This regulation US cartridge box plate was recovered on the US Ford Road on July 14, 1974. The plate is the regulation 1839 pattern oval U.S. cartridge box plate used throughout the Civil War, made of stamped, rolled brass, and given a lead solder fill on the back to add stiffness and secure an iron wire bent to form two loops to secure it to the flap of a cartridge box by passing them through two narrow slits and holding them in place with a leather thong or wedges. These plates were both ornamental and practical, the lead fill adding enough weight to help keep the flap of the cartridge box down even if the soldier neglected to latch it in the heat of action.

The face shows as a pleasing, warm medium brown with some slight hints of aged brass underneath and some white and gray on the very edge of the rim at right and lower right, a couple of small bits of verdigris, but good edge with no nicks, and a couple of small dings on the lower curve of the “S.” The lead solder fill is intact and iron wire loops are there, but showing rust, which shows around much if the perimeter of the back. The plate retains a piece of masking tape on the back bearing the find location and date. The plate shows a noticeable bend, with a ridge running diagonally up from the bottom, across the lower portion of the “S.” Corresponding to the this on the reverse are some shallow gouges in a line along the lead solder fill, making it look very much like it may have been run over by the edge of light wagon wheel or something, unless the plate lay face down and the excavator had the bad luck to hit it with a shovel edge, but it looks more like something did it with enough pressure to product the ridge but not break or crack fill and brass face.

United States Ford on the Rappahannock River saw perhaps its most prominent use in the Civil War during the Chancellorsville Campaign, along with Ely Ford, when Hooker sent two divisions of the Second Corps across it to push Confederate lines back from the Rappahannock as part of his attempt to get around Lee’s left.

We show a period Alfred Waud drawing of US troops crossing US Ford and note the artist has specifically mentioned “bridges and rifle pits.”  [sr][ph:m/L]

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