American Historical Ephemera and Photography

Collection of militaria and artifacts attributed by the consignor to Sergeant Hamilton Ballentine, Co. K, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, "Rush's Lancers"

.44 Caliber. 8" barrel length. SN: 124846. Blued metal finish with color case hardened frame mounting an iron rear gripstrap, brass triggerguard, and rebated cylinder roll engraved with Ormsby's Naval Engagement scene. Single action six-shot percussion revolver featuring hammer notch and German Silver front blade sights. Left frame shows a crisp COLTS/PATENT marking with the cylinder exhibiting COLTS PATENT NO followed by the serial number and above a legible patent date reading PAT. SEPT. 10th 1850. The ENGAGED marking on the forward edge of the cylinder is faint, typical of wartime production 1860 Army revolvers. The top of the barrel is struck with Colt's single line address mark reading -ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA-. Martially marked revolver displays CC initials on the left barrel with C initial to the right barrel, and to both the rebated and nonrebated portions of the cylinder. Item is struck P on the face of the recoil shield, and H on the triggerguard, base of the grips, and on the backstrap. A B initial is struck into the rear cylinder. The serial numbers match on all components, including the wedge pin, with the cylinder displaying intact safety pins with some operating wear. Grips display a set of crisp cartouches consisting of the boxed JJ cartouche to the right panel of sub-inspector John Taylor and boxed JCWW on the left of inspector Henry W. Wilcox. Serial number indicates this revolver was made in 1863. (Good to Fine. Bore is Bright with some patched patina throughout and strong rifling. Some traces of thin bluing on the barrel with extant case colors on the flanks of the frame. Triggerguard shows a light amber patina. Brown patina dominates on the rear gripstrap with some blue on the butt and behind the recoil shield. Grey patina predominant over the barrel and frame. Action exhibits good timing).

[With:] American Watch Co. Model 1857 manufactured 1878 in coin silver with gilt movement finish and brass chain. Item shows no name or signature. (tarnish overall, texturing washed out in places, some mars and indentations to the edges, caramel patina to chain); unmarked low-mid grade leather flap holster of cavalry pattern (Flaking to the finish overall, some crazing and cracking over the flap, patina to loops); percussion cap box struck with maker mark C.S. STORMS/MAKER N.Y. with original pointed nipple prick (oxidation to prick, crazing and abrasions); leather bound New Testament published 1863 with the name HAMILTON BALLENTINE in gold letters on the flap, and a pencil written presentation to Ballentine on the interior (cracking to the corners of the binding, some crazing, leather detaching along the upper spine, stains to the corners and toning to the edges of the pages); very rough sand cast and filed pair of spurs with leather loops and no visible maker marks (caramel patina overall with some scratches, and flaking and crazing to leather); leather sword belt with Enlisted grade belt plate with silvered laurels (deep patina overall and some thinning to the silver finish, belt with crazing and cracking along its entire length); equestrian parade neck sash composed of red velvet sash lined in gold ribbon with gold fringe and tassels mounting silvered eagle and stars (some stains to the edges, some loose threads, and some tarnish to beadwork); an unsigned post-war kepi with GAR buttons and false embroidered brass number 6 pins (some splitting of seams of the leather sweat band, some flakes to the edges, partially detached bill, tarnish to the buttons, and some cracking to leather); and a length of horse hair cut from the tail of a horse said to have saved Ballentine by pulling him from a river while he was drowning (an incident recorded in Ballentine's 4 August 1864 letter home where he writes, in small part "When I went down the last time the horse passed over my head and I got him by one of his hind feet and then by the tail..."). Consignor relates some items may have been used by Ballentine during the Grand Review of the Armies held on May 23 to 24, 1865, a final parade of the victorious Union forces before they were mustered out of service.

Born in Ireland, Hamilton Ballentine came to Philadelphia as a young child. HDS indicates that the 27 year-old coachman enlisted on 10/21/1861 at Philadelphia as a sergeant and was mustered into Co. K, PA 6th Cavalry. He reenlisted on 1/1/1864, was transferred to Co. K, PA 2nd Provisional Cavalry in June 1865, and then mustered out on 8/7/1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. He was promoted to 1st Sergeant on 6/6/1865. During his service, Sergeant Ballentine was repeatedly engaged in combat with the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, better known as "Rush's Lancers" for their adoption of the Napoleonic cavalry lance under the recommendation of General George McClellan. After their initial engagements with Confederate forces demonstrated the obsolescence of the lance, the 6th were re-armed with Sharps Carbines in 1863. The 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry fought in some of the most famous battles and campaigns of the American Civil War, including the Peninsula Campaign, the Maryland Campaign, Brandy Station, Gettysburg, and the Overland Campaign. Ballentine's obituary in The Philadelphia Record states that he served "through 57 battles without being wounded." A proud member of the GAR, he died in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1920.

See Lot 146, Manuscript archive of Sergeant Hamilton Ballentine featuring battle content from key engagements and descriptions of "Sheridan's Raiders."