Civil War Union “US” Cartridge Box Plate, dug in 1985 at Potomac Creek, Virginia

This is another nice piece being offered, it is an excavated “US” Cartridge Box Plate. It has a near perfect brass front, and the reverse has all of the lead, but the hooks are long gone. The digger wrote on the back “Potomac Ck Va. / #74 24 Dec 85”. It also has the very faint marking of the manufacturer “E. Gaylord”. He put a circle around it and marked it.

During the Civil War, Potomac Creek, Virginia was crucial due to the vital Potomac Creek Bridge. It was a railroad bridge for the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad, connecting Confederate forces to Richmond and Fredericksburg.  Confederates destroyed it in 1862, But Union troops under General Herman Haupt quickly rebuilt it, creating a key supply line Remnants of the stone abutment are still visible today as a historical site.

This plate has a beautiful, untouched chocolate color brass face. Also, having the digger’s information on the reverse is very important, and being dug on Christmas Eve in 1985 is kind of special – talk about a nice Christmas gift!  It comes in the glass top display case pictured.