Civil War Soldier’s Eating utensils, recovered at Fredericksburg

This is a nice grouping of eating utensils that were dug from a campsite in Fredericksburg, Virginia during the 1960s – 1970s. There are two knives, a spoon, and a fork.

On November 14, 1862, Union General Ambrose Burnside sent a corps to occupy the vicinity of Falmouth near Fredericksburg, Virginia. Lee reacted by entrenching his army on the heights behind the town. On December 13, after pontoon bridges were laid, Union forces crossed the Rappahannock River under fire.

Burnside mounted a series of futile frontal assaults on Prospect Hill and Marye's Heights that resulted in staggering casualties. On December 15, Burnside called off the offensive and recrossed the river, ending the failed campaign.

As you can see in the pictures, the utensils are rusted, but not chipping or flaking. To the average person today, they would not consider these pieces significant, but to the fighting soldiers, they were an important part of their everyday lives. They come in the glass top display case shown.