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Civil War / Indian War Grouping from a local Estate


Navybean
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Pointedcuffs

I have been away from the forum for awhile and logged on to find this! What a treat! First off the grouping is an unbelievable score. Second, in my 24 years of uniform collecting, this is only the second M1872 Commissary Sergeants Coat I have ever seen, the other being in the Smithsonian. So, yes this is a big deal.....the coat by itself is a big deal and then to add the grouping and history....off the charts. Thank you for sharing. :)

 

Mario

 

 

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Mr. Sox was obviously very active in the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic). The first three medals (left to right) are National GAR reunion medals, as are the 6th and 7th medals. The 5th one is a bit blurry, so I can be sure what that is - maybe Dept of Alaska and Washington GAR?

 

I think I can add a little information to your growing body of knowledge regarding this Veteran. The 4th medal from the left - the largest one with the white ribbon and the flag ribbon with the drop - I recognize that medal. That's the Washington State medal for the 1913 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Residents of Washington State that attended that reunion in Gettysburg received this medal/ribbon. FYI, the State medals/ribbons for this reunion reflected the Veteran's State of residence at the time of the reunion - not the State in which they served (in your case Maine).

 

There's a thread in the Veterans forum here on USMF if you'd like more information on the 50th Anniversary of Gettysburg reunion which your guy most likely attended (he could have gotten the piece and not actually gone, but there's no way to tell for sure without some lucky research work). Newspaperarchive.com might yield such lucky results - some Veterans were written-up in local papers for their participation in the 50th reunion.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/14728-50th-anniversary-reunion-battle-of-gettysburg/t

 

What's the tag in the medal case say? It almost looks like it could be one of the attendee "tags" that attendees of the 50th Gettysburg reunion carried with them. It's not like any I've seen - but maybe it's a variant I haven't encountered yet - so I'm curious.

 

Outstanding group BTW!

 

Thanks for the info, Fox was very active with the GAR and he was the commander of the WA and Alaska group.

The tag in the bottom was just the info of Foxes grand son who served in WW2

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I have been away from the forum for awhile and logged on to find this! What a treat! First off the grouping is an unbelievable score. Second, in my 24 years of uniform collecting, this is only the second M1872 Commissary Sergeants Coat I have ever seen, the other being in the Smithsonian. So, yes this is a big deal.....the coat by itself is a big deal and then to add the grouping and history....off the charts. Thank you for sharing. :)

 

Mario

 

I am glad this group is of interest to the board, it set me back a few bucks but I had the feeling it was a decent piece. This is not a area I typically collect but I do enjoy groupings and the history they contain.

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The "not such a big deal" crowd would be mistaken.

A few local collectors were not impressed, mostly German and WW2/WW1 collectors but also a Civil War collector.

 

Again what really sold me on the group was the great local history and the vets tie to the Civil war and the Indian Wars

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  • 3 years later...

Wow, fantastic grouping! I have to admit, I've only ever seen that type of uniform in color illustrations in books. I really love the old system the Army used where the hashmarks were in branch of service colors. Thank you for sharing!

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  • 1 month later...

That is one heck of a neat grouping! Those guys who didn't seem impressed just may be jealous that they didn't get this group.

One point to consider. Someone speculates he was in the cavalry for a hitch by the yellow hashmark, yet no mention of cavalry service in the records shown. It does mention he was in the Engineers for awhile. Evidently this was late in the War Between the States and prior to his service in the Infantry in the Indian Wars period. Up until 1872, the colors for the Corps of Engineers was YELLOW, just like the Cavalry. The Engineers didn't get their red/white branch color till 1872. It would make sense to wear the branch color of a branch that was in use at the time of his service.

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  • 3 years later...
20th Maine Co.I

Came across this post while I was doing research on Josiah S Brown. I have been researching Canadians in the Civil War and Josiah S Brown was born just a few miles from where I grew up in New Brunswick Canada.to add some information to his story, he enlisted in the Engineers on 6 Nov 1865 for 3 years. Then on 15 Nov 1870 enlisted with the 21st Inf. He had stayed in the army until 11 Jan 1882. retiring as a commissary Sgt. Does anyone know what his gallant action was that got the mentioned in dispatches? I would also like to see a close up picture of his campaign medals if possible.

