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Army camps were considered temporary throughout the year until winter months when
permanent camps would be built into log huts large enough to accommodate
several soldiers. The men often named them after famous hotels in
their hometowns. For the rest of the year the camps consisted of
field tents.
In their leisure time
soldiers spent their time playing cards, marbles, dominos, dice and
chess. They carved bullets into chess pieces, their deck of cards
were made from pieces of paper, the dice and dominos were carved from wood, bullets
or bone. Marbles were made from clay and some were dyed.
The American Civil War Collection consists of relics that were all found
early or are relics dug by professional relic hunters on
private property with permission or once were part of a museum or private
collection.
The camp relics below are
dug unless otherwise noted.
All Civil War relics we sell are
genuine and meet our fastidious criteria for authenticity. They are
accurately described here and are sold as such. Every relic is
accompanied by a sealed Certificate Of Authenticity, a letter of provenance,
a map of the recovery area if known and is guaranteed for life to be
genuine.
Of course, if you want to haggle the old fashioned way with us about the
price of any item, feel free to e-mail
us with your best offer! Just because you are purchasing online, does
not mean Rothchilde Antiques doesn't listen to you! Some relic
prices are firm, but all offers are carefully considered. Contact us
anytime should you need more information about any of the relics we
showcase, we truly enjoy hearing from you!
FREE Shipping,
Handling, Insurance and Delivery Confirmation!
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The American
Civil War Camp Relic Collection
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Harrison's Landing Hardtack
Hardtack was
a simple flour biscuit issued to Union soldiers throughout the war.
Hardtack crackers made up a large portion of a soldier's daily ration.
It was square or sometimes rectangular in shape with small holes baked
into it, and similar to a large soda cracker and baked in northern
factories., then shipped to the troops in wooden boxes, like the crate
below.
Wooden
Hardtack Box
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This
is a rare, authentic piece of hardtack. It was dug from a fire pit
at Harrison's Landing in Virginia in 1981. It measures 1-1/2" long,
1-1/8" at the top, 3/4" at the bottom and is almost 1/2"
thick. The holes are clearly visible, just as when it was made over 140 years
ago.
If the hardtack was received soon after
leaving the factory, they were quite tasty and satisfying. Usually, the
hardtack did not get to the soldiers until months after it had been
made. By that time, they were very hard, so hard that soldiers called
them "tooth dullers" and "sheet iron crackers".
Sometimes they were infested with small bugs the soldiers called
weevils, so they referred to the hardtack as "worm castles"
because of the many holes bored through the crackers by these
pests.
They were packed into large wooden crates,
the boxes were stacked outside of tents and warehouses until it was time
to issue them. Soldiers were usually allowed six to eight crackers for a
three-day ration. There were a number of ways to eat them- plain or
prepared with other ration items. Soldiers would crumble them into
coffee or soften them in water and fry the hardtack with some bacon
grease. One favorite soldier dish was salted pork fried with hardtack
crumbled into the mixture. Soldiers called this "skillygallee",
and it was a common and easily prepared meal. Fortunately the bugs
didn't have a taste for charcoal and this burned piece of hardtack
survived
$253.00
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Rare
pieces
of Civil War hard tack dug in a Civil War trash pit in Atlanta
Georgia. Pieces are all small and +/- 1/2" in size but
detailed so there is no doubt as to what they are.
3 Pieces $22.50
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A rarely found unopened pack of
"lucifers" or Civil war matches. There are four strips of
matches in each pack. These were manufactured by the Starr Match
Company in Portland, Maine.
$58.50
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This is an original strip of Civil War "Lucifers."
These matches were very important to every soldier and they tried very
hard to keep them dry. They were made by several different
manufacturers during the war and were shipped on supply trains and
wagons to the camps. Each strip was stamped with the year of
manufacture.
$35.00 ea.
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Clay marbles were rolled by hand from dark green, yellow, and white clays. Afterwards they were painted, and traces of paint remain. Games of marbles were highly popular during the nineteenth century.
These clay marbles were dug in a camp in Gettysburg, colors vary.
$25.00 ea.
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Fake
Antique Marbles
A Marble Advertisement
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These are NOT genuine antique marbles,
they are fakes. As the myth goes, these marbles were recovered at the site of a marble factory located in Atlanta, Ga.
& were recovered during the construction for the 1996 Olympics. The factory operated from 1820-1839 when it burned. These marbles are made from marble chips formed around a clay center and dyed different colors. They represent the type for which the name originated in the
1600's being different from later marbles made of glass, clay, etc.
However, they are not marbles at all, there was no marble factory, the
paint is latex. Any time you are offered this type of
marble, or for "marbles dredged from the Tennessee River",
please note, they are not as they are represented as being from the Civil
War era or anything else, they are not antique marbles, period. But they
are pretty, unique and someday they will be rarer than hen's teeth!
Legendary Fake Marbles $14.00 ea.
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This is a Civil War Period Folding Cribbage Board. All of the board playing area is individually inlaid wood. The box opens up to create the playing board and when folded and closed, it creates a storage area for the pegs and
cards (not included). The condition is very good with the original catch and paper lining still inside.
$117.50
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The soldiers in camp passed time by playing games, one
of which was chess. This relic is one of their chess pieces, skillfully
carved from a bullet in the shape of a
Bishop.
