Smith is shown from the waist up in a double-breasted frockcoat of a Confederate general. His collar insignia is just visible under his beard.
Contrast and clarity is excellent. Paper and mount are very good.

Accompanied by a very nice bold blue ink autograph: “E. Kirby Smith / Genl.”.

Inventory Number: AUT 143

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An attractive and historically significant Civil War-era religious volume titled The Prayers of the Bible: With Their Answers, published by A. S. Barnes & Co., New York, 1855, and bearing an important wartime presentation inscription. Written in a bold period hand on the front endpaper is: “Maj. J. P. Edgar from the Army Committee of the N.Y. Y.M.C.A., Nov. Jan. ’64.”  Cover detached.

The inscription firmly connects the book to the wartime activities of the New York Young Men’s Christian Association, one of the most active civilian organizations supporting Union soldiers during the Civil War. Through its Army Committee, the YMCA distributed Bibles, prayer books, religious literature, writing materials, and other comforts to soldiers in camp, hospitals, and the field. Such books were intended to strengthen morale and provide spiritual guidance amid the hardships of military service. 

Presentation volumes directly attributable to YMCA wartime relief efforts are considerably scarcer than ordinary period religious books, and the identification to a Union officer adds further appeal. The recipient, Major J. P. Edgar, was clearly deemed a suitable recipient of this volume during the height of the conflict, providing a tangible link to the religious and humanitarian support network that accompanied the Union armies. 

A desirable and evocative Civil War association piece combining faith, military history, and the important wartime work of the New York YMCA, one of the foremost civilian aid organizations of the conflict. 

Presentation Inscription Transcription 

Maj. Geo. P. Edgar 

From the Army Committee 

of the N.Y. Y.M.C.A. 

Nov. Jan. ’64 

This is a particularly appealing wartime presentation inscription. The book itself was published in 1855, but the inscription indicates it was presented in 1864 by the Army Committee of the New York Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). 

The New York YMCA was heavily involved in soldier relief during the Civil War, distributing Bibles, religious books, tracts, stationery, and other comforts to Union soldiers in camps and hospitals. Presentation inscriptions from YMCA Army Committees are encountered far less frequently than standard ownership inscriptions and establish a direct connection to the wartime religious and morale-support efforts undertaken for Union servicemen. 

The recipient appears to be Major J. P. Edgar, though additional images of the following pages may help identify him positively and determine whether he was a Union officer serving in 1864. A positive identification could significantly enhance the historical interest of the volume. 

Inventory Number: HIS 327 

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Washington, Georgia, 1841–1844 

(Said to be Slave Related) 

Scarce pair of antebellum legal documents written and signed by future Confederate Secretary of State and Brigadier General Robert A. Toombs while practicing law in Washington, Georgia. One document is a legal account rendered by the law firm of Toombs & Reece to Daniel Crawford, executor of the Estate of John McNiel, for proving and forwarding legal papers in a Wilkes Superior Court matter, dated August 1844. The second is an earlier manuscript note dated January 10, 1841, containing references to information received regarding an estate matter (said to have been regarding slaves due to the other materials that previously accompanied this lot and the pencil inscriptions within the margins). The account is receipted and signed by Toombs & Reece, Attorneys at Law. These documents originate from the formative years of Toombs’ legal career, decades before his rise to national prominence as a United States Senator, the Confederacy’s first Secretary of State, and a Confederate Brigadier General. Original antebellum Robert Toombs legal manuscripts are seldom encountered and represent tangible relics of one of the most important political figures of the Old South and Confederacy. 

Inventory Number: DOC 436 

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Fine group of veteran reunion and Grand Army of the Republic medals belonging to C.B. Sweet, a veteran of the famed 9th New York Heavy Artillery. Organized in 1861, the regiment initially served in the defenses of Washington before being ordered into the brutal Overland Campaign in 1864, where it suffered devastating losses in the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg operations. Like many heavy artillery regiments sent to the front late in the war, the 9th New York earned a hard-fought reputation through some of the conflict’s bloodiest combat.

