Recently deaccessioned from the collection of the New Britain Youth Museum of New Britain Connecticut, this bass-size drum has been their property and in their possession since the mid-1950s. While the name of the benefactor has sadly been lost to the years, the drum has been in storage as it did not fit with the current mission of the museum and like so many important institutions these days, working and developmental capital was a priority over artifacts which would likely never see public exhibition. The drum is as honest as they come and shows a wonderful uncleaned oxidized patina from the years with ingrained dust in the protected areas from its long stint in the store room. Each of the hoops shows strong remnants of a red-burgundy milk paint, the top hoop with numerous chips and flakes along its edge, starting to warp slightly from the years. The shell may be ash or some sort of yellow southern pine and shows a very pleasing ochre tinge to what appears to have been white or buff-colored wash or paint, the dark mahogany-toned wood beneath evident in the numerous small flaked areas. What appears to be antique replacement rope and four original tugs are present, drying and very brittle from the years showing remnants of a buff colored paint or die, the replacement tugs each also showing minor drying and flaking; there is a tiny strand of original rope present beneath the top hoop. On the body of the drum can be seen a hand-painted crossed panoply of two Confederate states ''First Flag'', stars and bars, with a count of 12 stars, the paint has faded a bit and flaked somewhat from the years, and the circle of stars can actually be counted on the right flag, one cannot get an accurate count of the original stars painted on the blue field of the left flag due to flaking and fading. There appears to have been some manner of decoration beneath the panoply but it is sadly lost to the years and fading. The top and bottom heads are both a deep coffee-tobacco colored patina, the top head more of a buff color at the worn center section where stick impact would have been. Each of the heads has been very neatly painted with a commemoration of the date and place of capture, the bottom head the most illustrative ''Captured From The Enemy/At Irish Band LA/April 14, 1863'', this was the date that the 13th Connecticut Regiment, along with elements of 25th Connecticut and 159th New York, was engaged with the 1st Louisiana Field Battery, the ''St. Mary's Cannoneers'', among other units. The details of the battle are scrupulously written down in numerous reports on the subject and very nearly precisely match the paragraph on the bottom head of the drum ''Taken Together with a Gun and Caisson, Two Officers Horses, a Battery, Flag and a Young Brown Bear, Two Years Mascotte of the Regiment''. The volume History of the 13th Infantry Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers During the Great Rebellion details the very day in-which the 13th Connecticut engaged the Louisiana men, the 13th utilizing a firing and loading on-the-march technique (''this mode of firing--firing while advancing in line of battle--is not laid down in the tactics'' the narrative reads). The volume detailing reports from onlookers: ''When the 13th commenced firing it didn't sound like the other regiments, but there was a steady roll without any break in the sound for near ten minutes.... That rebel battery ceased firing mighty quick''. Lieut. Leonidas Hall of the 1st Louisiana quoted ''I never heard such firing.....It seemed like a never ending peal of rolling thunder, I knew something had to give way in front of the 13th, for no troops that ever breathed could stand such a fire as that''. The same narrative in that same volume details the retreat of the St. Mary's Cannoneers, and the capture of ''two caissons, one limber, four artillery horses, many swords, muskets, a great quantity of ammunition, 60 prisoners and a large and elegantly embroidered silk flag'', that flag made by the ladies of Franklin Louisiana for the St. Mary's Cannoneers was in the archives of the State of Connecticut for years, eventually being repatriated to Louisiana. The drum itself measures about 28 3/4'' in diameter and is roughly 20'' tall hoop-to-hoop, and has a braided carry rope, no doubt done at the time it was re-strung. Additionally there is a small iron eyeloop with an iron suspension or carry ring affixed at the center of the body with a leather flange, perhaps to suspend the drum post-war in some GAR Hall or other important gathering area of the 13th Connecticut volunteers. No label can be seen through the vent hole, although there appears to be the vestiges of where a label was once attached on the inside of the body, it can barely be discerned with an illuminated borescope. While the 13th is not mentioned anywhere on the drum, there is absolutely no doubt they were the only Connecticut Regiment to capture the aforementioned gun, caisson, officers and horses as well as the flag at the Battle of Irish Bend, the drum being donated to a Connecticut Museum supports this inevitable conclusion. An absolutely wonderful Confederate drum, captured by these valiant Connecticut Sons of New England whose field tactics gave them the advantage that day, as well as the admiration of officers of other regiments who heard their performance during the battle din. Note that the due to fragility and the size, extra shipping will apply on this item. A museum grade American treasure from that great conflict. (3E9718-1) (15,000/25,000)
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