CARTRIDGE BOX PLATE FROM THE NAVAL BATTERY AT HARPERS FERRY

$450.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2024-1732

This is an excellent excavated regulation US cartridge box plate recovered by Syd Kerksis, well known early relic hunter, collector and author of several respected books on Civil War material. It comes with Kerksis’s collection envelope bearing his notations that it was found in November 1960 at the naval battery on Maryland Heights at Harpers Ferry.

The plate is the regulation M1839 pattern cartridge box plate used by Union infantry through the Civil War, made of die-struck rolled brass with a lead-solder filled back serving both as an ornament and to hold down the flap of the cartridge box. The face has crisp lettering, an excellent rim, and a pleasing medium brown, with the rim showing some brownish white and some thin surface crud in couple of recessed spots. We see just a couple of small, shallow dings to the right of the letters, from field use at the time. The lead-solder fill on the reverse has a level surface showing bluish gray with some white and light brown mixed in and just shallow losses around the edge. The iron wire loops are present and intact, though showing rust and thinning from corrosion.

Harpers Ferry will be familiar as a important point targeted by John Brown for the armory in 1859 and by Virginia forces in 1861, retaken by Union forces and then seized again by Confederates after a brief siege in the Antietam Campaign of 1862. The naval battery was erected about 300 feet above and overlooking the Potomac, and derived its name from its initial  use of naval guns manned by sailors and marines in May 1862 to defend against possible attack by Jackson in his Valley Campaign. Jackson, who had organized Virginia troops there after its 1861 capture, did reappear, but not until September 1862, when he captured Harpers Ferry, with most of its garrison, just before the Battle of Antietam. The naval battery originally included 3 guns. After Federal forces occupied it once again, the battery, including earthworks and magazines, was expanded to take 7, but had lost some of its importance from the erection of other batteries to defend the post.

This is a very nice looking plate with a great provenance.  [sr] [ph:m]

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