This cartridge box was purchased by Greencastle collector Tom Bohon from Mrs. Ellen Shields in the late 1970’s. Tom was a regular visitor to the Shields Museum and got to know the family. Tom had often mentioned to them that if they ever wanted to sell anything he would be interested. One Saturday Mrs. Ellen Shields pulled a box with several items from under the counter and asked Tom if he was interested. Tom purchased the box which included the cartridge box described below.

Union Pattern 1861 cartridge box in good but very dry condition. The outer flap is heavily crazed and warped. There are two holes for anchoring a box plate that is now missing. Despite the crazing the surface finish loss is moderate. The latch tab, which was held on with only a single line of stitching, is now gone. The interior flap has lost both ears. Its surfaced has severe crazing with some surface finish loss. The interior of the box has no tins causing the body to collapse on itself a bit. The implement pocket is present and complete but the flap has separated from the box.

The body of the box is in good but dry condition. The bottom of the box still retains the round shaped brass finial and both roller buckles which are slightly rusted. The reverse of the box is dry like the rest of it but exhibits less crazing and no finish loss. Both the sling and belt loops are present and complete. All the stitched seams are still tight.

There is little doubt that this box arrived at this condition from exposure to the elements and no doubt laid out on the battlefield for some time before being recovered.

Still attached to the box is the original Horse Soldier tag with inventory number and the date we originally sold the item in 1989.

Ott Shields amassed one of the earliest and well known collections of Gettysburg artifacts.  In 1918, he opened a private museum that featured the “Shields Collection,” one of the few documented Gettysburg collections obtained by local families (Rosensteel; Danner; Wert; Mumper; Ziegler, etc.).  The Shields Museum closed in the 1980s and the collection was sold at auction on November 16, 1985.  Offering over 600 lots “comprised mostly of Gettysburg battlefield pick-up relics,” the auction attracted several hundred Civil War collectors, dealers, and museum buyers.

Items from the old Shields Museum of Gettysburg artifacts are highly sought after and very desirable.

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