Following the war, surviving veterans joined the Grand Army of the Republic, the nation’s largest Union veterans’ organization. GAR reunion medals such as these served both as commemorative keepsakes and symbols of pride, brotherhood, and continued remembrance among former soldiers. Veterans often wore them proudly at encampments, parades, memorial ceremonies, and reunions decades after the war’s end.

This grouping retains strong period character and represents the lifelong connection veterans maintained with their wartime service and comrades. An attractive and historically meaningful GAR veteran grouping tied to a regiment with distinguished and costly Civil War service.

Inventory Number: VET 404

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An exceptional identified Civil War sword belt retaining its original two-piece Federal eagle buckle, sword hangers, and period attribution to Edward D. Danner, a veteran of both the 1st Maryland Infantry and the 7th Maryland Infantry. A period label accompanying the belt identifies it as: 

“Two Piece Eagle Buckle and Sword Belt Worn by Edward D. Danner, Commissary Sergeant, Seventh Maryland Infantry Regiment.” 

Constructed of black bridle leather and retaining both original sword suspension straps with brass hardware, the belt displays the honest wear and rich untouched patina collectors seek in field-used wartime accoutrements. The two-piece eagle buckle remains particularly attractive, with pleasing age and strong eye appeal. 

Danner’s military career adds substantially to the belt’s historical interest. He first served as an officer in the 1st Maryland Infantry, one of Maryland’s earliest Union volunteer regiments, before later serving as Commissary Sergeant of the 7th Maryland Infantry. The 7th Maryland earned a hard-fought reputation in the Army of the Potomac, participating in the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg Campaign, and Appomattox operations. As Commissary Sergeant, Danner held a vital logistical position, ensuring the regiment’s supply of rations during some of the war’s most demanding 

Inventory Number: LEA 507 

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A wonderful identified Civil War tintype photograph depicting young Union soldier Philemon H. Williams of the famed New York 1st Sharpshooters. The image shows Williams standing proudly in uniform beside a studio column, housed in an attractive period thermoplastic-style case with ornate brass matting and velvet liner.

Included with the tintype is an old handwritten identification note reading:

“Philemon Williams
a soldier boy! for his wife if she wants it”

Williams enlisted on October 17, 1862, at Canaan, New York, at the age of 22. He mustered into Company “9,” New York 1st Sharpshooters on January 22, 1863, and was mustered out at Albany, New York, on August 5, 1863.

The New York Sharpshooters were among the more distinctive Union units of the Civil War, known for their specialized marksmanship and battlefield service. Identified images to members of sharpshooter units are considerably more difficult to locate than standard Civil War portraits, making this an especially desirable example.

The image remains clear and displayable with pleasing contrast, while the decorative case presents very well overall. The inclusion of both the period handwritten family note and modern service research adds significantly to the historical interest and personal connection of the piece.

An outstanding identified Civil War image grouping with strong display appeal and excellent research potential.

Inventory Number: HAR 252

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Scarce pair of early Civil War medical saddlebags, an iconic and essential piece of field equipment carried by mounted surgeons and medical stewards during the opening years of the conflict. Constructed of heavy black bridle leather over rigid interiors, the bags retain their classic double-compartment form with broad central saddle cover, original buckled closure straps, and carrying attachments intact.

These saddlebags were designed to transport the surgeon’s indispensable instruments, medicines, bandages, and emergency supplies directly onto the battlefield, allowing mounted medical personnel to move rapidly between field hospitals, dressing stations, and active combat zones. Their rugged construction reflects the hard service demanded during the war, while the surviving black finish, aged crazing to the leather, and untouched patina give the set exceptional authenticity and character.

Accompanying the saddlebags is an old collector identification tag noting that they came from the “Sherrick Family Farm,” later associated with the Smyser family of Wooster, Ohio, and acquired in 1991. While the precise wartime history has been lost to time, the bags themselves remain a strong and evocative survivor of Civil War field medicine.

Original Civil War medical saddlebags are increasingly difficult to locate, particularly complete examples retaining strong form, untouched surfaces, and period character. An impressive display piece representing the harsh realities of wartime medical service in the field.

Of historic note Dr. Smyser was a witness to a famous murder in his hometown: Based on historical records, the fatal stabbing of John Tormie occurred on October 2, 1879 (not 1871), at the Wayne County Fairgrounds near Wooster, Ohio. Tormie was murdered during a brawl with 5 individuals after supervising a game of chance, leading to the first judicial hanging in Wayne County history.

