3212 HISTORIC NAVAL LOT BELONGING TO PAYMASTER JOHN H.

Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 2,000.00 USD
Estimated at 4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
STEVENSON. This important group belonged to a Naval Paymaster named John H. Stevenson. He entered Naval service as a pay master on 19 September 1862 and was attached to the USS Satellite. He fought on land at the first battle of Fredericksburg with Hooker's Division. In December of 1862, operating from the USS Satellite, he led a boat party to capture a Confederate signal station and a Confederate recruiting station behind enemy lines, capturing Captain Charles Lawson of the 55th Virginia Cavalry. This was the first of many times Stevenson was cited for extraordinary bravery. In June of 1863, while attached to the USS Princess Royal, lying off Donaldsonville, Louisiana, Stevenson acted as a spy in the enemy camp to determine the exact place and hour of an attack. Because of the information, the attack by a greatly superior Confederate force was repulsed with significant losses to the Confederate forces. This group contains the following 8 items: 1) M1852 Naval Officer's sword measuring 36" overall with a 29 1/2" quillback blade. The blade is etched over 18" of its length with various patriotic and foliate motifs. Gilded brass hilt with oak leaves & acorns and "USN" on the underside of the pierced guard. Dolphin head quillon with knuckle bow terminating in another dolphin head. Oak leaf & laurel embellished pommel with an eagle & stars on the cap. White sharkskin grip with twisted wire wrap. Gilded brass mounted leather scabbard with rope style suspension straps and dolphin drag. CONDITION: blade shows wear to the etching and sharpening to the edge. Hilt shows traces of original gilded finish. Grip & wire are 100%. Scabbard shows light wear with some seam opening. 2) A Civil War Period Naval Officer's double-breasted tail coat with 9 buttons down each side. Coat is made of very fine grade wool with a cream-colored silk lining. There is a bullion border at the collar and 3 bullion stripes on each sleeve with white in between. The tails each have 2 Naval Officer's buttons attached. A tag on the back of the coat reads "DEVLIN & CO. NEW YORK". CONDITION: the coat is quite solid with virtually no moth damage. One button is detached but present. The interior silk lining is stained and quite shattered. 3) A Spanish American War Naval Paymaster's wool dress coat with mohair trim. The collar shows silver bullion insignia for a Paymaster Commander. The sleeves of the coat have 3 mohair stripes on each cuff. The lining appears to be black silk. CONDITION: uniform has very little moth damage, but there appears to be insect or rodent damage at one elbow and on one cuff. 4) A pair of gold bullion shoulder boards for a Naval Paymaster Commander. The boards are entirely gold bullion with thick bullion drops. There are 2 silver oak leaves on each board, and one silver Paymaster insignia between each oak leaf. Each epaulet has a gilded Naval Officer's button on the end. The underside of the epaulets have a black painted cloth pad with a paper tag that reads "HORSTMANN BROS & CO NEW YORK MILITARY GOODS". The epaulets are housed in a japanned tin rectangular case. CONDITION: the epaulets show some wear but remain quite solid. The case has a detached but present lid. 5) A pair of Naval shoulder straps that appear to date to the Civil War period for a Paymaster with the rank of Commander. The bullion straps have a leather backing with hooks in each corner for attachment. CONDITION: straps show light wear. 6) A pair of Naval shoulder straps that appear to date to be of the post-Civil War period for a Paymaster with the rank of Commander. The bullion straps have a leather backing with brass hooks in each corner for attachment. The straps are marked "JOSEPH STARKY MANUFACTURER 23 CONDUIT STREET LONDON". CONDITION: straps show light wear. 7) A 20" X 16" Presidential signed Commission dated 1879 promoting John H. Stevenson to the rank of Lieutenant Commander from the 13th day of June 1863. The Commission is signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: a small booklet titled, "RECORD OF THE PAYMASTER JOHN H. STEVENSON UNITED STATES NAVY DURING THE WAR OF THE REBELLION". CONDITION: the Commission shows light overall wear with some water damage at the base and light foxing. (02-19855/BF). 8) A large 44 caliber single shot boot pistol with a 15 1/4" round barrel and no serial number. The receiver has foliate engraving with the hammer and nipple on the top. The side of the hammer is marked "W.W. MARSTON". 2-Piece wood grip and an iron trigger guard. CONDITION: barrel & receiver have a dark overall patina. Hammer does not hold cock. Good bore. (01-23945/BF). ANTIQUE. $4,000-6,000.