Civil War Breast Plate, recovered many years ago at the Wilderness, VA Battlefield

This is another nice piece being offered, it is an excavated Civil War Eagle Breast Plate. It has a 2 ½” diameter and would have adorned the leather shoulder sling of a Civil War soldier’s cartridge box. It has the Union eagle on the brass face of the plate. The eagle has the arrows of war in one of her talons and the other talon has the laurel branches of peace.

The back of the plate has the full original lead remaining, but the iron hooks are long gone, as with most dug breast plates. This artifact was recovered many years ago from the Wilderness, Virginia  battlefield.

The Battle of the Wilderness fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, which was an indication of what lied ahead.

The battle was inconclusive and on May 7th, Grant disengaged and moved to the southeast, intending to leave the Wilderness to interpose his army between Lee and Richmond, leading to the bloody Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

I had numerous breast plates in the past, but this one is one of the nicest – no bends or rim loss, full lead, and beautiful untouched patina – indicating a very early recovery.  It comes in the glass top display case pictured.