Lot 2475
4th Michigan Cavalry Civil War articles
Important Civil War photographs and artifacts of the 4th Michigan Cavalry regiment belonging to Lt. A.B.Purinton relating to the capture of Jefferson Davis. Commanded by Brev. Brig. Gen. B.D.Pritchard, the infamous capture of Confederate General Jefferson Davis occured on May 10, 1865 at Irwinville, Irwin Co., Georgia. Items belonged to Lt. Alfred B. Purinton (1834-1902), one of the four officers including Pritchard to escort Davis to Washington D.C. Collection includes a small photo album of 25 CDV's of 4th Michigan Cavalry officers including Pritchard, 16 of them signed. Button, ostensibly cut from the rubber cloak Davis wore as he tried to escape capture in womans attire. (There is a refrence to A.B Purinton's ownership of this button in Coopers ''History of Jerseyville, Illinois'' published in 1901). A gold pen nib claimed to be confiscated by Purinton and belonging to Davis at the time of capture. A scarce 1819 Purinton family bible documenting Purinton marriages, births and deaths, published in 1819 by J. Holbrook of Battleborough, Vt. A small late 19th c. family photo album including two images of ''Miss Pritchard'' at Lake Michigan, an immediate descendant of B.D.Pritchard. A late 19th c. leather embossed photo album including 40 portraits. An autograph album with hand colored engravings published by J.C Riker circa 1844, belonging to Miss Ann Jenett Maxwell (Nettie), later Lt. A.B Purintons wife. Includes a full page poem dedicated to her by J. Wesley Greene with his signature. Mr Greene relayed a peace proposal early in the Civil War from Abraham Lincoln to Jefferson Davis whose trust he had obtained in prior military campaigns. Many period newspaper clippings, and a Century Magazine of Feb 1890 relating to the capture of Jefferson Davis and Purintons role in the event