Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Epaulet |
Catalog Number |
1939.543.4 |
Date |
ca. 1860 |
Material(s) |
Silk/Brass |
Dimensions |
H-4 W-5 L-7 inches |
Description |
This is a pair of militia officer's brass epaulettes worn by members of the Lexington Rifles. The outer bodies are made of woven brass thread that is in a scale like pattern. The edges are covered with braided cord. There are a raised brass crescents that cover the far end. Wide brass tassels are suspended from the crescent. There are steel stiffeners in the interior of each. The bottoms are lined and padded with silk. Each epaulet has a button hole for attachment to a uniform. |
Notes |
Worn by a member of the Lexington Rifles, who were among the first units to leave the state and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the Civil War. The Lexington Rifles were led by John Hunt Morgan. Donated by Nellie Morgan (Ellen Key Howard Morgan), niece of John Hunt Morgan. Founded by John Hunt Morgan in 1857, the Lexington Rifles was comprised of about 60 prominent Lexingtonians, many of them businessmen. They wore green frock coats, gold-braided trousers with white cross belts, and their hats, known as shakos, had brass insignia of a federal eagle over the letters "LR." The group, commanded by John Hunt Morgan, drilled twice a week at their armory on the corner of Main and Upper Streets. A sign at the entrance read, "Our Laws, the commands of Our Captain." John Hunt Morgan was a disciplinarian who issued fines for violations; he even fined himself twenty-five cents for tardiness. Because of this strict discipline, the Lexington Rifles performed stunning drill displays and endeared themselves to Lexington. The group even escorted Governor Beriah Magoffin into Frankfort for his inauguration in August 1859. After John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry, the Kentucky government organized a State Guard in March of 1860 to defend against similar events, assigning Simon Bolivar Buckner command. The guard was comprised of 132 militias, including the Lexington Rifles who were commissioned into the State Guard on May 9, 1860. In June 1860, the Lexington Rifles organized with other Fayette County companies to form the Lexington Battalion. In November 1860, the Lexington Battalion combined with the Kentucky River Battalion to create the First Infantry Regiment; the Lexington Rifles were given the honor of being Company A. At the onset of the Civil War, Union leaning men left the State Guard to join the Union at recruitment camps set up throughout the state. The First Infantry Regiment disintegrated; the Southern leaning elements (aside from the Lexington Rifles) formed the First Kentucky Brigade, later known as the Orphan Brigade, in July 1861. Governor Magoffin ordered State Guard troops to return their arms to be stored in the state arsenal, but John Hunt Morgan shipped crates filled with rocks allowing the Lexington Rifles to keep their weapons. When the ruse was discovered, John Hunt Morgan and his men left Lexington for the Confederate-leaning Bowling Green. In October 1861, the group consolidated with two other cavalry companies to form Morgan's Squadron of the Kentucky Cavalry (CSA). |
Collection |
Nellie Morgan Collection |
Event |
American Civil War |
People |
Morgan, John Hunt, 1825-1864 |
Subjects |
Militias Military officers Insignia Uniforms Military uniforms |
Search Terms |
American Civil War Kentucky State Guard Lexington Rifles |
Physical Holder |
Kentucky Historical Society - KHS |