This is the standard 1839 pattern cartridge box plate 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 if left unlatched by the soldier. The face shows as brown with the rim a light, whitish brown mixed with some gray, a few small spots of which appear along the left edge of the “U.” The edge of the rim is very good, showing no dents or dings. The reverse shows gray and brown at center with white oxidation around the perimeter and some brown stains, with the iron wire loops rusty, but intact and in place. The surface of the lead solder fill is level, though it does show two hairlines following the path of the iron wire inside that has likely oxidized somewhat and expanded, but there are no chips or missing pieces to the fill.

This was originally in the collection of Syd Kerksis, a 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 on the find location and date: “Groveton – 2d Man[assas] (29 Aug 62)” noting the date of the find as February 1956, the contents of the envelope (“CBP” = cartridge box plate,) and a note at bottom: “Schenk / S  WTP,” which we take to mean the position of Schenk’s division in the fighting August 29 on the south side of the Warrenton Turnpike near its intersection with the Groveton-Sudley Road. This was on the left of the Union line as it faced Jackson arrayed along the ridge to the north and became more the center of the line as Longstreet’s forces arrived off to the Union left, at first suffering under an artillery barrage and later in the day getting into a firefight with some of Early’s brigade before pulling back in the face of an advance by Hood’s division, all in preparation for the climactic fighting the next day, which rather put an end to Gen. Pope’s reputation as a battlefield commander.  [sr][ph:m]

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