MILITARIA ARCHIVE WITH SWORD REFERENCED IN A LETTER

Sword, letters, and militaria of 1st Lieut. William D. Milliken, 22nd USCT and 4th New York Heavy Artillery. Items include: 

1. M1852 officer's sword and scabbard. Chicopee, Massachusetts: Ames Manufacturing Co.  

2. Autograph letter signed by Milliken to his brother George. Head Quarters, Defenses of the Chain Bridge, Fort Ethan Allen, [Arlington, Virginia], 10 January 1863. 

He gives his brother a detailed description of the order of operations in manning their artillery guns. 

3. Autograph letter signed by W.D. Milliken to his father. Camp Hamilton, Near Fortress Mound, Virginia, 26 April 1864. 4 pages, 8vo. 

Amazingly, he references his sword included with this lot (see item 1): "Got my sword which I had broken sometime before did not cost me anything to get it fixed." 

He also writes proudly of his USCT regiment and the opinions of the officers: "By Gen. Butler, I could not go being 'officer of the Guard' ...to stay behind in charge of the camp. The Gen. Staff looked very fine as they passed by as he rode past our camp...our Regt was highly complimented I believe and 'without bragging' is the best Regt. that I have yet seen of Colored Troops, I was up near the Naval Hospital + McClellan Hospital."

4. Autograph letter signed by W.D. Milliken. N.p., n.d. 4 pages, 8vo. 

5. Confederate States bond. Inscribed: "Taken as a trophy of War by Lieut. Wm. D. Milliken from the Confederate Treasury at Richmond, Apr. '65."

6. Officer's red tasseled sash. 

7. Three (3) Infantry Eagle "I" coat buttons. Reverses marked "Extra Quality." 

8. Two (2) Infantry Eagle "I" coat buttons. Reverses unmarked.

9. Brass epaulette spine.

William D. Milliken enlisted as a Private in Battery C of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery on 1 August 1862, his regiment primarily engaging in the defenses of Washington. On 1 January 1864, he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant of Company E of the 22nd USCT Infantry and was promoted again to 1st Lieutenant of Company D on 13 August. The regiment fought admirably during the Siege of Petersburg and the Richmond Campaign, seeing action at the Second Battle of Deep Bottom, Chaffin's Farm, and the  Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road. 

A fine assemblage of letters and militaria.

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs] [Relics, Militaria] [Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms]