5th Maryland Grouping from a Maryland Estate Sword Belt Plate and Shoulder Straps / SOLD

Description

5th Maryland Grouping from a Maryland Estate

Sword Belt Plate and Shoulder Straps

 

U.S. Model 1851 Eagle Sword Belt Plate

 

This is the standard U.S. Army Model 1851 rectangular eagle sword belt plate, used by Union soldiers throughout the Civil War. The plate features the classic American eagle with wings displayed, clutching an olive branch and arrows, surrounded by a wreath—symbolizing both peace and war under federal authority.

 

Shoulder Boards – Union Infantry First Lieutenant Shoulder Straps

This matching pair of Union infantry First Lieutenant shoulder boards is textbook and particularly attractive.

The coexistence of these two distinct relics from the same estate confirms that this soldier advanced from a non-commissioned officer (likely Sergeant) to First Lieutenant during his period of service. Such promotions were not uncommon during the war, particularly in regiments that experienced attrition through combat, disease, or resignation of officers.

 

Maryland regiments, drawn from a border state with divided loyalties, frequently promoted reliable and proven men from within their own ranks—making this a textbook example of wartime upward mobility in the Union Army.

 

Regimental History – 5th Maryland Infantry (Union)

 

The 5th Maryland Infantry was organized in 1862 at a critical moment in the war, when maintaining Union control over Maryland was of paramount strategic importance. As a border state directly adjacent to Washington, D.C., Maryland’s loyalty was essential to the defense of the Federal capital.

 

The regiment served primarily in the Eastern Theater, performing garrison duty, railroad and supply line protection, and internal security operations throughout Maryland and surrounding regions. While not as frequently engaged in major battlefield actions as front-line regiments, the 5th Maryland Infantry played a vital role in suppressing Confederate sympathies, deterring sabotage, and ensuring uninterrupted Union logistics.

 

Service in such units demanded reliability and discipline, and promotions from the ranks were often awarded to men who demonstrated leadership under difficult and politically sensitive conditions.

 

Inventory Number: GRO 106