Nelson B. Case
My phone rings. The caller in Silver Spring, Maryland tells me he has made the difficult decision to part with his family’s Civil War accoutrements collection. “Is this something you would be interested in purchasing?” Eric Ballard asks.
“I live in Wheaton,” I tell him. “I can be there in fifteen minutes!”
When history calls, I drop what I’m doing to respond. Orion’s Attic relishes opportunities to help families find the next homes for their historical artifacts, relics, documents and more.
I race over and check out the Civil War accoutrements collection. The items first belonged to Nelson B. Case, a private in the Union Army. He served in the Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry — Company C.
Goosebumps shower my arms as Ballard tells me the story. [Watch our interview with Ballard about his family’s collection!]
Awed by the touch of American history
I run my fingers across Case’s Civil War musket and deteriorating leather ammunitions belt. I trace the edges of the bayonet.
My eyes shift toward Case’s Bible and Psalm book. Those are items we don’t often find when we’re purchasing or consigning collections of historical items.
I turn to my colleague Tim from Mid-Atlantic Military Antiques. I asked him to join because he’s the perfect guy to advise Orion’s Attic on what to pay for such a collection — or to buy them himself if it’s not right for us. (See Tim’s view on the collection’s value.)
“You can almost picture him marching with his musket, cartridge belt, bayonet and Bible in his backpack,” Tim shares. He is as captivated as I am.
I don’t ask him, but I’m certain we both hear in our mind’s ear the thunderous footsteps of Union soldiers marching. We wonder what Case is seeing in that moment. Are his hands trembling when he later loads his musket to join a battle? Does he clutch his Bible for a prayer? Does he flinch as muskets explode all around him? Is his mind still and focused, or does he fear he won’t make it out alive?
Ballard hands us the Bible and Psalm book. I wonder what was in the very soul of a man as he put his life on the line and fought to keep his country together.
The bonds between fathers and sons — from the Civil War through today
Ballard hands us the Bible and Psalm book. Case bequeathed them to his son, Hiram, in a hand-written note. The son, in turn, wrote a beautifully penned thank you note to his father. The son thanked him for being a great man and tells him that he was proud to be his son.
My knees buckle.
I think of how proud I am to be my father’s son. I delivered his eulogy just a few months ago.
My mind also drifts to my uncle, John Young, a Vietnam War hero who risked his life for his country — just like Case did.
One of the great rewards of handling historical objects for a living is how strongly it connects the past to the present. We are all in this together.
Tim is moved by the notes, too.
“Holding history in my hands and knowing that this father and son lived and died long ago, and did their best to live good lives — that speaks across the generations,” he says. “It also reminds me that life is short and that I should strive to be a good example to my own kids.”
Deciding what is best for these historical objects
Tim and I snap out of our time travels and get back to business.
I consider buying the collection to keep — something I rarely ever do as an antiques and collectibles dealer. It’s not right for me, I realize. The Civil War isn’t a passion of mine as my historical heart has always been in The American Revolution. There is no room in my house to properly display the Civil War accoutrements — no way to give them the honor they deserve. Tim is the better person for the job because he will make sure the collection finds exactly the right person to honor it next.
“It is important to keep the core history together,” Tim tells Ballard. “Each piece, by itself, does not tell the complete story. “I’ll find the collector who will really appreciate this.”
— End —
Civil War Accoutrements Interview Transcript
My name is Eric Ballard. I have for you Civil War relics that were passed down through five generations, or actually three generations of the Ballard family. My great, great, great-grandfather fought for the Union Army, and I have relics of his field equipment that he had while he was out fighting.
His name was Nelson B. Case. Removed, he’d been three generations removed from me. It’s me, my father, my grandfather, my great-great-grandfather, and his father. In my right hand, I’ve got his field musket. And in my left hand, I have his artillery bag that he used — the different types of ammunition that they used for these muskets.
These are his field Bible, which has inscriptions on it from him and his family, and his field Psalm book that he used out in the field for, I would assume prayers.
What did Nelson’s son Hiram write to his father when he received the Bible?
“Dear father, what a heritage you did leave. A clean noble life, what a shining example. I am proud to be your son.”
I have the medal for the Army of the Potomac that he had. And his bayonet belt with the United States buckle on the front, and the bayonet and the sleeve.
How does holding and seeing all these family heirloom Civil War relics make you feel?
I feel very emotional, because it brings back thoughts of what this gentleman did for the Union Army and for this country, inevitably. What he sacrificed and what he saw sacrificed for this country, and how it relates directly to my family and my family heritage.
My most treasured thought is that they will go into the hands of a collector who can truly appreciate and understand the history and heritage of these artifacts, where they’re going to go, and where they came from, more importantly. They’ll leave my family, and they’ll continue on in history as a part of our background.
What has brought you to part with such treasures?
My father is 92, and he suffers from severe dementia. My mother was at the age of 92 and had to move from her home. It was a natural time for these relics to be passed down to the next generation. My wife and I are in the middle of moving, and we don’t want them to get lost in a move or damaged in a move. And we’d rather them go to the home of a collector, where they can be properly presented.
What prompted you to reach out to Orion’s Attic today?
We had a mutual friend who knew you and got us in contact directly with you. And we were very excited in our first meet to have you come over and take a look at what we had.
–End Interview —
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