Civil War Union Cartridge box, very early pickup from the Bull Run Battlefield (SOLD)

Being offered is a Civil War soldier’s Cartridge Box, measuring 7 ½” x 7” x 2” and has no visible markings. It is mostly intact with the brass closure finial and strap and the two belt straps on the back. There are no box tins (many soldiers didn’t use them), and no box plate on the front cover.

It is a very early battlefield pick-up from the Bull Run, Virginia battlefield. This is where two major battles occurred: the First Battle of Bull Run, also called the Battle of First Manassas, and the Second Battle of Bull Run, or Battle of Second Manassas. This was where Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson acquired his nickname "Stonewall".

This box is from the remarkable collection of the late Ron Wolford. Ron was a long-time relic hunter who dug in the Sharpsburg MD. and Harpers Ferry WV and amassed a very large collection of Civil War artifacts.

The condition of the box verifies its early pick up. After the battles many local citizens combed the area for so-called “battlefield trophies”. Being that these were early battles, many thought this would be the end of the war and the only opportunity to acquire a souvenir.

The lowest survival rate on anything from a battlefield is cloth and leather – over time they just disintegrate. However, there are some instances of these items still intact when found in damp soil. This is a rare opportunity to acquire an item from one of the first Civil War battles.