Inventory Number: IDE 324

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Admiral David G. Farragut, Signed Presentation Copy with Albumen Portrait

A superb Civil War-era presentation copy of The Cruise of the Franklin, New York, 1869, bearing the bold ink signature of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut on the front flyleaf. The hand is confident and fluid, entirely consistent with known examples of Farragut’s signature from the late war and immediate postwar period.

Affixed to the facing page is a period albumen photograph of Farragut in full dress uniform, seated and wearing his admiral’s insignia, presenting exactly the iconic image associated with the Union Navy’s most celebrated officer. The inclusion of a contemporary photographic portrait elevates the volume well beyond a simple signed book, creating a displayable and highly desirable presentation piece.

Of particular note are two period ink identifications within the flyleaves, one reading “Admiral Farragut U.S. Navy,” and another earlier-style notation referencing “Commodore Farragut (d. ’67),” reflecting the transitional way in which he was remembered shortly after his death in 1870 and preserving period understanding of his rank and legacy.

Farragut, the Union Navy’s first admiral, is forever linked to his decisive victories at New Orleans and Mobile Bay—where his famed command, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,” secured his place among the most iconic figures of the war. Signed material from Farragut remains scarce, and examples combining autograph, period photograph, and early identifications are encountered only rarely.

The volume itself retains its original binding with expected handling wear, the spine gilt still legible. Internally clean, with the signature and photograph exceptionally well preserved.

A visually compelling and historically important Farragut relic, ideal for advanced Civil War or naval collections.

Assistant Surgeon Walter K. Scofield served in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War, associated with the Norfolk station and federal medical department. He was part of the Federal Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery tasked with treating Union sailors, alongside figures like Surgeons A.A. Henderson and Thomas J. Turner.

Inventory Number: HIS 315

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from the Album of General Alexander S. Webb 

A scarce late 1860s albumen “tintype-style” photograph mounted in a standard carte de visite card, depicting Mrs. George B. McClellan, wife of Union Major General George B. McClellan. The image is presented within an oval mount and retains strong contrast, showing the sitter in formal attire consistent with post-war studio portraiture. The verso bears a New York photographer’s imprint along with a period pencil identification reading “Mrs. G.B. McLellan,” reinforcing the attribution. 

Mary Ellen Marcy McClellan (commonly known as “Nelly”) was a figure of quiet prominence during the Civil War era, closely tied to her husband’s military and later political career. Married in 1860, she accompanied McClellan through the tumultuous years of his command of the Army of the Potomac and remained a steadfast presence during his 1864 presidential campaign against Lincoln. Period images of Mrs. McClellan are notably scarce. 

Of exceptional importance is the provenance—sourced from the personal album of General Alexander S. Webb, Medal of Honor recipient and key Union commander at Gettysburg, where he famously held the Angle during Pickett’s Charge. Webb’s wartime associations with high-ranking Union leadership place this image within a tight and desirable circle of command-level provenance. 

A rare and desirable image combining a prominent Civil War figure’s spouse with ironclad provenance to one of Gettysburg’s most celebrated Union generals. 

Inventory Number: CDV 603

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Original Civil War U.S. enlisted cavalry crossed sabers insignia, retaining all four original brass wire attachment loops firmly secured to the reverse with lead solder. Constructed in the classic stamped brass pattern, the insignia displays excellent detail to the hilts, guards, and curved saber blades.

These crossed sabers served as the branch-of-service insignia for Federal cavalry troops and were worn prominently upon forage caps and other forms of headgear throughout the war. Surviving examples retaining all four original attachment loops are becoming increasingly difficult to locate, as the delicate wire fasteners were frequently lost or broken through field use and age.

The untouched patina and solid wartime construction make this an especially desirable display example, representative of the mounted arm of the Union Army that served from the great cavalry battles of the Eastern Theater to the wide-ranging campaigns of the Western armies.

A strong original Civil War cavalry insignia with excellent eye appeal and increasingly scarce complete condition.

Inventory Number: INS 455

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