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Roll of Uncut Original Cap Ribbons Civil War Era Side-Wheeler SS Republic.... (Total: 1 Items)

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
Roll of Uncut Original Cap Ribbons Civil War Era Side-Wheeler SS Republic.... (Total: 1 Items)
Roll of Uncut Original Cap Ribbons Civil War Era Side-Wheeler SS Republic. A continuous uncut roll of four complete original black silk cap ribbons from the 19th century United States commercial steamer SS Republic. Each example with the embroidered legend: SS Republic flanked with the images of an American Flag and the navy blue pennant of the United States Lines. Built in 1853 in Baltimore, Maryland, she spent her early years as a merchant vessel on the Baltimore to Charleston route, taking goods and passengers from the north, to plantations in the south. Under the name SS Tennessee, she ran the first passenger service between New York and Central America. During the California gold rush, the ship served the passenger route between Vera Cruz and New Orleans. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the ship became a confederate blockade runner that never made it out of the harbor. Once the Union army captured the harbor at New Orleans, she became a Union warship. After the battle of Mobile Bay in September of 1864 she was renamed the U.S.S. Mobile. After the Civil War the ship was damaged in a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and determined unseaworthy. She was purchased at auction, repaired, renamed the SS Republic and put into service again. She made four more voyages before her final ill-fated trip, sinking off the coast of Georgia during a hurricane October 23, 1865, along with $400,000 treasure of gold coins which were recovered by a salvage team in 2003. These ribbons and other Civil War artifacts related to the battle of Mobile Bay were once part of the collection of Lt. Commander Louis Ashfield Kimberly, (later admiral), the executive officer of the USS Hartford, the flagship of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut victor and hero of the battle of Mobile Bay. The ribbons were handed down through heirs to the present owners today. Captain Percival Drayton, commanding officer of the USS Hartford spoke glowingly of Commander Kimberly: "...I am indebted not only for the fine example of coolness and self possession which he set to those around him, but for the excellent condition to which he brought everything belonging to the fighting department of the ship, in consequence of which there was no confusion anywhere, even when from the terrible slaughter at some of the guns, it might have been looked for." Condition: Fine. One example with minor stains, the remainder near mint.