 

thanks

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  • 10 months later...

I wish I had seen this several years ago. I would have loved to figure out how this collection passed to its new owner. Judging by the traffic, he no longer posts here. J. Sox Brown was my Great Grandfather's brother. A number of letters passed down to my Dad and he donated them to the Folger Library at the University of Maine. You can read about the collection here.

https://archives.library.umaine.edu/repositories/2/resources/81

 

I have a copy of the photocopies and transcripts that my Dad put together. His brother, my Great Grandfather, was incredibly tough and was Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff of South Bend, WA for over 20 years. Joshiah Sawyer "J. Sox" Brown was in the thick of the war.

 

This was J Sox own account of his war record he wrote at the prompting of my Grandmother.

LIEUTENANT JOSIAH S. BROWN,- “1ST MAINE VETERANS”

 

Born March 6, 1845 at Burton, New Brunswick, Canata.

Emigrated to Main, March 1854

           *******   *******   *******   *******

Enrolled: July 2nd 1861-Houlton, Maine.

 

Mustered into U. S. service, Aug. 21, 1861.

Private, Co. A. 7th Maine Volunteers.

           *******   *******   *******   *******

 

Battles participated in:

Advance on Yorktown, Va.------------ Apr. 5, 1862

Williamsburg, Va.------------------------- May5, 1862

Mechanicsville, Va.----------------------- May24, 1862

Godens Farm, Va.------------------------ June 27-28, 1862

Savage Station, Va.---------------------- June 29, 1862

White Oak Swamp, Va.----------------- Juen 30, 1862

Malvern Hill, Va.--------------------------- July 1, 1862

Marye’s Heights, Va.-------------------- May3, 1863

Salem Heights, Va.----------------------- May 3,1863

Gettysburg, Pa.---------------------------- July 2-3, 1863

Brandy Station, Va.---------------------- Oct. 12, 1863

Rappahannock Station------------------ Nov, 7, 1863

Mine Run, Va.----------------------------- Nov. 28, 1863

Wilderness, Va.--------------------------- May 5-6-7, 1864

Spottsylvania, Va.------------------------ May 8 to 11, 1864

“Bloody Angle” (Wounded)------------ May 12, 1864

Cold Harbor, Va.-------------------------- June 1-2, 1864

Petersburg, Va.---------------------------- June 17, 1864

Weldon Railroad, Va. ------------------- June 22 & 30, 1864

Fort Stevens, Wash. D. C.------------- July 12, 1864

Charlestown, Va.------------------------- Aug. 21, 1864

Winchester, Va.--------------------------- Sept, 19, 1864

Fishers Hill, Va.--------------------------- Sept. 22, 1864

Cedar Creek, Va. (Wounded)--------- Oct. 19, 1864

Front of Petersburg, Va.---------------- Mar 25, 1865

Petersburg & Richmond, Va.---------- Apr. 2, 1865

APPOMATTOX, VA. (Surrender)---- Apr. 9, 1865

 

           *******   *******   *******   *******

Innumerable Scouts, Skirmishes, And Reconnoitering expeditions, with three months as a “Sharpshooter”, filled in much of the spare time.

Marches, tiresome, tedious, despairing, told how “much a man may bear, of fierce fatigue, and physical despair”.

In August 1864, the 5th, 6th, and 7th Maine Regiments, (remnants) were consolidated, and became the: ”First Maine Veterans.”

           RANK-Private, Co’s A-D-1 to July 1, 1864. Corporal, to Sept 1 1864 (Co. 1,) then 1st Sergeant Co. Hl, to March 25, 1865. Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, (1st Veterans) Commanded Co. D, on field at Appomattox.

           Mustered out: with Regiment, June 28, 1865. Paid to July 4 1865.

           *******   *******   *******   *******

           Joined G. A. R. March 1868, in California. Department Commander, Washington & Alaska, June 1892 to June 1893.

