Folded U.S. Oval belt plate from Corinth

This is a very interesting piece being offered, it is a Civil War Union U.S. oval plate which has been folded in half, showing the “U” on one side and the “S” on the other. It appears that the soldier (possibly Confederate) removed the lead backing and folded the remaining brass skin before discarding it, maybe to use the lead later for melting. This piece was recovered in Corinth, Mississippi.

In October 1862, Union troops under Major General William Rosecrans defeated Confederate forces commanded by Major General Sterling Price and Major General Earl Van Dorn at the key railroad junction of Corinth, Mississippi. Hoping to seize Corinth and disrupt Union supply and communication lines, the Confederates attacked on the morning of October 3. Exploiting a gap in the Union defenses, Van Dorn’s forces were able to push Rosecrans’ troops back behind their line of fortifications.

However, Van Dorn’s decision to wait until the following day to press his advantage allowed Rosecrans and his men to regroup. On October 4, the Union repelled the Confederate assault and after hours of fierce hand-to-hand fighting, Van Dorn ordered a retreat.

This piece is just as found, I got it directly from the digger. It is an interesting item and a great conversation piece. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.