USV Immunes 1898 Spanish-American War Veteran Souvenir Collection Santiago Cuba For Sale

Spanish-American War Veteran Souvenir CollectionAttributed to Sgt. Woods, Company B, U.S.V. “Immune” RegimentSantiago de Cuba, Cuba • 1898Offered is an exceptionally rare Spanish-American War veteran-assembled souvenir collection preserved substantially intact for well over a century.The centerpiece of the collection is an original envelope bearing an August 1898 New York postmark and addressed to:Sgt. Woods
Company B
U.S.V. Immunes
Military Station
Santiago de Cuba, CubaAccompanying the envelope are four original display boards containing military relics and handwritten explanatory labels believed to have been prepared by the veteran who assembled the collection.Unlike loose Spanish-American War relics encountered today, this group survives as a cohesive educational display documenting military equipment, ammunition, camp life, and souvenirs associated with the American occupation of Santiago following the Spanish-American War.The collection includes* Original addressed military envelope
* Original 45-star United States flag
* Numerous military cartridge and ammunition specimens
* Krag-Jørgensen ammunition
* Spanish Mauser ammunition
* Additional military cartridges identified in period handwriting
* Soldier’s “housewife” (field sewing kit)
* Military knife and forks
* Belt hardware
* Military thimble
* Thread and sewing accessories
* Sheathed knife
* Additional military relics and labeled artifactsHandwritten identifications reference* Santiago de Cuba
* San Juan
* Morro Castle
* Krag-Jørgensen rifle
* Mauser rifle
* Spanish Army
* Brown powder
* Camp equipment
* Soldier’s personal gearHistorical SignificanceThe historical importance of this collection lies not simply in the individual relics, but in the survival of the original veteran-assembled display itself.The handwritten labels preserve the veteran’s own interpretation of many objects, providing context that is seldom retained with Spanish-American War souvenir collections.The addressed envelope provides a direct association with a soldier identified as Sgt. Woods serving with Company B, U.S.V. Immunes at Santiago de Cuba during the 1898 occupation.Research into Sgt. Woods remains ongoing, and no guarantee is made regarding his complete identity beyond the surviving inscription on the envelope.ConditionThe collection exhibits expected wear, losses, staining, oxidation, tears, and age consistent with more than 125 years of preservation.Importantly, the collection has not been restored, rearranged, or modernized. It has intentionally been preserved in its historic display format to retain its original character and research value.Please review all photographs carefully as they form part of the description.A digital copy of the accompanying research dossier will be provided to the purchaser.