W.H. SMITH MARKED US CARTRIDGE BOX PLATE RECOVERED BY SYD KERKSIS AT MYER’S HILL SPOTSYLVANIA IN DECEMBER 1955

W.H. SMITH MARKED US CARTRIDGE BOX PLATE RECOVERED BY SYD KERKSIS AT MYER’S HILL SPOTSYLVANIA IN DECEMBER 1955

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Item Code: 2025-786

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This maker-marked cartridge box plate was found at Myer’s Hill, the scene of fighting on May 14 at Spotsylvania as Grant tried to strike the right of the Confederate line, but poor roads delayed his troop movements and frustrated the attempt. Two Union regiments drove off Confederate cavalry from the position, and were reinforced by two more regiments and Upton’s brigade, but were driven back by troops under Mahone. Union forces took it again later in the day in a counterattack, but by that time Lee had already decided to pull back. Fighting at Spotsylvania, one of the bloodiest engagements of the war, would continue until May 19 at Harris Farm.

This is the regulation 1839 pattern plate used throughout the war and bears the marking on the back of W.H. Smith of Brookly, a major supplier of these plates to the Union army. See O’Donnell and Campbell Plate 528 for a similar Smith marked plate. This was recovered by Syd Kerksis, one of the legendary early relic hunters and collectors, and author of “Plates and Buckles of the American Military 1795-1874,” and is still in his collection envelope annotated by him with date and location where he found it.

This has a pleasing chocolate-brown patina on the face, showing just some narrow gray around the rim. The edge has only some very tiny dings. The definition of the letters is very good and the surface shows only some small dings and some scratches on the right leg of the U. The lead solder fill on the back is intact, level, smooth gray in color with only shallow surface corrosion, and both iron wire loops are intact. Smith’s stamp, “W.H. SMITH / BROOKLYN” appears between the loops, more distinct on the left than the right with a small brown spot from corrosion of the underlying iron wire coming up after the R of Brooklyn.

This is in very condition, has a recorded find location connecting it with the climactic eastern campaign of the war, and has a great provenance to a well-known early relic hunter and author.   [sr][ph:L]

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