The items featured in this section are pieces from John Ockerbloom's collection.

This small version of the Hathaway Case is approximately 2 inches in diameter, when rolled, and nearly 8 1/2 inches long. There are nine rollout wooden slats in total, each being about 5/8 inch wide. It has a single centered cross slat that locks the desk open/flat, being stamped in 1/8 inch letters "Pat'D. Dec. 24. 1861."

Inked on the interior of this case is "W. O. Collester. Worcester, Mafs./25. Reg. Mafs. Vol./Feb. 12, 1863." Running perpendicular to this ink inscription in faint pencil is "W. O. Collester." Members of the 25th Regiment noted that they were back into "Old Camp Oliver" for the 1863 New Year into February. The 8th of February 1863 was the one-year anniversary of the taking of Roanoke Island. Collester might have purchased this case from the camp sutler.

In his 1862 day diary (Collection of Mark Savolis), Warren Collester notes:

March 14: Marched to NewBern, took one large Battery after the hard fighting, marched on, Newbern in flames. March 15: I was on guard at a man's house in NewBerne, lived high and had a good time, Bully on me. March 17: I was on guard in New Bern saw some pretty girls in the street.

The 25th regiment was heavily engaged during the spring campaigns of 1864, fighting in numerous battles, as General Grant almost daily fought past General Lee in an attempt to capture either Petersburg or Richmond. The regiment left Cobb's Hill that morning and was moving to take the Richmond & Petersburg railroad line at Arrowfield Church. Collester and the rest of Company K served as skirmishers under Lieutenant Daly, until artillery fire forced them to pull back into the lines. Prisoners captured at Arrowfield Church informed the soldiers that the 25th Mass Infantry had just fought opposite from the 25th South Carolina Infantry. In this engagement, one officer and twelve soldiers were killed, with two officers and forty-seven men being wounded.