Description:

CIVIL WAR ERA PANTS, ALMOST CERTAINLY SLAVE-OWNED
Pair of Civil War-era lightly striped wool trousers, featuring large taupe cotton patches at the knees and lower thighs where the fabric has worn out. The original pants feature a watch pocket on the left hip, and two suspender buttons, one oxidized metal and the other carved bone. It is our belief that these pants were originally owned by a white slave-owner in the antebellum south, and were then handed-down to one of his slaves, who wore them and added the extensive repairs. The wear at the knees and the hand-sewn repairs are consistent with use and repairs made by slaves. The pants were found in the eaves of an attic on the estate of Henry L. Mathews, a Confederate cavalryman who served with the 24th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry in the last year of the war. A pair of modern shorts has been pinned inside the original trousers by our consignor as backing for the fragile fabric on the upper part of the garment. The pants show numerous holes, extensive wear and soiling throughout, as expected given their origin.

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Shipping

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May 9, 2017 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000