Very unique lead soldier-carving, CS Winter Camp, Shelbyville, TN

This is another nice piece being offered, it is a folded-up strip of thin lead. It measures 2 ½” x ¾” and is identified with “Shelbyville, Tenn / 12-15-80 / CS Winter Camp / Lewisburg Pike. This is the history of its recovery at a Confederate Winter Camp on Dec. 15, 1980 (see map).

This was the 1863 Confederate Army of Tennessee Artillery camp located off Lewisburg Pike near Shelbyville, Tennessee. This is considered “soldier-art” and was a favorite pass-time for Civil War soldiers. They would melt lead bullets and start shaping the lead. In my book “The Civil War Soldier – His Personal Items”, I discuss this practice in more detail.

Soldiers would carve anything imaginable, but this is the first item I have seen with this unique detail. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.