Description:

Porter David 1813 - 1891 Full dress Naval belt with ornate gilt buckle, attributed to Admiral David Porter
Great condition full dress officer belt, owned by Admiral David Porter. 32.5" in length not counting the 2" round ornate gilt buckle with the emblem of an eagle holding an anchor in its talons. Made by Joseph Starkey Ltd in London. Purchased from Westport Auctions, who had a large group of Civil War artifacts attributed to Porter.



A beautiful, well kept personal belt, owned by Admiral David Porter. Made by Joseph Starkey Ltd who at the time were embroiderers, gold and silver lacemen, and makers of military accoutrements. Joseph Starkey was based in London with the full address on the reverse of the belt.


Admiral David Porter was one of the Union's brightest and most decorated commanders of naval forces during the Civil War. With a father (David Porter Sr.) so highly touted and deserving of that fame, his son had big shoes to fill. The Pennsylvania born and raised Union commander did just that and more.


At the start of the Civil War, Admiral Porter was the commander of the gunboats that "softened" up the Mississippi river ports near New Orleans. The Confederates had dug in deep and tight into the bunkers and parapets of the forts that peppered the coastline of the river. The effectiveness of the gunboat assault paved the way for the bigger warships under the command of Admiral Farragut, to pound the city of New Orleans and force the crescent city's ultimate surrender.


War was raging in the United States with no end in sight for the bitter fighting and bloodshed. Admiral Porter was sent to assist General Grant and General Sherman in the Siege of Vicksburg, one of the most strongly defended and well-supplied towns in the Confederacy. By taking this essential and important river city, the Union would gain ultimate control of the very waterway that would lead to the surrender of the Rebels. Porter was then chosen to lead an amphibious assault against Fort Fisher in Wilmington, North Carolina in early 1865. The eventual taking of the Confederate fort, (which was the only time that this military achievement was made from sea the entire war) lead to the surrender of General Lee's army at that Appomattox.


Porter ultimately achieved the rank of Full-Admiral and is considered one of the greatest commanders of the high seas. As such his decorated formal belt is a great naval artifact from the period.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000