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June 2020 - Antique Shoppe - 25
Letters could be easily stored for years in a Letters should be all transcribed by a family I have other bits, but as I remember, this
small place with other family papers, whereas member or pay for an expert at reading the one is the one he valued most. The tool, I
uniforms and guns and swords survive in old script to record them. The letters should be don’t know the actual name of. I am pretty
families more rarely. During my three years arranged chronologically and maybe have the sure most of his stuff is original as he seldom
on the Antiques Road Show, the single most history of the events of the various campaigns bought replicas to my knowledge.
common Civil War items brought to the inserted to help the reader follow the flow of JS: Your horse bit and “tool” are U.S.
military table were soldiers’ letters. the letters. military, but not Civil War. They both postdate
Soldiers’ letters are very collectible and You have a great project ahead of you that the war and probably date to the 1880s. The
can be one of the most interesting insights many generations will be proud to read and “tool” appears to me to act as a picket pin (for
one can find concerning the most inner and gain an understanding of their ancestor’s Role staking out a horse), hammer, etc. I have not
personal feelings and observations of one of in the American Civil War. encountered that tool before.
the pivotal points in American history. You The bit I see priced at shows as
have a good long run of letters that may give Indian War Era and are usually
a glimpse of history not told anywhere else. priced at about $150. The tool
Some soldiers wrote very little home; they I would guess has a value of at
generally complained about the lack of food least a couple hundred dollars
or bad food, religion, the weather and other but could be more.
mundane happenings; their letters usually
are sold at Civil War trade shows for $10-$20 John Sexton is
each. Occasionally, soldiers wrote great letters, an independent
telling of little nuances of battle or camp life appraiser and
rarely read about, sometimes deep personal expert of Civil War
memorabilia. He is an
This “tool” may have been used as a
feelings and their insight into the unfolding of picket pin or hammer and may be worth accredited member
events; these letters can sell for hundreds of a couple of hundred dollars. of various appraiser
dollars each. I am sure in your 60+ letters there organizations. He
can be contacted at
will be some good content. John, I’m going through many 770-329-4984. If you
If you want to preserve these letters, each Civil War items my late Uncle left have a Civil War item
should be gently unfolded and placed in acid- me, and I am interested in values An Indian War Era horse bit, $150. for him to appraise,
email a photo and
free archival folders, either transparent or solid. as well as where the best place would a description to
Several firms online sell these archival supplies. be to sell some of these things. mclwriter@gmail.com

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