Hatch graduated from the Academy in 1845 and immediately saw active
service in the Mexican War. He fought not only in General Taylor's
campaign in northern Mexico but also in General Scott's campaign to
capture Mexico City. In the years intervening before the Civil War he
saw active service in Indian campaigns and took part in a number of
scouting expeditions. With the outbreak of the Civil War he was
assigned with the Volunteers in the Army of the Potomac until he was
severely wounded at South Mountain, for which action he received the
Congressional Medal of Honor. He spent the rest of the Civil War on
duty behind the lines where he was in command of various districts in
the Department of the South following Sherman's campaign.
The largest and most elaborate set of presentation silver in the Museum
is a complete table service (fig. 9) that was given to General Judson
Kilpatrick by the Veterans Association of Connecticut on the occasion of
his marriage to a Chilean in 1868 while he was serving as U.S. Minister
to Chile. The set is engraved with emblems of the United States, Chile,
the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy. The monograms on the individual pieces
are in gold of four colors. More than any other silver service in the
Museum this one may be said to epitomize the elaborate realism so
popular during the height of the Victorian era.
[Illustration: Figure 9.--SILVER SERVICE presented to Gen. Judson
Kilpatrick by the Veterans Association of Connecticut. Loan of the estate
of Mrs. Luisa V. Kilpatrick. In Division of Political History. (Acc.
57292, cats. 15145-15167; Smithsonian photo 28067.)]
The pieces are marked "Meriden B * Company *" in a circle around a
shield surmounted by balanced scales. This mark was used in the second
half of the 19th century by the Meriden Britannia Company for its
high-grade, silver-plated hollow-ware made on a base of silver
nickel.[11]
There are two trays in the set. The smaller tray is shown in figure 9.
The larger one measures 22-1/2 inches by 38 inches and is inscribed: