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American Civil War ➔ Field Writing Desk
Identifier:
30865Description:
Carried by Captain Andrew Beach Coffinberry of the 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics during the Civil War. Andrew enlisted at the outset of the war and served under his father, Wright Lewis Coffinberry, as a private. Upon his discharge on September 22, 1865, he had achieved the rank of Captain. Both he and his father were civil engineers by trade, and would both serve Grand Rapids as city assessors.The 1st Michigan Engineers were charged with building bridges and army camps during the Union Army's campaigns through the southern United States. This regiment was involved in campaigns such as Sherman's march to the sea and Chattanooga. As the name suggests, this desk would have traveled with Andrew during the campaigns, and was designed to be compact and portable, able to be used for drafting and drawing in the field.
Date:
circa 1863Materials:
WoodDimensions:
22" h 23" w 12" dCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Coffinberry HeirsExhibit/Program:
Thank God for Michigan: Stories from the Civil War (June 6 2011 – March 29 2015)Thank God for Michigan was an exhibition developed by the GRPM to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The exhibit featured over 150 artifacts from the GRPM's collection and told the story of the Civil War through the lens of soldiers and civilians from Michigan.
Related Entities:
Heirs of A.B. Coffinberry (donor) Captain Andrew Beach Coffinberry (used by)Alternate names: Captain A. B. Coffinberry Capt. Wright Lewis Coffinberry (is related to)
Alternate names: Coffinberry Collection
Capt. Wright L. Coffinberry (1807-1889) was a Grand Rapids, Michigan surveyor and captain in Company C of the 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics. He is best know for having excavated The Converse Mounds before they were dismantled in the 1850's. A number of found in collection specimens have a paper "Coffinberry Collection" label attached to them.
