Garth's first auction of the year has taken place, with top lot status amongst the antique firearms going, as expected, to the Winchester Model 1897 Cartridge Board.
This was the "Double-W" version with two hundred twenty-six items affixed to the board including nine containers of caps, twenty shotgun shells, and one hundred ninety-seven rifle and revolver cartridges.
Additionally, the piece has chromolithographed images of a moose, a duck and pair of bear hunters. The piece retains the factory label, as well as "No. 635" stencilled on reverse, and is mounted in its original oak frame.
 The well-preserved Winchester model 1897 cartridge board |
Expected to achieve $10,000-15,000, it edged past this to bring $18,800.
Another highlight was animportant early letter from the famous Confederate General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, along with tintypes of his aunt and uncle.
Running to four pages, it is dated March 31, 1847 and addressed to his Uncle Isaac Brake, of the Clarksburg, (West) Virginia, area, husband of his paternal Aunt Polly, ( Mary Hadden Jackson), and written while Jackson was stationed at a U.S. military encampment near Veracruz, Mexico, during the Mexican War.
He recounts the siege of Veracruz and recalls the "happy days" spent under his uncle's roof. The letter is mounted in a frame, 27 3/4" high by 23 3/4" wide.
 Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson's letter to his uncle |
The letter and tintypes descended in the family until consigned to this auction.
Jackson had graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point the year before and was serving as a twenty-three- year-old second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Artillery regiment when he wrote this letter.
The cordial tone of the letter suggests renewed ties with the relatives Jackson had run away from as an orphaned boy. The lot brought $11,448 - near to the top of its $9,000-12,000 estimate range.
Memorabilia from Generals of the American Civil War is naturally valuable. From the Unionist side, we have famous General George Custer's signed album page in our stock and available right now.
