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LT. COLONEL DAVID TORRANCE, 29TH AFRICAN AMERICAN

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 3,500.00 USD
LT. COLONEL DAVID TORRANCE, 29TH AFRICAN AMERICAN

CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, PHOTO AND SHOULDER STRAPS. David Torrence (1840-1906) entered service July 1862 as sergeant 18th CT, captured and sent to Libby prison. After parole as POW, he transferred to newly formed 29th Colored CT with commission as captain January 1, 1864, he was promoted to major March 24, and Lt. colonel November 24, 1864. The 29th was stationed and trained at Beaufort, SC and then stationed as part of Army of the James in Virginia seeing action at Petersburg, having 80 casualties at Battle of Fair Oaks October 28, 1864, 29th transferred to 25th AC in December and were first infantry regiment to enter Richmond April 3, 1865. War ends and 29th sails for Texas June 10 for duty at Brownsville, sailed back to CT October and mustered out November 25, 1865. Torrence practiced law in CT postwar, Law professor at Yale, served in General Assembly, Secretary of State, judge, and Chief Justice CT Supreme Court last 5 years of his life.
These 4 pair of straps represent his ranks (captain, major, and lt. colonel) from January 1864 till last promotion while in the trenches of Petersburg November 1864. The fine 7” albumen portrait of Lt. Colonel Torrence, shows the smaller double border Lt. colonel straps in this group. Rarely can we show progression of actual insignia worn by an officer during the Civil war, especially of a unit civil of African American troops.
UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: small file of research. CONDITION: straps are very good overall, blue has faded on all, captain straps still have paper backs and show little use, he was captain for less than 3 months. One strand of bullion wire is raised and lose on the pair of Lt. colonel’s he is wearing in photo. (02-17023/JS). $3000-3500.