The Civil War Collection of James C. Frasca

Approx. 5 1/2 in. overall lg. 3-piece clay pipe housed in original shipping box (pipe complete, with wear commensurate with age and heavy use). Box lid addressed in ink to "Capt. John T. Bell Co I 62d Pa Vols 5th Corps Washington D.C." Box also with remnants of postage stamps and label reading, "From J. Roberts & Co. / [indecipherable due to loss] / P[hilade]lphia, / [P]A." Accompanied by early browned ink museum tag reading, "Pipe smoked by John T. Bell, in Cival [sic] War. This box is the original box mailed to him from J. Roberts Co. Phil. Pa.” Initials, likely the writer's, inscribed at bottom: “G.C.E. “ 

Research indicates that John T. Bell was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant into Company I, 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry on 29 July 1861, promoted to first lieutenant on 16 January 1863, and finally captain that September. During his service with the 62nd, he was wounded and captured at the Battle of Gaines Mills and wounded again at the Battle of the Wilderness. He served in that regiment until 2 July 1864, when he was commissioned into Company I of the 155th Pennsylvania Infantry. He is listed as first Lieutenant on the 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry panel of the Pennsylvania monument at Gettysburg.