Cedar Creek Battlefield Dug Relic

This stirrup is another purchase I made at Gettysburg's 'The Horse Soldier' Civil War antique shop. Was it used by a soldier during the Battle of Cedar Creek in October of 1864? Union or Confederate? Cavalry or Artillery? Officer or courier? Or was it discarded/lost by a local farmer before or after the War? Cool stuff to ponder.

More rusty ACW relics from my collection

Here's another Spotyslvania Battlefield dug (March '76) relic. This is, as labeled, a .69 caliber Springfield bayonet. Now, I have a reproduction .69 bayonet and the diameter of the lug compares pretty well, even with all the dirt and rust crustacean. What's really interesting is that by this time in the war the .69 rifle/smoothbore muskets were pretty rare for both sides, with the .58 cal. Springfields and .577 Enfields dominating the adversaries ranks. The logistics of supplying ammunition for these .69 weapons would have been a nightmare for either side, especially in the rough "Wilderness" area. If only the relic hunter had jotted down the location of this find, it could have narrowed down to maybe what side and what regiment it came from. Then again, this part of the Virginia crawled with Confederates for a good two years before this Battle and could have been just dropped or left behind during a march or camp. Still, a cool find with many stories tell and questions to ask.

What's in the curio?!

My goal this year is to keep this blog busy. In doing so, I am creating a new segment called "What's in the curio?". I'm sure most of the visitors to this blog will appreciate these "items". Over the past several years, I've made Gettysburg, Pennsylvania a second home and a must "go to" spot on my way from or to, the MFCA Show in Valley Forge. Having been to that town practically every year (sometimes twice a year) since I was a year old, I never had the means or really the urge, to collect artifacts. Now that I have a 'big boy' job, I've been making quick stops into the relic shop, 'The Horse Soldier' and only spending enough to give me a fix. With each trip, I'll pick up something small. Usually something rusted and dirt covered, with thick coats of some sort of varnish. And I only buy/deal with the 'The Horse Soldier', because they have a great selection and are reputable. Anyway, first up is an American Civil War era trigger guard for a rifled musket, supposedly picked dug up on the Spotsylvania Battlefield in 1975. I'm assuming this was dug before restrictions and laws against such doings;).