The top lot of the Civil War, Firearms and Militaria Auction held by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery was this spectacular Colt Model 1883 .45 caliber Gatling gun, which realized $172,500.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A Colt Model 1883 .45 caliber Gatling gun—the 19th-century precursor to the modern-day machine gun—scored a bull’s eye when it soared to $172,500 at a Civil War, Firearms and Militaria Auction held by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.

The Gatling gun is in fully operational condition, featuring10 rotating .45 caliber barrels encased in a bronze jacket. It came out of the lifetime collection of the late George J. Bisacca, whose mainly Civil War collection had previously been housed in the Eastover Resort complex in Lenox, as part of a museum open to the public. The Gatling gun was fired in showings at Eastover.

The auction was held on Aug. 15-16 at Fontaine’s gallery located at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield.

Actually, two Gatling guns were sold at the auction, the other one a Colt Model 1874, which brought $69,000. They easily took top lot honors in a sale that grossed $1.1 million and saw over 800 items change hands. The auction also featured vintage rifles, muskets, revolvers and guns, cannons, swords, drums, frocks, coats, uniforms, a Confederate belt with buckle, tintypes, cartes de visites and more.

“Obviously, any time you top the $1 million mark, it is a cause for celebration,” said John Fontaine, owner of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.

A standing-room-only crowd packed the Fontaine’s showroom, while online bidders (about 300 registered) participated through Proxibid, Artfact and Fontaine’s own Internet bidding platform, developed especially for them. In addition, approximately 200 people submitted bids by phone, while another 150 or so people submitted left bids. In all there were about 800 participating bidders for the two days.

Following are additional highlights from the sale (all prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium):

A 3-inch ordinance rifle cannon on a carriage mount, circa 1861, brought $28,750.

• Ten lots topped the $10,000 mark, in addition to the two Gatling guns. These included a 3-inch 1861 ordinance rifle cannon carriage mount ($28,750); a Confederate Fayetteville 1864 muzzle-loader armory rifle ($23,000); a 12-pound cannon on iron carriage mount, dated 1837 ($19,550); a Hotchkiss mountain rifle with 2-inch bore cannon ($19,550); and a Model 1861 ordinance rifle-cannon ($17,250).

Ohio Civil War drum with a photo of drummer Corporal H.L. Smith ($7,475).

• A Revolutionary War-era British sea service musket breezed to $4,600; an engraved Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 revolver fetched $4,313; a painting by Horace Smith rose to $4,313; the Civil War collection of Henry. B. Walker of the 121st Volunteer Infantry N.Y. regiment went for $4,025; a Hudson Bay Fowler muzzle loader hit $4,025; and an engraved Colt 1860 Army revolver made $4,025.

• Other lots that soared above the $10,000 mark included an artillery limber with heavy metal ammunition chest ($14,950); a Coehorn mortar round ($14,375); an artillery cannon, carriage only ($12,650); a Mann experimental breech loading cannon ($11,550); and a British 12-pound cannon, circa 1812 ($10,925). Also, an Ohio Civil War drum with a photo of drummer Corp. H. L. Smith hit $7,475.

Civil War-era U.S. New York regiment militia frock coat, made circa 1860 ($7,475).

• A Civil War-era U.S. New York regiment militia frock coat (circa 1860) garnered $7,475; a U.S. Civil War uniform worn by Capt. John Berry realized $6,325; a 16th-century European double-handled Landsknecht commanded $6,325; a burst artillery (tube only, circa 1840) hammered for $6,900; a Mann prototype smoothbore cannon realized $5,750; and a Frankford arsenal 1859 star gauge brought $5,750.

• A very rare field forge box changed hands for $3,738; a Model 1851 Colt Navy revolver, U.S. Martially marked, rang out at $3,450; a lot comprising an Adams revolver, a Confederate sword and a letter coasted to $3,450; an Ames Model 1832 artillery short sword with scabbard frog and belt earned $3,450; and a Civil War ammunition box mounted on a wood-framed caisson hammered for $3,450.

• A Watertown Model 1861 U.S. percussion rifle-musket crossed the block at $3,393; a W. Parker half-stock percussion target rifle sold for $3,163; a Model 1817 flintlock .58 caliber rifle by W. Starr & Son garnered $3,163; a Model 1841 U.S. Harper’s Ferry percussion rifle made $3,163; a Confederate marked tower musket and scabbard hit $3,163; and a flintlock chief’s grade trade gun fetched $3,163.

For more information, visit Fontaine’s Auction Gallery Web site, call at (413) 448-8922 or e- to info [at] fontaineauction [dot] com.

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The artillery shell that exploded Monday and killed a Civil War relics dealer outside his Chesterfield County home was a cannonball about 8 to 10 inches in diameter, a federal official said yesterday.

The explosion outside the rear garage of Sam White’s residence off Bradley Bridge Road left a small crater in his asphalt driveway and sent pieces of shrapnel shooting through the side and roof of his detached, two-car garage.

“And there were pieces that just flew out and landed in the yard,” said Bill Dunham, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in Chesterfield.

“Basically, it was a large cannonball,” Dunham said of the bowling-ball-sized shell, which sent what he described as a 5to 7-pound chunk of shrapnel through the roof of another house about a quarter-mile away.

Dunham said investigators believe they know how the explosion occurred, but that information is being withheld until the investigation into White’s death has been finalized. Dunham would only say that White was “working on” the shell when it exploded about 1:20 p.m.

“We have enough information that we believe we know generally what he was doing and how it happened,” Dunham said. “But we can’t say with 100 percent accuracy that that’s exactly what he was doing.”

White, who was well-known in the Civil War community and ran a relics business from his home in the 14100 block of Granite Pointe Court, cleaned and disarmed Civil War period military ordnance for about $35 each, according to his Web site.

After Monday’s accident, local, state and federal authorities converged on his house to inspect the remaining munitions he had stored in his garage. Concerned about the potential volatility of some of the ordnance, authorities removed about 75 items, about half of which were destroyed at county-owned property next to a nearby landfill, state police said yesterday.

Late Tuesday, after police had removed many of the munitions, authorities called on Army and Marine explosive-ordnance-disposal experts from Fort Belvoir and Quantico Marine Corps Base to examine other items that were considered questionable.

“They were a great help in identifying what goes and what doesn’t, what’s dangerous and what’s questionable,” Dunham said.

The ordnance units took some of remaining shells with them, Dunham said. “I think some of these items will be able to be returned to the family after they’re rendered safe.”

Although local and federal authorities are researching the issue, several officials contacted yesterday said it didn’t appear that White, who worked briefly as a Henrico County police officer in the mid-1970s, broke any federal, state or local laws in keeping the munitions on his property.

“We researched a lot of federal, state and local statutes, trying to figure out what governs items like this, what’s the proper way to store these things, if there is any recourse we have, and can we dictate where people put them,” Dunham said. “There’s a lot of unanswered questions there.”

A state law that makes it a felony to manufacture, possess or use explosive materials includes an exemption for firefighters, police officers and members of the military, along with people who possess, transport or distribute explosive devices for scientific and educational reasons, “or any other lawful purpose.”

Chesterfield Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Ken Nickels said it is unlikely that his office would prosecute someone for possessing explosive material that was a Civil War relic — depending, of course, on the circumstances and the intent of the person possessing the item.

Dunham said there doesn’t appear to be any federal explosives law that would cover Civil War ordnance, “except maybe a storage mandate.”

“If you have 50 pounds or more of black powder, you have to have it in an approved storage location,” he said. “But some of [White's] shells had only 10 ounces [of powder], so it would take a lot to aggregate 50 pounds’ worth.”

Dunham said Monday’s explosion, while tragic, has been a learning experience for law enforcement.

“We’ve learned a lot in this because in the past, we haven’t had an incident with these type of devices and this number of them,” he said. “I didn’t realize there’s such an interest in relics like this. There’s a lot of people out there looking to uncover and collect that kind of stuff.”
Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or mbowes [at] timesdispatch [dot] com.

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Over the last twenty years I keep getting one question asked over and over again. What was THE CIVIL WAR FIREARM? In a war right at the cusp of the industrial revolution that is a more difficult question then it may seem. With the use of every arm ever made in American Arsenals and Imports from almost every country in Europe, the total of Arms used in our Civil War is over 600 distinct types!

But, if I had to pick one, THE STANDARD of the Union Army 1861-1865 it would be the Springfield .58 Caliber US Model 1861 Rifle Musket. Springfield Armory made over 265,000 of these accurate, graceful weapons during 1861 and 1862. They were completely issued throughout the Union Army and because of constant and heavy use are fairly uncommon today.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of “clones” of this fine arm were made under contract by a myriad of wartime contractors. The total production was over a million. These will have the name of the manufacturer on the lock. All parts are interchangeable with the Springfield and collectors should be aware of several points that that prove the arm to be 100% Springfield because people have been putting Springfield lock plates on contract arms for years. Springfields will almost invariably be worth more than a “contract” rifle musket in the same condition.

Some things to look for are shown in my photographs. The lock, obviously will be marked Springfield with the dates 1861 or 1862. The barrel will have a corresponding date on the top flat. The barrel will be proofed with the distinct Springfield “Eagle Head”. Finally the stock will be cartouched at the off side of the lock with an oval bearing at least one set of initials “ESA”, who was Erskine S. Allin, Asst. Superintendent at the Springfield Arsenal. These are the marks of a true Springfield US Model 1861 Rifle Musket.

While not everybody in the Union army had a Springfield or one of it’s offshoots, it would be a fair guesstimate to say at least half of them had one at one time or another.

Next week we’ll do the Standard Confederate Long Arm of the Civil War!

I like a good mystery! And I especially love to solve mysteries. This scrimshawed 22.2-ounce & 7.25-inch Sperm whale tooth falls into that category.

Most scrimshaws reflect images familiar to the scrimshander, such as whaling scenes, ships, or portraits. Sometimes, a whaler would depict an historic event, usually well-known, but occasionally obscure. Such is the case of this scrimshawed Civil War battle scene.

Based on a very fuzzy photograph, I purchased this tooth, sight-unseen, from an elderly lady who had just moved to Colorado from New Hampshire, and was down-sizing her belongings. She told me that it had been in her New England family for several generations, but she did not know any history about the tooth, or the scene. I sent money to a friend in Colorado Springs, who exchanged payment for the tooth, then mailed it to me.

Once in my hands, I studied the tooth, which depicted a Confederate army over-running a Union position (Image #1). What was most unusual, was that the Union soldiers were all “U.S. Colored Troops”, with a few white officers. Unbelievably, the Confederates were shooting & bayoneting the black troops in the back, and two rebels were slitting the throat of one Union officer. Historically, black Federal troops were not allowed to engage Confederate troops, because Confederate President Jefferson Davis had declared any armed Negro as a run-away slave in arms. Therefore, black Federal troop and their white officers were to be shot on sight! Surrender was not an option.

I scanned the tooth to acquire an accurate JPG rendering of the scrimshawed scene. I immediately began calling Civil War buffs, Civil War museums, and Civil War experts, all over the United States. I would describe the scene to anyone who would listen, offering to e-mail an image. For more than three months, I only received referrals from one expert to the next. No one recognized the scene.

Finally, one telephone call paid-off. I do not even remember to whom I was speaking. As I described the scene, the expert said “That sounds like ‘The Massacre At Fort Pillow’”. That was all I needed to hear! Within minutes I had GOOGLED the story, and a JPG of the original illustration from the 30 April, 1864 issue of Harper’s Weekly (Image #2).

To read MORE about this scrimwork, and the event depicted, click here.

Saturday, July 12: Silver and Photography
Kaminski Auctions, Under the Tent

Kaminski Auctions is a leading auction house on Boston’s North Shore that frequently offers antiques, art and collectibles from the collections of Beverly Farms, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport and other historic communities. Kaminski sometimes holds sales under a tent. Is that fun or what?

If you are into silver, Lot #2054 is a find—an English or American, 18th-century, 12½-inch sterling-silver salver. (My vote’s for English.) It is resplendent with an engraving including a coat of arms with the motto “Credentibus Nil Difficile.” Translation: Nothing is difficult to believe. There is no hallmark, which is unusual. Estimate: $2,000 to $3,000.

Lot #2041 is an unusual English, Aesthetics Movement 19th-century engraved sterling-serving spoon. The hallmarks are worth the price of admission. Estimate: $150-$200.

Lot #2060 shows a 19th-century English Sheffield inkwell stand with the maker’s mark HW and CO, Henry Wilkinson, date mark, 1877-1879. It’s a fantasy of crystal and silver. Estimate: $1,500-$2,000.

Lot #2204 is a pair of hand-chased English covered solid silver cups with handles, hallmarked “JBC” (John Bodman Carrington), marked Carrington London, 130 Regent Street. Hallmarked in lids. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.

If you collect art photography, take a look at the collective Lot #2066, 1-41, black-and-white photos by A. J. Watt. The collection, circa 1934, includes scenic and individual photo portraits both poignant and dramatic. No estimate.

A side note: Kaminski’s has a beautifully designed Web site. Each item for sale has a clear image, and all the information you need is there with a sweep of the cursor.

Friday, July 11: Historic Americana
Cowan’s

If you are an ardent collector of Americana specializing in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War memorabilia, Cowan’s online sale is well represented with hundreds of items in all categories.
The sale weighs in with Civil War photographs and handwritten accounts. See Lot #22, which is a very interesting, firsthand account written during the Civil War by an unknown young Southern sympathizer in what is now West Virginia, including an eyewitness account of the Battle of Scarey Creek. Estimate: $350.

The Revolutionary War is well represented with handwritten accounts and other manuscripts. Lot #55 is a clothing receipt estimated at $200-$300. Lot #49 is a framed miniature of Maj. Gen. Richard Montgomery dated 1778. Estimate $200-$300.

Friday, July 18 Modern Design
July 19: Gallery Auction
Harlowe-Powell

This two-day sale at Harlowe-Powell of Charlottesville, Va., will cover a wide range of retro and contemporary styles on July 18. Featured lots include a Philippe Starck Louis ghost armchair, Venini glass and Lalique glass figures and vases.

The auction shifts emphasis dramatically on Saturday, July 19, with period furniture, antiques and fine art from Mathews County, Va., which was settled in the 1600s.

The complete catalog will be available online on July 11. Also, when on the site, check out Past Action Highlights and look at the early 19th-century miniature walnut chest of drawers from the Albemarle County, Va., estate of Eudora Bolling. It was listed with a $4,000-$8,000 estimate and went home during a March 31 sale with a hammer price of $134,400!

JULY AUCTIONS

Jul 4: Pearson Auction Company —Massive Antique Auction

July 11: Cowan’s Auctions —Historic Americana

July 11: Freeman’s —Freeman’s Fridays: Furniture & Decorative Arts

July 12: Kaminski —Antiques & Collectibles Auction

July 12-13: Neal Auction —Summer Estates Auction

July 14-18: Coach’s Corner —Monthly Sale

July 18: Harlowe-Powell — Modern Design Auction

July 19: Cowan’s Auctions —Cowan’s Discovery Auction,

July 19: Harlowe-Powell — Gallery Auction

July 19: Ivey-Selkirk —July Jackson Rooms Auction

July 31-Aug. 2: Mebane Auction

By Christopher Kent
Director of Evaluations, WorthPoint
– Please send your antiques, art and collectibles news about auctions to news [at] worthpoint [dot] com, and put “Auction News” in the subject line.

Yesterday I was in Gettysburg, and looking at all the examples of the best of the Civil War memorabilia made me thirsty to get back in the antique treasure hunting race. Taking a little time off made my competitive passions even greater and truly opened my eyes.

Being as vision oriented as I am, standing on the high ground in Gettysburg looking over the valleys below, my mind could actually visualize the troops coming up the hills. I could actually feel the presence of the spirits of the battlefield. The only other time I’ve felt this was at the Battleship Arizona in Hawaii.

Most of the troops who participated in the Battle at Gettysburg lost 50% or more of their members, and more than 640,000 lost their lives in this war. To consider it another way, you could say that 2% of this country’s population was lost during those four years. Now, I truly understand why so many books have been written about the Civil War, and why so many Collectors want to own a part of this history.

You may assume that my eyes were opened to only the physical side of collecting the weapons of war, but you would be so wrong. How about the items pertaining to slavery? There are many paper items that remain from the days of slavery. There are bills of sale for slaves, reward posters for runaway slaves and even auction bulletins where people were sold as common belongings.

The mid 1800’s was also one of the greatest political eras of this countries history. Campaign buttons and flags were everywhere during the elections of those years. Banners were strung from every building. There were bandannas, photographs, ribbons and many more things that would fetch large sums of money today. Newspapers from those years are very collectible today.

Where can these items be found? It isn’t in Gettysburg, but in Texas, California, Wyoming and most of the states that really weren’t involved in the Civil War. Why am I so sure? If you were to start out looking in the likely places, you’d find they’ve already been found and their values are known. But, as families moved, and items were passed down to family members and families spread out into other states, these items were soon forgotten. As I’ve told you before, it’s very difficult for me to find a great painting by a Kentucky Artist in Kentucky, but I’ve found them in California, Connecticut and Florida. The same reason applies here.

I could give you the prices for some of the Civil War items, but it’s best to do your own research, and then see where it leads you. It will create an excitement and thirst for knowledge within you. My senses for collecting have been heightened by this short break, and now I’m ready to throw myself into finding those treasures that are out there waiting for me. It won’t be nearly as hard now to scan the house sales ads and auction bulletins as it was before this trip.

This may well be a good lesson for all of us. If there are times that you feel just a little burned out, find somewhere you can see the best of the best of an area of Antiques, Collectibles or Fine Art, and go visit that place. I can assure you, my fire has been re-ignited, and you will too.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your ridiculously low membership.

For more information, visit my web site at http://www.31corp.com.

It’s been a fabulous few days in Baltimore. We visited three ships and a submarine in the harbor. But, the highlight of the day was when a Mexican sailing ship pulled into dock with all the sailors in their white military uniforms. The officers had chests full of medals and you could see their national pride. A formal presentation welcoming the captain to Baltimore by some dignitaries followed.

This put me in a “pride of country mood,” so tomorrow we are going to Gettysburg, the one place often cited as the turning point of the Civil War. I have been reminded of my faith in God and Country by this trip and of how thankful I am to be a citizen of the United States of America. Where else could we have had the opportunity to start the 31 Club, a club that is helping so many people?

The Civil War has produced some of the most collectible items that the world has ever known. This is a field of collecting that can be started for very little money, while the better items can command prices we probably never would have dreamed of. A collection can be started with a single bullet from the war era for a dollar or two.

If you find items used in the war, the are plenty of collectors out there and the rewards will astonish you. Confederate and Union swords can bring tens of thousands in the market place today. A single drum at auction might top $10,000 or more. A uniform could top $100,000 if it belonged to the right person, and weapons have no upper limit. I have seen a single button from a uniform bring thousands of dollars. If the items have records to connect them to a soldier, this will double or triple its value.

The exciting news for you is that Civil War memorabilia is plentiful, and there are many books written on the values of these today. This is one of the areas that our members should familiarize themselves with. Price Guides always come in handy like Warman’s Civil War Collectibles Identification And Price Guide and Illustrated Catalog of Civil War Military Goods: Union Weapons, Insignia, Uniform Accessories and Other Equipment

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Get more Information on the Kentucky Frock Coat and many other Civil War items at

www.oldsouthantiques.com/os1317p1.htm

www.oldsouthantiques.com

At the onset of the Civil War, US pennies were scarce and hoarded as well as metal shortages. People did not like the fractional paper currency, consequently copper tokens were made by private individuals and companies. This not only served as change for the company but also as an advertisement. I have demonstrated a few types of these tokens. Below is the rarity scale and metals scale:

Rarity 1 — 5,000 or more (very common)
Rarity 2 — 2,000 to 4,999 (common)
Rarity 3 — 500 to 1999
Rarity 4 — 200 to 499
Rarity 5 — 76 to 199 (scarce)
Rarity 6 — 20 to 74 (very scarce)
Rarity 7 — 10 to 19 (rare)
Rarity 8 — 5 to 9 (very rare)
Rarity 9 — 2 to 4 (extremely rare)
Rarity 10 – Unique 1 only.

The metals in which Civil War cents are struck and the abbreviations used are as follows:
Code Metal Abbrev Metal
a C Copper
b BR Brass
c N Nickel
d C-N Copper-nickel
e W-M White metal
f S Silver
g L Lead
h R Rubber
i Z Zinc
j G-S German Silver

Confederate belt buckles can be valued at thousands of dollars – a fact which has spurred an interesting pastime – digging for buckles. While record collectors refer to searching for valuable vinyl at stores or sales as “digging in the crates,” “digging for buckles” in the southern United States literally means grabbing a shovel and unearthing a specific part of, say Tennessee, for example.

This excerpt was taken from a fine article called “Collecting Confederate Belt Buckles” by Amanda Young (http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/confedbuckles.htm):

“Digging for buckles requires patience, knowledge, and even a bit of luck. About a month ago, Steve and others were digging for buckles in Dallas, GA when one of his fellow diggers recovered a square buckle with rounded edges 15 feet away from where Steve was searching. The worth of the buckle ended up being around $4,000. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of where you’re standing.”

Belt buckles, like jewelry, are gender specific and generally easy to maintain or to restore. Masculine lifestyles are reflected through personalized buckles of various time periods that often are representative of an occupation, region, or organization.

Military, police, fire service, western, and youth group buckles have long been popular belt buckle themes. Rarer, are multi-function buckles containing cigarette lighters, knives, and guns. Secret groups like the Masons had their own buckles and so did the Secret Service. Boy Scout buckles can be a collection in itself, as can cowboy buckles.

Men’s buckles are often regional – Mexican belt buckles are a distinct tradition and Japanese art buckles are interesting as well. Confederate buckles are quite the collector’s item.

Not many people realize that the oldest museum in Louisiana, The Civil War Museum, is across the street from one of the newest museums, The War World II Museum. Though often overshadowed by the newer facilities across the way, the Civil War Museum offers a great amount of historical memorabilia that shall not be forgotten due to the dedication of the Memorial Hall Foundation. This non-profit group has maintained the Memorial Hall building, which has housed civil war memorabilia for 117 years. The building was donated by Frank T. Howard and has been under legal battle for the last 8 years. The battle over the property rights of the museum has taken the Memorial Hall Foundation to the Supreme Court of Louisiana. Though history is full of unpleasant beliefs and repugnant action, all history has a right to be preserved. For it is with the desire to preserve American history that the Memorial Hall Foundation fought against those who refuse to see the good and education in our past. Unlike what many assume, the museum preserves the character of our nation, not racism. As of 2003 an agreement was made and the museum will remain open. Unfortunately the weather has not acted in Memorial Hall’s Favor. Luckily Katrina caused no damage to the museum and its artifacts. Though the winds of Katrina did not affect the museum, a random storm in September 2007 caused huge water damage to one side of the museum. Some of the oil paintings are still being restored and a few of the swords rusted. However, the majority of items are back and the cases remain mostly undamaged.

Walking into the long cypress paneled hall with exposed beams transports you into the 1860s, for the building itself is quite amazing and historical. The Memorial Hall is the perfect venue for Civil War memorabilia. Veterans and their families, making the experience truly authentic and personal, donated the majority of the collection, 90%, after the civil war. Many of the artifacts are from the personal holdings of different soldiers, not just Generals. However, the museum boasts of a Jefferson Davis section, including personal items from before and after the civil war. The most interesting include his daughter’s Mardi Gras Comus jewelry and Davis’s saddle. The museum does an excellent job of showing civil war life to its patrons; the personal affects and hundreds of photographs illustrate civil war life, especially in the quickly conquered city of New Orleans. There is even a case about the creation of old photographs and lithographs. Civil War life in New Orleans is revealed through the cases referencing General William “Beast” Butler, (the military leader over New Orleans after its fall to the Union known for his disdain for Southerners). This section includes political drawings, General’s orders, photographs, and the silver spoons he stole from Confederate soldiers’ houses, giving him the infamous nickname “silver spoons.” Other exhibits include a huge array of weaponry, including guns and swords from the time period, uniforms, hats, and over 125 flags. One of my favorite cases held medical devices and an amputation kit, which made me think of the great advancements made in medicine and the poor soldiers who fought only to lose a limb in a painful, gut wrenching procedure. Many of the artifacts cause reflection. From handcrafted cups to sewing kits, the cases filled with personal items bring the past to life. To complete the experience is a knowledgeable staff, happy to talk with any patron. Next time you find yourself in New Orleans, do not forget Memorial Hall and the treasures of the past that so many have fought to preserve.