Civil War Shoulder Scale recovered in the 1970s at Antietam Battlefield

This is another nice piece being offered, it is an excavated brass shoulder scale. These scales were issued to Federal enlisted cavalry and some artillerymen (see period photograph). In addition to adornment, they were supposed to provide some protection to the men’s shoulders from strikes by a saber. The scales are attached to the pan and held with a thin iron sheet. It was recovered from the Antietam Battlefield from a local digger in the 1970s.

The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the South, was fought on September 17, 1862. This was the first major battle in the Civil War to take place on Union soil. It is the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with a combined tally of dead, wounded, and missing at 22,717.

Despite having superiority of numbers, McClellan's attacks failed to achieve force concentration, allowing General Lee to counter by shifting forces and moving interior lines to meet each challenge. Despite ample reserve forces that could have been deployed to exploit localized successes, McClellan failed to destroy Lee's army. McClellan had halted Lee's invasion of Maryland, but Lee was able to withdraw his army back to Virginia without interference from the cautious McClellan.

This shoulder scale is in pretty good condition for being dug – this is because of the early recovery. When found today they are usually in pieces. It would make a nice addition to any Civil War collection.