Local Civil War Artifacts To Stay In Newtown

The bidding opened at $1,200 and by the time the gavel banged down at Fairfield Auction last weekend, the collection of Civil War artifacts once owned by a prominent early resident of Sandy Hook was sold to Lincoln Sander, president of the Newtown Historical Society, for $5,500.

With the buyers’ premium and tax, the total sale of the items originally owned by William B. Sniffen was $6,325. The estimated value had been $2,500 to $3,500.

“There was a lot of interest in this collection,” Mr Sanders said. “Many people collect Civil War items. There was active bidding in the room and on the phone.”

Jack and Rosie DeStories, owners of Fairfield Auction, later gave Mr Sander a donation of $1,000 to offset part of the cost. The historical society will do fundraising and use its acquisition fund to help repay Mr Sander, who paid the bill so that the collection would stay in Newtown.

“We hope to be able to put the collection on display in a case at the Booth Library so that everyone can see it,” Mr Sander said. “There is nowhere in the Curtiss House to display it and [the Curtiss House, headquarters of the historical society] is only open to the public a few times each year.”

Mr Sniffen was a member of the 2nd Connecticut Light Battery, which served at Gettysburg and other important battles. Included in the collection is his saber, painted canteen, gunner’s pouch, holster, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) hat, and a labeled shadow box with signed CDV, buckles and buttons. According to a label on the box, the grouping was at one time displayed in the former GAR Hall in Sandy Hook.

The Grand Army of the Republic was organized after the end of the Civil War. It was created with just 14 members but the organization grew to 400,000 Union veterans dedicated to preserving the memory of their fallen comrades, to give aid to soldiers’ widows and orphans and to handicapped veterans, and, most of all, to fight for pension increases and other benefits.. The GAR is best known for its encampments held across the country. The last member of the GAR died in 1956.

Mr Sniffen was a longtime business owner in Sandy Hook, operating a jewelry and watch repair store.

Mr DeStories said it is unusual to find Civil War artifacts where the original owner is identified and rare to find such a large collection that came from one individual.

“The fact that the owner was a prominent citizen of our town is exciting,” he said before the sale.

Mr Sander said that Town Historian Daniel Cruson already knew quite a lot about William B. Sniffen but would be doing additional research for a future article about the local resident, his service in the Civil War, and the former GAR headquarters in the Red Brick building in Sandy Hook.

Mr Sander also has an interest in the Civil War, although he is not a collector of the artifacts.

“My great-grandfather was in the Union Army in a New York regiment,” he noted. “My grandfather was born the day after [President] Lincoln was shot, and was named Lincoln. That’s how Lincoln became my family name.”