Carved horn spoon from a Civil War collection

Being offered is a Civil War carved spoon from a Civil War collection I acquired. The spoon is made from horn and measures 6 ¼” long and the bowl 1” wide. Sometimes these items were created out of necessity, but others just to pass the time, usually in winter camps. Also, it was a common pastime for soldiers in prisons or hospitals.

During the Civil War, soldiers often had a lot of down time between marches and fighting. There is a similar spoon on display at the Gettysburg NPS Museum (see pictures). In POW camps it was also a way to take their minds off their incarceration. They used wood, horn, bone, and lead. In my book “The Civil War Soldier – His Personal Items”, I go into detail about the habits of soldiers during their down time and why carving was so popular. This would go great with a soldier’s personal effects.