Traveling Doctor's Saddlebag belonging to Dr. William Steptoe Reid of Williamson County, Tennessee (1813-1899). During the Civil War, Reid was held briefly as a prisoner by Union forces. Lot also includes a circa 1890s photograph of Dr. Reid. Leather double saddle bag, top stitched, with buckle straps. Contains approximately 3 dozen medical and surgical tools including lancets and knives, some with tortoise or bone handles, and several glass medicine vials. Each side of saddlebag measures 12" H x 8" W x 4" D. Provenance: descended in the family of Dr. William Steptoe Reid to current consignor. Reid was born (and buried) at Treelawn Plantation in Williamson County, Tennessee. He attended West Point at the the urging of family friend, President Andrew Jackson (whose letter to Reid's grandfather, detailing his intervention on young Reid's behalf at West Point is also being offered in this auction. William Steptoe Reid roomed for awhile at West Point with a young man named Edgar Allan Poe, who would be expelled in 1831 but go on to earn international fame as a writer. Reid left the institution the same year as Poe and pursued a career in medicine at the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. He practiced medicine for several years in Holly Springs, MS, but returned to Tennessee following the death of his first wife, Agnes. He then married his first cousin, Sarah Claiborne Maury, and they moved to Warren County. Reid did not enlist during the Civil War due to being overage, and did not render active aid to the Confederacy. However, he was captured by the Union Army in 1862 and held briefly before being released on the order of General W. Nelson. Reid also practiced in Lafayette, Alabama for several years before returning to Williamson County, where he lived the rest of his years at Treelawn Plantation. CONDITION: Saddlebag in overall good condition with moderate overall usage wear and some light staining. Some broken leather straps. Remnants of contents still present in some vials; use caution in handling. Medical tools in good condition with scattered wear and rust; use caution in handling.