- Joined
- May 8, 2015
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
I don't collect dug relics, but as many of the folks here know by now, I collect pocket watches with ACW provenances. I have six watches now, three silver, three gold, and all of them American made, that are engraved with the owners' names on them. Four of them, including all three of the gold ones, are watches that were presented by the respective recipients' unit, commanding officer, or subordinates. Five have Union provenances and one has a Confederate provenance. The recipients range in status from a Confederate private to a Union major general. I have shown most of these watches on this site in previous threads, but I will show some of those pictures again here when I get home this evening.
My cherished goals are to find watches traceable to the 20th Maine, to the First Minnesota, to the 69th NY, and to the Iron Brigade, as well as a Howard watch with an ACW provenance (all my current possessions are Walthams), and examples of Waltham's "American Watch Company" grade Model 1859 (18 Size 3/4 plate keywind) and 20 Size Keywind models with ACW provenances.
Currently, the most illustrious ACW combatant whose watch I own is that of English-born General John Wallace Fuller of Fuller's Ohio Brigade, who was brevetted from brigadier to major general in March of 1865 on account of his heroic performance during the Battle of Atlanta the previous year. He may also be the only Union commander who could have claimed to have gotten the better of N. B. Forrest in an engagement. That happened at Parker's Crossroads, Tennessee on December 31, 1862. And of course, his brigade's courageous defense of Battery Robinett at the Battle of Second Corinth, and their capture there of the colors of the 9th Texas Infantry, are well known.
Specific individuals whose watches I would like to find some day would be: Col. William Colvill (1st Minnesota), Col. Patrick O'Rourke, CMH recipient Sgt. Benjamin Levy (1st NY,), CMH recipient Sgt. Powhattan Beatty, and if I may aspire to own some extremely illustrious provenances, John Buford, George Henry Thomas, Thomas Francis Meagher, Michael Corcoran, and CSA Rear Admiral and Brigadier General (!) Raphael Semmes.
As promised, here are some pictures of my watches. The excerpt from the Harvard Memorial Biographies documents that Lt. Colonel John Hodges Jr.'s watch was in his pocket when he was killed in action during the Battle of the Crater on July 31, 1864.
Attachments
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Gen JT Copeland Case front.jpg185.7 KB · Views: 154
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Gen JT Copeland Dial.jpg249.7 KB · Views: 149
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Gen JT Copeland Movement #107,296.jpg392.5 KB · Views: 149
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Gen JT Copeland Presentation.jpg216.5 KB · Views: 178
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Brig Gen Copeland.jpg91.9 KB · Views: 150
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Harvard Mem Bios V2 p 306-7.PNG135.6 KB · Views: 178
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Photo of Major John Hodges.jpg58 KB · Views: 155
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JB Cobb AT&Co M57 Movt after cleaning.JPG267 KB · Views: 171
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JB Cobb Cuvette w Inscription.jpg169 KB · Views: 144
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JB Cobb dial side and case.jpg135.7 KB · Views: 164
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JB Cobb Dial view.jpg154.7 KB · Views: 151
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Hodges Watch Cuvette and Inscription.JPG238.6 KB · Views: 166
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Hodges Watch Front Lid.JPG217.9 KB · Views: 132
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J Hodges dial cropped.jpg238.1 KB · Views: 174
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J Hodges Movt cropped.jpg354.2 KB · Views: 168
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Colonel Copeland - 1.jpg56.7 KB · Views: 155
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