Full Original Interior - Conrad Liebrich Brass Lock Stamped 1854 With Eagle
Circa 1850's
Possible Ties To Confederate States Of America (CSA)
Company H, 4th Va. Cavalry - The Black Horse Cavalry
SOLD
A very early leather trunk from the 1850's. This trunk measures a good size 34"L X 22"H X 20"W and
is covered with highly tooled leather which is also tooled with the words "WARRANTED SOLE
LEATHER" in two spots and "STEEL SPRINGS" on the top. For this type of trunk, I believe this to be
an early one and chances are it originated from one of the fine leather trunk makers that served the
Washington D.C. area. It is structurally very sound and the primary leather in overall good condition
with some minor cracking, however, most of the leather trim took another fork in the road although
the stitching is still present. It looks fine as is and repair through the use of leather and leather glue
is open for discussion. Re-stitching is not an option. Again, it really looks fine as is and is shown in
photo's below. The leathers coloring ranges from tan to a burgundy such as you would encounter
in the seat of an old saddle. A repair was made to a couple of the back hinges that had pulled loose
(the hinges were fine) and a replacement of one handle with another older one that was the best
match that I had and its leather keepers. The bottom is in excellent shape having a solid sheet of
zinc metal which does not rust and its original wood runners and wheels dated 1855. The lock is
brass with a patent date of 1854 and an eagle with shield on the hole cover. It is a nice one made by
Conrad Leibrich out of Philadelphia. Mr Leibrich started his company in the 1830's and made a fine
lock. Upon his retirement, the company was sold to a couple of other gentlemen who eventually
renamed the company Star Lock Works which continued making high quality locks. A little note on
C. Leibrich is that he is the person that patented the spring that keeps the top part of the lock
pushed forward. Prior to his invention, they simply hung down and often hit the bottom of the trunk
when closing. Back then, the patent numbers were in the 10,000 range.
The interior is original with some wear and discolorations but mostly complete. It has been cleaned
and coated and displays appropriate to the trunks exterior. Inside the lid is a drop down
compartment and the original tray with cover is present.
The following should be considered speculation but something I believe done with honest intent to
record the trunks history by another person. When I purchased this trunk, the tray cover was
detached and wedged down into the trunk bottom as was the tray. After getting them out, I found
written in ink on the tray cover the following:
Walker Reid Millan
And
Columbia Anna Cooper
Married
June 6 1855
Her Bridal Trunk
I believe this was written much later than the trunk, perhaps by a relative, as it must have been
written after the tray cover was already off being that it would be upside down otherwise. It also
refers to the owner as "Her"although the last sentence appears to be by another's hand. I cannot
attest that what is written is fact and do not believe they had the trunk on that date as I think it a year
or two later. But in recording family history we do not always get everything exactly right and given
the date on the lock in relation to their marriage date, it probably made sense to whoever was
recording this, that one of them received the trunk at that time. The wheels being patented in Nov.
1855 makes that impossible. Still, the history of these two people is not common knowledge and no
effort was made to represent the trunk as anything other than an old trunk when I purchased it. As
such, it is hard to simply disregard as I feel it was written with good intent to document the history.
For that reason, I will include some information as I understand it.
Columbia Anna Cooper was from Culpeper, Virginia born in 1833. I believe she was a school
teacher at some point and I can find little information otherwise. She married Walker Reid Millan who
was from a prominent family in Fairfax County, Virginia. His grandfather served in the Revolutionary
War and his father in the War of 1812 and was present at the engagement in which Francis Scott
Key penned the Star Spangled Banner. Their estate was named Oakley and the land granted to
them from King George of England. Oakley was the site of the battle of Ox Hill I believe and for a time
captured and used as a Civil War hospital having been saved from burning to the ground by other
locals who pleaded with Union forces. Walker Reid Millan was a businessman and perhaps Sheriff
of the town as well. He enlisted with the Confederate States of America (CSA) by swearing in with
Company H, 4th Virginia Cavalry. As it turns out, this was the famous Black Horse Cavalry under
Jeb Stuart and later the personal escorts of Stonewall Jackson, and on occasion, Robert E. Lee.
They were also entrusted with delivery of battlefield orders between Jackson and Lee and arguably
the most famous of the Confederate units. Another member of this unit was recognized as the
"Bravest Of The Brave" and the term lent to the unit as a whole. All members were from the same
general location in Virginia with many being related or friends and mostly distinguished sons of well
to do families. They rode beautiful black Morgan horses and were quite cavalier by all accounts but
fought fiercely. From their beginning in 1859 to their end in 1865 there were around 235 of them
total. Many claimed to be affiliated with them later but most were not (sort of like Seals and Special
Forces today). Millan's involvement has been verified by several expert sources through
examination of original roll calls and other documentation. His gravestone bares his regiment and is
marked CSA. They never surrendered at the wars end but simply went home and later were
pardoned having fought but in a noble manner.
I have reattached the tray lid upside down so the writing is readable when opened. It is not
distracting and hard to tell otherwise. The straps holding the lid open are grey and red and from the
1880's. The originals were broken and largely misssing.
trunk. Not sure what it came from.
