Civil War Officer’s Bullion Chevrac / Shabraque Eagles

Civil War Officer’s Bullion Chevrac / Shabraque Eagles – Civil War officer’s saddle blankets and chevracs or saddle cloths are extremely difficult to find; most extant examples do not have any decorative elements, other than piping. As General Wm. T. Sherman had during the war, some officer’s had chevracs with bullion eagles at the rear corners of their chevrac. We have never seen these bullion eagles available before; we presume that these may have been sold in high end military purveyor entities like Schuyler, Hartley & Graham or Horstmann, for mounted officers to have affixed to their chevracs. This matched pair of chevrac eagles remain in superb condition; each eagle is constructed of gold bullion wire and thread, accented by sequins. The eagles are attached to a deep blue, wool pad, which is backed by a fine mesh, buckram like material. In 1851, when Army regulations changed, chevracs were issued to Dragoon officers, with eagle insignia comparable to these eagles. Civil War period chevracs were made of a dark blue wool, trimmed with 1” gold braid and yellow leather reinforcements for stirrup leathers, black leather trim on openings for cantle and pommel, black leather reinforcements covering seams in front of pommel slit and behind cantle slit and lined with a white cotton canvas printed with blue floral design; Civil War issued chevracs did not have these bullion eagles – these ornamental features had to be privately purchased.

Measurements: Height – 4″; Width – 4″