Identified Civil War McClellan Pattern Spurs  Joseph D. Boyce, 1st Vermont Cavalry   

Description

Identified Civil War McClellan Pattern Spurs 

Joseph D. Boyce, 1st Vermont Cavalry 

 

A compelling Civil War cavalry artifact, this set of regulation McClellan pattern spurs is directly identified to Private Joseph D. Boyce of Company F, 1st Vermont Cavalry. Constructed of brass with classic arched yoke and short neck terminals, the spurs exhibit a pleasing untouched patina consistent with wartime service and proper preservation. 

 

Most significantly, the pair retains a period handwritten identification tag reading, “Spurs of Joseph D. Boyce used during the war of the Great Rebellion,” firmly linking the artifact to its wartime owner. Accompanying National Park Service research confirms Boyce’s service in one of the Union’s most active cavalry regiments. 

 

The 1st Vermont Cavalry saw hard and continuous service in the Eastern Theater, participating in major operations including the Gettysburg Campaign, the Overland Campaign, and the Shenandoah Valley fighting under Sheridan. The regiment earned a reputation for aggressive mounted action, often operating in direct contact with Confederate cavalry and infantry alike—making surviving identified personal equipment from its enlisted ranks especially desirable. 

 

Strong provenance and extensive combat service, relic of a Vermont trooper’s wartime experience, untouched and evocative of active field use. 

 

Inventory Number: CAV 127