ROUND EAGLE CARTRIDGE BOX SHOULDER BELT PLATE FROM THE HARRIS FARM, SPOTTSYLVANIA, EX-KERKSIS

ROUND EAGLE CARTRIDGE BOX SHOULDER BELT PLATE FROM THE HARRIS FARM, SPOTTSYLVANIA, EX-KERKSIS

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$495.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2026-2023

This regulation belt plate for the infantry cartridge box sling was in the collection of Syd Kerksis, well-known and respected early collector and author. It comes with his annotated envelope indicating he found it in November 1959 on the Spottsylvania Court House battlefield, specifically, on the “Harris Farm” and at the “Tyler – back line / SW wood,” meaning in the back line of Union General Tyler’s position in the southwest woods. Fought in May 19, 1864, this was the last of the battles fought at Spottsylvania and took place as Grant began to disengage from Lee and continue his push toward Richmond. Lee suspected some such move and had sent Ewell’s corps to determine the position of Grant’s right flank. On the Union side the fighting mainly involved a large brigade of Heavy Artillery serving as infantry under the command of Gen. R.O. Tyler, who put up a creditable fight despite their relative inexperience, inflicting about 900 casualties on the Confederates, though suffering an estimated 1,500 of their own. Having gained the necessary information, Ewell pulled his men back, giving Union troops bragging rights to a victory, but it did little to change the overall campaign as Grant continued his slide to his left and south and Lee moved to face him, the fighting then shifting to the North Anna.

This plate shows mostly grayish white around the raised rim, but there are no dings or dents to the edge and the central portion, with eagle, arrows and olive branch has very good detail and shows mostly brown with some olive tones. Please see our photos. The back retains both iron wire loops, rusty but intact, and the lead-solder fill is level, gray and white in color, with some thin brown stains from oxidation of the iron wire forming the two loops.

This was the regulation plate for the shoulder belt of the Union infantry cartridge box. The pattern was initially adopted in 1826 with hooks on the reverse for the bayonet shoulder belt and made of brass for artillery and white metal for infantry. This was changed to brass for both services in 1831 and when the bayonet was moved to the waist belt around 1842, the plates were redesigned with two loops on the back for wear as fixed ornaments on the cartridge box sling and plates with hooks were relegated to the NCO and musician’s sword shoulder belts. Although in theory the plate was dropped with introduction of the 1864 cartridge box rigs with no plates, the plate remained in use in the field and was not discontinued until the new 1872 sets of accouterments were distributed.

This has a great find location related to the climactic eastern campaign of the war and tight provenance from a respected early collector and author.  [sr][ph:L]

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