sword of my gg grandpappy that served in 22nd NC.

012.JPG
018.JPG
 
Probably my model 1860 light cavalry saber or my canteen with the original cover and strap. My favorite of my collection of WW2 relics are of course my granduncle's Japanese bayonets he picked up in the Philippines in the 32nd Infantry Division. One is a Type 30 Arisaka bayonet, which are very common, although the one he picked up is in great condition. The other is pole bayonet, made to be tied to a pole to be used as a spear. These are very rare, since the Japanese started producing them at the end of the war as a sort of "last ditch" type of weapon. They were only produced by two manufacturers outside of Japan, the Mukden arsenal (Northeastern China) and Jinsen arsenal (Korea). The one my granduncle picked up was manufactured at the Jinsen arsenal. Many of them are poorly finished and show tooling marks in the blade and tangs.
4350984308_911e886c61_b.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top