17th U.S. Infantry Officer’s Voucher – Lost Arm At Fair Oaks, Va. SOLD

Description

Calvin P. McTaggart, enlisted as a corporal in the 3rd Michigan Infantry from Grand Rapids, on May 13, 1861. He had received an appointment for sergeant shortly after. McTaggart was wounded severely at the Battle of Fair Oaks, Va on May 31, 1862, and later lost his left arm by amputation.

His value as an officer is apparent, as he was commissioned in Sept of 1862, as a 2nd Lt., then 1st Lt. the following March, and then transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps in Sept.  McTaggart would receive a brevet for  Fair Oaks in 1867.

Obviously, the fight was still in him and wanting to continue with a military career, the one armed McTaggart, mustered out of the VRC on 26 Nov., 1866, but received a commission in the regular army on Jan. of 1867, assigned to the new 44th Infantry Regiment, and later transferred to the 17th Infantry after the reorganization of the Army in 1869.   By March of 1873, McTaggart had gained back the 1st lieutenant rank.

Rough duty on the frontier would prove fatal for McTaggart, who died of sickness in 1876, still serving in the 17th Infantry.

He saw several hard years in the Dakotas from 1870 to 1876.  McTaggart was first stationed at the Grand River Agency near Fort Sully, and was with his company “E” during General David Stanley’s Yellowstone Expedition of 1872.  By the time of the Sioux Campaign of 1876, he was dismissed from duties for sickness and did not make that ill fated campaign.

The pay voucher is dated 2 July, 1871, was extra payment for his duties as Assistant Commissary of Subsistence from Oct. 28, 1869, to Feb. 28, 1870. This extra duty was attested to by Commissary General of Subsistence. A.B. Eaton. Brigadier General.

Condition is fine with minor wear and some paper loss in the lower folds.