The silver is on loan for the reopening of the Fredericksburg Museum, November, 2016.
Here are 2 articles that have recently come to our attention, both from John Hennessey of the National Park Service
1. John Hennessey, Oct. 27, 2016
Frederick L. Hitchcock, War From the Inside. Philadelphia: 1904 132d Pennsylvania Memoir
Page 114: “Many houses had fine pianos and other musical instruments, and in some instances impromptu dances were on whilst Confederate shells whanged through the house above their heads. It is safe to say that there was little left of valuable brica-brac to greet the fugitive people on their return. And it is highly probable that pianos and handsome furniture needed considerable repairing after the exodus of the ” Yank.” This was not due to pure vandalism, although war creates the latter, but to the feeling of hatred for the miserable rebels who had brought on the war and were the cause of our being there. And it must be admitted there were some who pocketed all they could for the commercialism there might be in it, the argument again being, ” somebody will take it, and I might as well have it as the other fellow.” The first part of the argument was doubtless as true as the latter part was false. Many trinkets were hawked about among the men after the fight as souvenirs. Among them was a silver-plated communion flagon. Some scamp had filched it from one of the churches and was trying to sell it. Fortunately, he did not belong to our regiment. Our chaplain took it from him and had it strapped to his saddle-bag. His purpose was to preserve it for its owner if the time should come that it could to returned. But in the meantime its presence attached to his saddle and made him the butt of any amount of raillery from both officers and men.”
2. John Hennessey, Oct. 18, 2016
