|
Authentic Soldier's Uniforms Buttons |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cased Epaulets & Shoulder Insignia of Rear Admiral Augustus Henry Kilty
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Click on an image to enlarge
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here are a group of pieces from the estate of a long serving sailor from the United States. These items came from the estate of Augustus Kilty. Augustus Henry Kilty (1807–1879), whose lengthy career spanned from the pre-Civil War era to his eventual promotion to rear admiral. He was best known for his command of the ironclad USS Mound City during the Civil War, where he was severely wounded but displayed great bravery. Born in Annapolis, Maryland, Augustus Kilty was the youngest and last surviving child of John Kilty (1756-1811), who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, reaching the rank of captain and eventually becoming a brigadier general in the Maryland militia. John Kilty was an original member of the Maryland Society of the Cincinnati, and Augustus became a member himself in 1844, following in his father's footsteps as a hereditary member of the patriotic organization. In 1821, at age 13, Kilty was appointed midshipman, though he did not accept the commission until 1824. Over the next few decades, he gained experience serving in multiple theaters, including the Pacific, Asiatic, Mediterranean, and African waters. In 1832, he was involved in operations with Commodore George Reid to defend American merchant ships at Quallah Batto, Sumatra. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1837 and served on frigates in the Mediterranean Squadron before being placed on the Reserve List in 1855, just before the Civil War. During the Civil War, Kilty was recalled to active duty and given command of the ironclad gunboat USS Mound City in the Mississippi Flotilla. He saw action at the Battle of Island Number Ten and the capture of Fort Pillow. In June 1862, Kilty commanded a flotilla during an expedition up the White River in Arkansas. At the Engagement at St. Charles, a Confederate shell penetrated the Mound City's casemate, causing a steam explosion that killed most of his crew. Kilty himself was severely wounded, losing his left arm. After recovering, he commanded the ironclad frigate USS Roanoke. He was promoted to commodore in 1866 and served as the Commandant of the Norfolk Navy Yard before being placed on the Retired List in 1868. He was promoted to rear admiral on the retired list in 1870. After his retirement he moved to Washington where he remained for a few years, but soon returned to Baltimore where he died on 10 November 1879.This group comes with a cased set of officer's epaulets. The set is for a lower ranking officer because they do not have the insignia on the center of the golden color top. Each has a nice used appearance with the bullion fringe and the golden silk undersides. They come displayed in the original Jappanned black tin carrying case. the case retains some of the original paint on the sides. When you open the case you see the red lining and the innermost compartment is covered with the 1854 dated paper label. When I took the lid off of the innermost compartment, I found Kilty's original pair of shoulder insignia. These insignia have the distinct design of being made for a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with the star in the center and flanked by the anchors. These are not as old as the epaulets and would have been his during the time he held the rank of Read Admiral which would have been 1870 until 1879. There was also a vest size Civil War era navy button made by Horstmann & Allien. You get the cased epaulets, the shoulder insignia and the button for $995.00.
. Item #: C8204 Price: $995.00 USD (Sale Pending)
|
|