December 14-17, 2021 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/14/2021
A scarce pair of Civil War or pre-Civil War saddlebags. Non-regulation, commercial, civilian manufacture, but much more useful than smaller army patterns. Brown leather decorated with edge lines and wavy borders, as well as asterisks and diamonds with punch dot centers. Canvas lined bags linked by broad and narrow yoke straps to fit over the cantle. Fastening buckle at bottom on one side is missing. Both fastening straps show old repairs; 1 replaced entirely, the other partially. Interior bags were closed at top by narrow strap feeding through vertical slots. Partial strap present on one side. Missing from the other. Both bags show old repairs to stitching along reverse top edges of bags at the yoke. In one case the the seam was reinforced with 2 copper rivets. Body of one side incised: "SSR / 7th VA CAVLRY / Co. B.". CONDITION: Very good. Leather is solid with minor scuffs. On one flap punch-dotted centers of embossed diamonds have broken out creating some small holes. Small yoke strap is fragile with partial tear near one bag. Comes with letter of authenticity from "The Alexander F. Hunt Civil War Museum at Hunt Morgan House," identifying the owner as Solomon Ritchie (1838-1920) 7th Cavalry, Co. B, who enlisted Nov. 15, 1862, at Harrisonburg, VA., and was wounded at the Wilderness. This is a mistaken reading of the rolls. Ritchie enlisted 6/25/62 at age 24 and was mustered in as substitute for Adam Ritchie. There is possibly a good family story here. He was wounded at the Wilderness 5/5/1864 and listed as absent sick 6/15/64 with no muster out date given. He seems to have had prior service in the 146th Va Militia. The 7th VA Cavalry served in the Army of Northern Virginia and was extremely active. CWData lists and extraordinary 621 data points at which they suffered casualties of some sort in killed, wounded, captured or missing.
Item Dimensions: 21" x 16" x 7"