INTERESTING INSCRIBED 1861 WINCHESTER, VA NOTE

Inscribed currency from the Civil War is rather hard to find, notwithstanding the occasional Confederate piece with someone's attempted forgery of Robert E. Lee's signature scrawled upon it. Ihave in my collection several unusual items of Civil War vintage. The first that I will present to you is a $1 bank note of the Girard Bank of Philadelphia, dated Jan. 9, 1862. Inscribed in bold penon the back is the following:

I am sure many of you can see how this item certainly piqued my interest, and my excitement was palpable when I obtained it. I initiated an Internet search in an effort to find out more about J.G.Stewart and the mysterious Mobile Cadets. After a short but determined inquiry, I found some information that really brought the item to life.

The Mobile Cadets were none other than Company A, 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. The Mobile Cadets consisted of volunteers from Mobile County, Ala., and was the very first company to volunteer toserve the Confederacy. The 3rd Alabama was the first regiment from that state to offer its services to the Confederate cause and the first to be sent to Virginia for mustering duties. Jones M.Withers was elected its first colonel.

The 3rd Alabama had been held in reserve in Norfolk for almost a year without seeing any action. Its "baptism of fire" came on June 1, 1862, at the battle known as Seven Pines to the Confederatesand Fair Oaks to the Federals. This battle was part of the great Peninsula Campaign in which the Union Army, under the command of Gen. George McClellan, came within 10 miles of Richmond but failed tocapture it.

I have yet to determine the identity of the officer from whose pocket the note was taken, but how many colonels of Philadelphia units could have fallen at Seven Pines? If any readers can offer anyfurther assistance here, I would be grateful.

I asked researcher Eric Schena about the Winchester note. He writes:

To read the complete article, see:
Unusual Civil War vintage notes (http://www.numismaticnews.net/article/unusual-civil-war-vintage-notes)