New England Auctions
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Antiques from Estates & Collections

Sun, Jan 12, 2020 11:00AM EST
Lot 321

Civil War Painted Drum 1862

Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $25
$300 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
$300,000 $25,000
$500,000 $50,000
Important Civil War drum of the Massachusetts, 21st Volunteers Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army. Decoration includes an eagle with feathers and arrows in its talons a well as text stating the drum was "Christen'd in the War of 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864 and listing the Battles in groups by state: 1)Roanoke Island, Newburne, Camden, N. C. 2) Bull Run, Chantilla, Fredericksburg, Sulpher Springs, VA 3) South Mountain Antiteam, M.D. 4) Vicksburgh, Jackson, Miss 5) Knoxville, Campbell Station, Blanes Cross Road, Tenn. 6) Wilderness, North Anna River, S.A. River, Spotsylvania C. House, Coal Harbor, Rapahanock and Seige of Petersburg, VA. All misspellings as they appear in paint decoration. Guaranteed original paint decoration from the period. History of the MA. 2st: The 21st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized in Worcester, Massachusetts and mustered into service on August 23, 1861. After garrison duty at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the regiment served with the Coast Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. The Coast Division was deployed in January 1862 for operations on the coast of North Carolina, and participated in the Battle of Roanoke Island and the Battle of New Bern among other engagements. Burnside's division was recalled to Virginia in July 1862. The 21st Massachusetts was then attached to the Army of the Potomac and participated in several of the largest battles of the Civil War, including the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. The most devastating engagement of the war for the 21st was the Battle of Chantilly, fought on September 1, 1862, during which the unit suffered 35 percent casualties. From March 1863 to January 1864, the 21st served with Burnside in the Department of the Ohio, seeing action in Kentucky and eastern Tennessee. In May 1864, the regiment rejoined the Army of the Potomac, participating in Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant's Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg. The regiment was a favorite of Clara Barton, the famed battlefield nurse, who was also from Worcester County, Massachusetts. By the end of its three years of service, the 21st Massachusetts had been reduced from 1,000 men to fewer than 100. Of these losses, 152 were killed in action or died from wounds received in action, approximately 400 were discharged due to wounds, 69 were taken prisoner, and approximately 300 were discharged due to disease, resignation, or desertion. Those of the 21st who chose to re-enlist at the end of their initial three-year commitment were eventually consolidated with the 36th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry on October 21, 1864. 13" H x 16.5" Condition: Replaced leather keepers and lines. Minor, old touch up to four stars and about 1 square inch of the ribbon at the bottom. See this link for High-Res Images https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q15cxad11zxbds0/AAAdyQahYXTXYgFrkD-DnFcXa?dl=0