Civil War liquor bottle recovered in a Union New York Infantry camp near Stafford, VA

This is a great bottle being offered, it is an excavated wine bottle measuring 12” high with a diameter of 3 1/4”. It has a beautiful light aqua green color, an applied lip, and a very pronounced kick-up base. This bottle was recovered on October 11, 1998, at an 1862-1863 Union N.Y. Infantry Camp near Brooke Station, Virginia (see map).

This area is where wagons and ambulances and over 400 artillery pieces marched from Warrenton through Stafford and occupied the Stafford Heights overlooking Fredericksburg. About 75 percent of the army fought in the battle of Fredericksburg from Stafford (December 11-15, 1862).

In my book “The Civil War Soldier – His Personal Items”, I discuss in detail the drinking habits of Civil War soldiers and officers – there were instances of some officers leading men into battle while drunk (see pictures).

This bottle is one of several which were recovered by the same digger in the 1990s. With every artifact he dug, he made sure to keep a detailed record of the area and dates of recovery. This is a rare bottle (most in this collection were very dark) – it has the typical features of early glass, having some air bubbles and stretch marks. There are a few “flea bites” in the glass, mostly around the top of lip. It is amazing it survived in this condition.