This dug relic is a compact, private purchase, brass identification stencil that we believe belonged to Federal artilleryman John Murphy was recovered from the Fair Oaks, Virginia battlefield on June 26, 1956. Murphy was a forty-four year old Mariner from Salem, Mass. when he enlisted as a private the 5^th Battery, Massachusetts Volunteer Light Artillery on December 9, 1862.  He was mustered into the battery on that same day.  Murphy served with the unit until his muster out on December 14, 1864.

Typical of what many soldiers kept in their haversacks during the Civil War to identify their own personal items, this sheet brass stencil is a relic condition specimen that has broken apart into three pieces. The remains of the rectangular stencil measures roughly 3” long x 2” wide and has a two-line entry horizontally stamped area that reads, “J. MURPHY / 5 Mass. Batt”. Stencil face exhibits a medium brown patina and also sports three fold-creases from being in the ground. This dug stencil is a piece of identified, Civil War memorabilia that would fit nicely into any collection of personal artifacts. Comes with cursory information from the Civil War Research Database.