$84.00
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This small, clay ink bottle was dug in a
Confederate camp in Brooke, Virginia. The camp was occupied by Texas
troops. The ink bottle has a few minor chips near the lip, there are no
cracks.
$32.50
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Trash pit dug Civil War soldiers Cone
shaped clay Ink. Just under 3 1/2 inches tall! Hand made!
Perfect condition! Found in Vicksburg
$39.50
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Trash pit dug Civil War soldiers round
clay Ink. Larger size 1 7/8 inches across base! Crafting
flaws but in perfect condition! Dug in Vicksburg.
$32.50
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Civil War 6 sided, period glass ink well,
small chips on the lip, otherwise excellent condition
$32.50
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This is a very rare original box of slate
pencils dating
to the civil war. The box measures 5-1/2" X 1" and is a
patriotic red, white and blue design. It contains 3 complete wrapped
slate pencils wrapped in paper and one pencil that is about 1/2 gone.
$142.50
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This is a single Civil War patriotic wrapped slate
pencil. It has a paper American flag wrapped around the rear half of the
pencil. It is in excellent condition. Slate pencils were made
specifically for writing on slate and were mostly used in schools.
It wasn't until after the Civil War that lead encased in wood became the
popular pencil we use today.
$32.00
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This Civil War/Indian Wars tin cup has all the characteristics of
the period manufactured tinware. These characteristics include: flat bottom, wire rolled lip and lead soldered seams inside and out. Some tinware was issued, some
was purchased from sutlers. Inside there is a black residue on the
bottom.
$58.00
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Soldiers were also issued a larger tin cup also known as a ‘dipper’. These were used both to prepare and drink water, coffee and soup. Cups came in a variety of width and heights and had various handles.
This Civil War dipper is 5" tall and in excellent condition.
$94.00
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Pen tips were on goose quills or wood.
The ink came as a dry powder and had to be mixed with water.
This is a dug pen tip, recovery location unknown.
$23.00
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5 Forks Aerial
View
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The Battle of Five Forks (named because of
the critical intersection of 5 roads) is the most well-known of the later battles of the war,
the final battle during the siege of Petersburg and Richmond, March 29, thru April 1, 1865. General Phil Sheridan would lead a cavalry strike force of three
divisions and would threaten the rail lines that served Petersburg
and the Rebel position itself. Several more Union Generals joined
totaling 54,500 infantry and 13,000 cavalry, it would prove to be unstoppable. Losses at Five Forks are estimated at 830 Federals and around 3,000 Confederate soldiers.
These Buckles were dug at 5 Forks
$24.00
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Hooks, clips, buckles, rings & misc. hardware
recovered in Gettysburg on the Codori Farm, Pickett's Charge.
$14.00 each
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This is a combination tool and was used as a
rifle tool etc. It was dug at Gettysburg in an unknown
location.
$53.00
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Click For More
Images
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During the war, personal pocket
watches were carried by all ranks. However, watches of the
Civil War era were key wound and relatively expensive.
It would be rare for a private to wear one in camp, much less
in the field. This relic was dug in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania.
This dug pocket watch shows little
detail, there are no visible markings from
being buried for decades.
$234.00
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These food utensils were dug in a Union camp
in Fredericksburg, Virginia. There is a fork, a spoon, a metal
plate and a partial piece of a fork, larger spoon or
ladle.
$84.00
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Buckles Dug at Gettysburg
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Hooks, clips, rings & misc. hardware dug
at Gettysburg
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Petersburg
Earthworks
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Both Union and Confederate troops lived in
the earthworks shown in the picture on the left during their nine and
a half months of fighting at Petersburg, Va.
Surely this very tool was used to
construct those Petersburg earthworks. This entrenching tool once had a
long, wood handle, however it has deteriorated completely after having been
buried for 140 years. This was dug in the Petersburg, Virginia
area on private property with permission. Petersburg
earthworks are still visible today.
$79.00
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Buckles dug at Fredericksburg
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Hooks, clips, rings & misc. hardware dug
at Fredericksburg
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Soldiers have been known to make superb wood
carvings such as this one, a caged ball with a chain. On the
top of the cage there is a carved "147", the letter
"F", and a Masonic Eye. On the bottom is carved the
letter "T". Although the wood chain is no longer
attached, this piece is absolutely phenomenal.
P.O.R.
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Soldiers often had their personal pocket
knives with them and used them for dozens of tasks. This
Barlow knife still retains some of the original wood and was
recovered in
Gettysburg.
SOLD
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Civil
War Brogan
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Heel and toe plates were tacked to the
bottoms of Civil War brogan shoes or boots to extend their
wear. Soldiers would sometimes have hobnails applied to the
bottom of their soles to provide greater traction. Shoes were
a coveted possession and many soldiers were often bare footed.
Union troops marched toward Gettysburg after having heard that there
were shoes there unaware Confederate troops were in the area, and
the horrific, three day battle began when they clashed.
This pair of heel
and toe plates were dug from the Battle of The Gettysburg.
$72.00
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The bugler's role in the Civil War was indispensable. It was not only necessary for the telling of time and duties in camp but the bugle calls also guided the actions of troops, cavalry and
artillery during battle as it could be clearly heard. Soldiers were quick to learn the calls of the bugle. The primary bugler was assigned to the headquarters staff, and kept close to the commander at the front.
This relic is the mouthpiece from a bugle
used during the Civil War in Gettysburg.
$154.00
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