Beautiful US Cartridge Box Plate dug at the East Woods of the Antietam Battlefield (SOLD)

Being offered is a piece that has been in my private collection for 25+ years, it is an excavated U.S. Union Cartridge Box Plate. The front has a beautiful chocolate brown patina, and the reverse has all of its lead and one remaining hook. This plate was dug by the late Wendell Lang. He and his father were pioneer relic hunters since the 1960s and have contributed to many books, magazines, and museums. It was dug at the East Woods of the Antietam Battlefield.

The Battle of Antietam was a scene of chaos and violence on September 17th, 1862, especially in the “East Woods” – where these bullets were recovered. A soldier from the 8th Ohio Infantry (Burnside’s Corps) described the fighting in the East Woods the night before the battle:

“Nothing could have been more grand. The red glare of flame along the Rebel line for more than a mile, the bright streams of light along the track of the shell, and the livid clouds of smoke as the shell burst in the air, constituted a spectacle brilliant beyond comparison.”

This truly is a great piece and dug by a well known historian. It has a beautiful face with only a couple of tiny freeze cracks (hardly noticeable). It comes in the glass top display case pictured.