Civil War Id’d Confederate Soldier’s Money Belt – Private John Lumpkin Pinson, Co. A 8th Georgia Infantry

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Civil War Id’d Confederate Soldier’s Money Belt – Private John Lumpkin Pinson, Co. A 8^th Georgia Infantry – We have had other examples of this type of mid-19^th century money belt; all are generally of the same design – multiple diminutive pockets, all with flap closures, with milk glass buttons as closure modes. The belts are usually, as this one, constructed of a soft, pliable leather, either calf or goat skin. Some of the belts are more elaborately trimmed, while some are rather simple. This example is interesting in that its belted closure strap is constructed of a blue and white striped, heavy cotton, comparable to the ubiquitous, 19^th century bed ticking, a fabric utilized to construct many Confederate canteen straps. The belt closes via this strap being threaded through a large, sheet iron, toothed buckle. The belt remains in overall, good condition; it had one weak area, which we had our textile conservator reinforce. When we obtained the belt, it was contained in an old, department store box that had penciled on the interior of the lid:

“Pr. John Lumpkin

Pinson

Under

Gen Wheeler

Mrs Pinson

1096 McLynn Ave”

Inside the old box were two papers, one an Atlanta bank deposit slip, from the 1930s; on the back or blank side of the slip is written, in pencil:

“Pri. John Lumpkin Pinson

Belt

under

Gen. Wheeler

1096 McLynn Ave

Mrs. Pinson”

The second note was written on half of an old envelope, with the printed, return address of Rich’s (a department store in Atlanta) bearing most of the address of Mrs. Pinson; this note stated:

“Confederate

Mrs. Mary W. Pinson

Mrs. Wallace Rhodes (or Rhoder) Sr

Confederate

Descendant of

Jefferson Davis”

Mary W. Pinson was the granddaughter of John Lumpkin Pinson; her parents were C. DeWitt Pinson (son of the 8^th Ga. Soldier, Private John Lumpkin Pinson) and Mary Virginia Weathersby. Miss Pinson’s address, as found in doing research, was indeed as listed on the interior of the box in which the belt was found and on the bank slip – 1096 McLynn Avenue NE, Atlanta, Ga. Private Pinson, after the war, became a successful, Greensboro, NC and Atlanta, Ga. druggist; his obituary, from 1919, identifies him as a former Confederate soldier. At this posting, we have not been able to determine how Mrs. Rhodes or Rhoder was related to Jefferson Davis.

The belt remains in overall very good condition; it had a weak section, mid-belt, and had separated – we had our textile conservator place a backing, on the back side of the belt, to insure stability. All of the original milk glass buttons remain in place, as does the fabric embellishment piping around the belt edges and pockets. One of the pocket’s interior lining exhibits the green outline from the verdigris of a period coin that was once in the pocket. This is fine period, identified, Confederate soldier’s personal item.

Measurements: L – 36.5”; W (widest section) – 2.5”

john Lumpkin Pinson

8th GA Infantry

8th Regiment, Georgia Infantry

OVERVIEW:

8th Infantry Regiment as organized by Colonel F.S. Bartow during the spring of 1861. All of its companies had seen prior military service in the Georgia militia and were from Rome, Savannah, and Atlanta, and the counties of Greene, Echols, Pulaski, and Floyd. Early in June the unit was ordered to Virginia and, assigned to F.S. Bartow’s Brigade, fought at First Manassas. In April, 1862, it had but 251 men fit for duty and for the balance of the war served under General G.T. Anderson. The 8th was involved in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days’ Battles to Cold Harbor, except when it was with Longstreet at Suffolk, in Georgia, and at Knoxville. It did not take part in the Battle of Chickamauga. The unit participated in the Petersburg siege south and north of the James River and later the Appomattox Campaign. It reported 41 killed and 159 wounded at First Manassas, had 28 killed, 65 wounded, and 11 missing during the Seven Days’ Battles, and lost 8 killed and 54 wounded at Second Manassas. It lost more than fifty percent of the 312 engaged at Gettysburg, and from April 14 to May 6, there were 92 disabled, and from August 1 to December 31, 1864, the regiment had 82 killed or wounded. At the surrender it contained 14 officers and 139 men. The field officers were Colonels F.S. Bartow, William M. Gardner, L.M. Lamar, and John R. Towers; Lieutenant Colonels Thomas L. Cooper and Edward J. Magruder; and Majors John F. Cooper and George O. Dawson.