Figure 9.––Silver service presented to Gen. Judson Kilpatrick by the Veterans Association of Connecticut. Loan of the estate of Mrs. Luisa V. Kilpatrick. In Division of Political History. (Acc. 57292, cats. 15145-15167; Smithsonian photo 28067.)
The pieces are marked “Meriden B * Company *” in a circle around a shield surmounted by balanced scales. This mark was used in the second half of the 19th century by the Meriden Britannia Company for its high-grade, silver-plated hollow-ware made on a base of silver nickel.[11]
There are two trays in the set. The smaller tray is shown in figure 9. The larger one measures 221⁄2 inches by 38 inches and is inscribed:
The Veteran Soldiers of Connecticut to Kilpatrick
It is engraved in gold and silver with flags of the United States and Chile crossed with bayonets and spears. On one side there is a center medallion in gold with the monogram “L V K” (for Luisa V. Kilpatrick) in a circle surmounted on a shield of stars and stripes. Above the monogram there is a banner with three stars and a triangle. On the other side of the standing piece two eagles in fighting position are shown in front of a sunburst design. The United States flag can be seen directly behind the victorious eagle. The motto “Tuebor” is at the top of the sunburst. The entire design is encircled by a ring of stars, and there is a shield of stars and stripes at the top. This same design is repeated on all 40 pieces.
The service contains napkin rings, vegetable dishes, syrup jar, spoon holder, large centerpiece, porcelain-lined pitcher, and other miscellaneous pieces of silver used for table service. The pieces of the tea and coffee service are mounted on four feet that are fastened to the bowl with cattle heads with branched horns. Each foot stands on a cloven hoof. The knob of each of the pots is a tiny horse jumping over a four-bar hurdle.
One of the most interesting military presentation pieces in the collection is a silver and copper shield presented to Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles, U.S. Army, by the officers of the 5th Infantry Regiment. General Miles served for many years as colonel of the regiment and led it in a number of notable Indian engagements. Beginning in 1869 his regiment defeated the Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Sioux, Nez Percé, and Bannock Indians, and, in 1886, after a long and difficult campaign, Miles compelled the surrender of the Apaches under Geronimo and Natchez.