Officer’s Eagle Belt Plate dug Kentucky, ex-museum piece with COA note

This is a great piece being offered, it is an excavated 1851 Officer’s Eagle Belt Plate measuring 3” x 2”. The reverse shows the remnants of the hooks. Interesting, on the corners of the plate are four small nail holes. It was dug in 1995 at a Union campsite in Simpson County, Kentucky.

It was purchased from the Octagon Hall Museum in Franklin, Kentucky (see pictures). Billy Byrd, Executive Director of the museum, has a signed note indicating the location of the recovery site (included). It was dug near the construction site of the Water Tower, near Kentucky Downs Raceway (see pictures).

With the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson in 1862, Confederate forces evacuated their stronghold in Bowling Green, KY and took refuge at Octagon Hall. An estimated eight to ten thousand Confederate soldiers camped on the grounds on February 13th before retreating into Tennessee the following morning. Just two days later the Union army came in pursuit of the Confederates and took occupation of the Hall.

At first, I thought this plate came off a relic board because of the holes. This was a common practice with diggers and early museums. However, as I closely examined it, I can still see dirt in the holes, this makes it obvious that the museum did not have it on a relic board but got it from the digger just as he found it.

No one will ever know for certain why this plate has holes, but my guess would be that when the hooks broke, and instead of the soldier discarding it, nailed it to a wagon, crate, or even a tree. This is one of those relics that has everything going for it, location of find, ex-museum piece, when recovered, and a signed note from the museum. It is in very nice condition and comes in the glass top display case pictured.