|
CIVIL WAR McCLELLAN SADDLE POMMEL SHIELD WITH RARE
GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR’S STAMP – T. J. SHEPARD:
This shield was recovered from a relic Civil War era
McClellan Saddle which was found on Bannerman’s Island.
While the saddle had deteriorated past the point of
being worth restoring, the man who found the saddle
recognized the rarity and importance of the pommel
shield and removed it. Instead of the normal seat size
information – either the size indicated in inches or by
the numerals 1 through 4 – this shield is stamped “U.S.”
and “T.J. SHEPARD”, a known Civil War era government
inspector.
Shepard was a prolific inspector during the Civil War
and his familiar stamp appears on carbine snap swivels,
carbine sling buckles, the oval Model 1851 Enlisted
Man’s Belt Plates, and the brass Artillery Bridle bosses
with the intertwined “USA”, to name just a few examples
of his work. While very little is known about Inspector
Shepard, it is worth noting that there is a Thomas J.
Shepard, born in 1800 and died in November of 1865, who
is buried in the Springfield, Massachusetts cemetery.
That there is a T. J. Shepard is buried in such close
proximity to the Springfield Armory may not be just
happenstance, especially since most of the makers of the
equipment inspected by T. J. Shepard were located in
Massachusetts and Connecticut.
This shield is full form, measuring 2” long and 1 5/8”
wide. The brass has an even aged patina and has not
been polished. The stampings are all fully legible.
This is a rare Civil War era McClellan Saddle fitting
and one that would be an interesting addition to your
saddle collection. (0338) $250
|