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On 2/17/2021 at 2:54 AM, DDBunnell said:

I wish I had seen this several years ago. I would have loved to figure out how this collection passed to its new owner. Judging by the traffic, he no longer posts here. J. Sox Brown was my Great Grandfather's brother. A number of letters passed down to my Dad and he donated them to the Folger Library at the University of Maine. You can read about the collection here.

https://archives.library.umaine.edu/repositories/2/resources/81

 

I have a copy of the photocopies and transcripts that my Dad put together. His brother, my Great Grandfather, was incredibly tough and was Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff of South Bend, WA for over 20 years. Joshiah Sawyer "J. Sox" Brown was in the thick of the war.

 

This was J Sox own account of his war record he wrote at the prompting of my Grandmother.

LIEUTENANT JOSIAH S. BROWN,- “1ST MAINE VETERANS”

 

Born March 6, 1845 at Burton, New Brunswick, Canata.

Emigrated to Main, March 1854

           *******   *******   *******   *******

Enrolled: July 2nd 1861-Houlton, Maine.

 

Mustered into U. S. service, Aug. 21, 1861.

Private, Co. A. 7th Maine Volunteers.

           *******   *******   *******   *******

 

Battles participated in:

Advance on Yorktown, Va.------------ Apr. 5, 1862

Williamsburg, Va.------------------------- May5, 1862

Mechanicsville, Va.----------------------- May24, 1862

Godens Farm, Va.------------------------ June 27-28, 1862

Savage Station, Va.---------------------- June 29, 1862

White Oak Swamp, Va.----------------- Juen 30, 1862

Malvern Hill, Va.--------------------------- July 1, 1862

Marye’s Heights, Va.-------------------- May3, 1863

Salem Heights, Va.----------------------- May 3,1863

Gettysburg, Pa.---------------------------- July 2-3, 1863

Brandy Station, Va.---------------------- Oct. 12, 1863

Rappahannock Station------------------ Nov, 7, 1863

Mine Run, Va.----------------------------- Nov. 28, 1863

Wilderness, Va.--------------------------- May 5-6-7, 1864

Spottsylvania, Va.------------------------ May 8 to 11, 1864

“Bloody Angle” (Wounded)------------ May 12, 1864

Cold Harbor, Va.-------------------------- June 1-2, 1864

Petersburg, Va.---------------------------- June 17, 1864

Weldon Railroad, Va. ------------------- June 22 & 30, 1864

Fort Stevens, Wash. D. C.------------- July 12, 1864

Charlestown, Va.------------------------- Aug. 21, 1864

Winchester, Va.--------------------------- Sept, 19, 1864

Fishers Hill, Va.--------------------------- Sept. 22, 1864

Cedar Creek, Va. (Wounded)--------- Oct. 19, 1864

Front of Petersburg, Va.---------------- Mar 25, 1865

Petersburg & Richmond, Va.---------- Apr. 2, 1865

APPOMATTOX, VA. (Surrender)---- Apr. 9, 1865

 

           *******   *******   *******   *******

Innumerable Scouts, Skirmishes, And Reconnoitering expeditions, with three months as a “Sharpshooter”, filled in much of the spare time.

Marches, tiresome, tedious, despairing, told how “much a man may bear, of fierce fatigue, and physical despair”.

In August 1864, the 5th, 6th, and 7th Maine Regiments, (remnants) were consolidated, and became the: ”First Maine Veterans.”

           RANK-Private, Co’s A-D-1 to July 1, 1864. Corporal, to Sept 1 1864 (Co. 1,) then 1st Sergeant Co. Hl, to March 25, 1865. Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, (1st Veterans) Commanded Co. D, on field at Appomattox.

           Mustered out: with Regiment, June 28, 1865. Paid to July 4 1865.

           *******   *******   *******   *******

           Joined G. A. R. March 1868, in California. Department Commander, Washington & Alaska, June 1892 to June 1893.

"Conspicuous War Service Record" indeed.  He was almost everywhere.  Did he record any of his experiences in any greater detail?  

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