Press Release

Cranston, RI, USA, January 24, 2024 -- Rare Gettysburg battlefield pickup items, a Confederate Louisiana frock coat, a Confederate Louisiana shell jacket and shirt and a tool room sample Model 1941 Johnson rifle are just a few of the expected highlights in Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ Historic Arms & Militaria auction slated for Wednesday, February 7th, online-only, with no live gallery bidding.

The auction, starting at 10 am Eastern time, contains 280 lots. The catalog is a nice mix of guns and other weapons plus non-gun related items, spanning multiple conflicts and generations. Up for bid will be a wide array of wonderful historic objects, including accoutrements, documents, autographs, belt plates, muskets, carbines, flintlock and percussion arms and other items.

“The material in this auction comes from a variety of museums, historical societies and private collections around the country,” said Joel Bohy, Bruneau & Co.’s Director of Arms & Militaria. “It’s been a great experience to catalog such a wide variety of things for dealers, the beginning collector, as well as the most advanced. In short, there is something for everyone in this auction.”

An expected top lot is lot #72, a Confederate Louisiana frock coat with a steel gray jean cloth body, one of the finest enlisted Confederate frock coats extant with impeccable provenance. It’s believed to have been worn by Charles Stebbins of the 5th Louisiana, who deserted and took the oath of allegiance, but further research is probably warranted. (est. $30,000-$40,000).

Also expected to fetch $30,000-$40,000 is lot # 90, a Confederate Louisiana light gray brown jean cloth jacket with an issue striped cotton shirt having two breast pockets. Both clothing items are in excellent condition, with the shirt being one of the few known Confederate issue enlisted examples. The jacket and shirt are pictured in several books relating to the Civil War.

Lot #59 is a Confederate officer’s kepi (cap with a flat circular top and a peak) that was picked up at Gettysburg. The cap features a brown/gray satinet body, dark blue broadcloth band, two rows of gilt metallic officer’s braids, a bound edge visor, blue silk lining with Confederate newspaper sewn into the pasteboard crown, and a cloth sweatband (est. $15,000-$20,000).

Lot #1 is a circa 1777 Continental Army staved canteen with two interlocking hoops, marked on the face "U:STATES", with a paper label on the opposite side marked, "Canteen used/by William Fleming/of Lower Oxford/township, Ches. Co, Pa/ In the war of 1812," plus part of a wire loop on the side that might have been for a string for the stopper (est. $5,000-$10,000).

Lot #65 is a circa 1862-1863 Confederate brown wool felt beehive-style slouch hat with the string mark from blocking the hat, picked up at Gettysburg by a New York soldier. The hat, 14 ½ inches wide, is pictured in the books Gettysburg Battlefield Relics & Souvenirs by Mike O'Donnell and Don Troiani's Regiments & Uniforms of the Civil War (est. $8,000-$10,000).

Lot #74 is an extremely rare rectangular Confederate Noble Brothers cast pewter belt plate marked on the face "C.S.A.", with soldered iron wire belt hooks on the back. Included is a post war label written by Sgt. Major William A. Smith, 17th Michigan Volunteers, whose descriptive list states the plate was found at the Knoxville battlefield (est. $8,000-$12,000).

Lot #82 is a circa 1863 Confederate low convex drum tin canteen with a coarse brown cloth covering, with an old paper label glued to one side marked "Confederate Canteen/picked up on/Gettysburg/Battlefield/1887/In a closet/under the/stairs in old/seminary”. The canteen is pictured in O’Donnell’s Gettysburg Battlefield Relics & Souvenirs (est. $8,000-$12,000).

To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the online-only Historic Arms & Militaria auction planned for Wednesday, Feb. 7th, at 10 am Eastern time, visit www.bruneauandco.com.

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