Caleb S. Burdsal of Cincinatti

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Old Wiltshire

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CALEB S. BURDSAL
PART I


A recent post by Basil W. Duke contained a bottle from C.S. Burdsal of Cincinatti

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https://www.antique-bottles.net/sho...-my-bottle-digging-buddies-its-like-Christmas

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I reminded me of a very similar example that I had bought at an auction in the UK a couple of years ago.
I did a little bit of research on it and Caleb S. Burdsal turned out to have quite an interesting back story.
Below I have reproduced the relevant part of a post I put up on a UK forum at the time.
You may already know this but if not it is well worth a read I think.
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I have had to split the post into two parts as this site will not accept posts greater
than 10,000 characters long and no more than 14 images per post.



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C.S. BURDSAL OF CINCINNATI BOTTLE
LOT 205


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This was the lot that I planned to make a bid on prior to the auction. It went for a bit more than I anticipated, however, I am pleased I ‘stuck with it’.
It stands 5.2” tall and has concave champhered corners. It has a simple rolled lip and a cross hinged pontiled base.
It is embossed to the two side panels C.S.BURDSAL / CINCINNATI.
To some it may seem a mundane little bottle but like a lot of the things we collect it is the back story which gives it interest.


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:)
 

Old Wiltshire

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CALEB S. BURDSAL
PART II


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C.S. BURDSAL

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There were a number of Burdsal’s operating as pharmacists and druggists in Cincinnati, Ohio during the mid 19th century and I have no doubt, considering the unusual surname, there will be some sort of connection between them but that will be for research at a later date. This particular Burdsal was Caleb Sothard Burdsal. He had been born in Cincinnati on the 23rd July 1808 and was the eldest of the seven children of Aaron W. Burdsal and his wife Nancy. He studied pharmacy and went on to be one of the leading wholesale druggists in Cincinnati. He became a doctor and also served on the City Council in the capacity of both President and Vice President.

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City Directory 1839-40

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He moved to Colorado in 1859 during the gold rush at Pikes Peak, arriving at Auraria (Denver), Colorado on the 18th May 1859. At sometime prior to moving to Colorado he had moved from Cincinnati to Chicago. His family joined him in Colorado in 1860. After mining for a while he again took up medical practice in Auraria. He was married three times and had a total of 12 children of whom five had died in infancy. For a short time he served as an assistant surgeon with a militia unit. He enlisted on the 27 August 1864 serving with Company S of the 3rd Colorado Cavalry and was present at the Battle of Sand Creek on the 29th November 1864. He was discharged later that year at Denver on the 29th December. The Battle of Sand Creek is now regarded as one of the darker episodes in U.S. history and is now commonly referred to as the ’Sand Creek Massacre’. For those with an interest the link below gives a brief history of this event.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Creek_massacre

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Dr. Burdsal was called upon to given evidence after the event. In some quarters his testimony is considered suspect and possibly an attempt to justify the massacre.
In one of the many references I have seen was the following short statement:


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….He testified on behalf of Col. Chivington during the hearings held after the Sand Creek Massacre indicating that he observed numerous recent scalps of settlers in the destroyed tipis. Whether this is true or a post-mortem justification for the raid on Black Kettle's encampment is unclear….

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A BRIEF 1880 BIOGRAPHY OF CALEB S. BURDSAL M.D.

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There is conflicting information as to what date Caleb Southard Burdsal died but on his gravestone it is given as the 12th April 1888.
He died in Denver and is buried there.


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So back to the bottle. As to its date it was obviously used by Burdsal prior to his move to Colorado in 1859
so could date from anywhere between him setting up in business in Cincinnati to the late 1850’s.
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A mundane looking bottle perhaps but a tangible link to one of the ‘Pioneers of the Wild West’.


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Link to the original post on the British Antique Bottle Forum:

http://www.britishbottleforum.co.uk/showthread.php?28464-Autumn-Extravaganza-Acquisitions-Part-II

:)
 
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