Outstanding Identified Massachusetts Militia Grouping

Description

Outstanding Identified Massachusetts Militia Grouping

 

Outstanding identified Massachusetts militia grouping — and one that bridges the antebellum militia tradition directly into active Civil War service.

 

This near mint Massachusetts Militia waist belt and ornate two-piece eagle plate, dating circa 1845–1860, is accompanied by its original tarred leather belt and regulation Civil War cartridge box. The plate is the classic Victorian militia pattern featuring the spread eagle with star-in-shield device, a style heavily favored by independent Massachusetts companies in the 1840s and 1850s and well documented in period photography and excavated wartime sites. Constructed of gilt cast brass with sharply defined wreath and tongue, it represents one of the most attractive pre-war militia belt plates that saw continued service into the Civil War.

 

The belt retains its rich tarred finish and remains in exceptional condition, with wonderful period floral ink embellishment and inscriptions identifying it to Alfred M. Allen. The survival of such decorative ink work is highly desirable and adds a deeply personal element to the piece. Accompanying documentation confirms Allen’s wartime service and the continued use of this militia plate during the conflict.

 

Alfred M. Allen was promoted to Corporal on February 16, 1865. He served in Company H, 177th New York Infantry, and also in Company G, 57th Massachusetts Infantry. The 57th Massachusetts, organized in 1864, saw hard service in the Overland Campaign and Petersburg operations, participating in the brutal trench warfare that defined the final year of the war. The survival of an antebellum Massachusetts militia belt plate carried by a soldier who later served in active field operations provides a tangible link between the pre-war volunteer militia system and the Union armies that ultimately preserved the nation.

 

The included photocopies of his service history and period documentation showing this pattern buckle in wartime use significantly strengthen the historical integrity of the grouping. It is increasingly rare to encounter a Massachusetts militia plate not only in such fine condition, but firmly identified, documented, and tied to documented Civil War service.

 

A superb, complete, and historically cohesive identified belt and cartridge box set representing the transition from state militia tradition to Federal wartime service — exactly the type of grouping that resonates strongly with advanced Civil War collectors, especially those with an interest in Massachusetts material.

 

Inventory Number: LEA 495