Crockery Ginger Beer Bottles
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These bottles were common Civil War period crockery "ginger beer" bottles. They are often found in the trash pits near both Union and Confederate camps. Used as well to quench civilians in cities, once emptied, they were often tossed down into household privy pits. Not very much was recycled back in those times! Have just one left!
Two Wooded Handled CW forks
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Common Civil War period three-prong forks with wooden handles were used by the enlisted men.
Ramrod bent into a pot hook
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In the days when iron pots hung over open log fires, one needed a pot hook to suspend the kettle. Inventive troops used a bent (partial) .58 caliber musket's ramrod. This is rusted but pretty solid. From the Richmond area.
Civil War Sardine Can
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This is a fairly well-preserved tin sardine can from a Civil War campsite. Bottled preserves and canned fish-meats were common to camp sites, often being sent in care packages from home by relatives. Traces of a brass label can be seen along one side, but too hard for me to read.
CW Period Sardine Can
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Soldiers used a lot of canned foods in both tins and jars while away at war. Tins of sardines were commonly liked. Here is one from a CW camp site on private land in area of Resaca, Georgia. Did comrads share a last supper from such a tin before falling in battle soon afterwards?
Civil War Camp Fireside Utensil Set
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These are four (4) Utensil items dug together from a Civil War cook site near Resaca, Georgia. There is a big 11 1/2" spoon, an equally large pronged sausage fork, a metal s-shaped pot hook, and a large bladed dinner knife. A rusty but solid set which demonstrates the practical need to cook for tent mates and company members while traveling the countryside from sporadic battle to battle.
A soldier's tin drinking cup
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This is a standard Union tin drinking cup which each soldier carried. It was recently excavated from private lands, coming out of the ground in a few pieces. I glued it back together like a rare Egyptian urn! From a CW campsite in Resaca, Georgia. Just think- somebody actually drank from this and then went to the Civil War. Many civil war sites, including campgrounds and even parts of original battlefields are still under private ownership. These areas can be legally searched by modern relic-hunters using sensitive metal detectors. The detector uses a coil that one sweeps over the ground as he walks. When it passes over certain metals, such as lead, copper, brass and gold, it lets out a loud distinctive chirp through the headphones, alertinf the hunter to stop, zero-in and dig there. (Iron which tends to be scraps and modern refuse lets out a different more-dull tone) The sound of a lead Civil War minie ball is great. Seeing that oxized "white" bullet in a freshly-dug handfuol of soil in one's palm is awesome!!!
Large tin Camp Coffee Pot
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A tin coffee pot that is large enough to supply coffee to many tent mates... Coffee was a favorite of troopers from both sides. Took off the chill and led to conversation
A Civil War Mess Box
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Carried from campsite to campsite by mule-hauled wagon or train, this is a well-equipped mess box of utensils and culinary supplies. Often such kits were the property of groups of officers or NCO's who shared tents and dined together in a cordial relaxing fashion when a battle was not imminent or near at hand. Winters were a time for rest, since muddy roads and fields usually prevented winter warfare. A comfortable log cabin and such good mess kits were essential to whiling-away the cold weeks beside faithful comrads before the next Spring returned the uneasy feeling of danger to one's gut
Dark Amber Ale Bottle
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Many soldiers liked ale. It came in bottles like the one shown... Quite a few soldiers on both sides were court(quart)martialed for the excessive absorption of ale... some even while supposedly on duty! There were actually documented instances when officers did not show up for a battle due to thorough inebriation. They were quickly shown the insides of military prisons. But when on leave and visiting taverns and shanties, soldiers were allowed to drink a bit more ale than we might now consider wise. The trash pits of Union and Confederate military camps often contain such bottles from ale, whiskey and other mind-boggling spirits. Of course, a few other soldiers only drank vegatable juices and pure spring water...
Relish or Sauce Jar
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Soldiers liked treating themselves to tins and bottles of civilian foods. A man's relatives might ship a box of dried and bottled foods via an Express Carrier for a holiday or special event. Often, the trooper would share this feast with his campmates. Officers commonly sat down to nicely laid out tables in groups, chatting, sipping cordials and later coffee as they ate. Enlistedmen preferred sharing the grass, a log, the rocks along a creek or the warm fireside. It was likely quite odd to converse and share foods one night with a lad from your hometown and then bury him before the next repast. Under such fiercesome circumstances, why not relish each remaining day of life?
C.W.Period Tin Saltshaker
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A very cute little tin saltshaker from the CW period. Stands only 3" high and tube is 1 3/4" across. Has applied tin handle. Neat!
Green Civil War period Sauce Bottle
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This is a light green sauce bottle from the Civil War period. Foods were often shipped as gifts from families of men in military camps. This bottle is mold formed yet has an applied lip. There are air bubbles in the glass. No breaks or chips. Stands 9" tall by 3" across face. Dug near Richmond, Va.
Large High Shouldered Green Gin Bottle
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This is a large, high-shouldered Civil War Period gin bottle in a medium green glass. Mold blown with a cathedral buttress effect at corners of top shoulders. Has an impressed "V" marking in the base but no specific maker's markings. The upper spout and lip are hand-applied (not part of mold) so that this is a transitional item between old hand-made techniques and more modern mold-formed products. Has a very nice look and color. 10 1/2" high; 3 1/2" at shoulder; and 2 7/8" at base... These were items commonly found in Civil War camps. Though serious as sturdy soldiers, many liked their beer and gin between battles...
Beautiful Civil War Period "Cathedral" Pickle Bottle
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This is a "cathedral" pickle bottle from the 1840's through 1860's... It measures 9 in. tall & 2 1/4 in. across pontil base. Look at the workmanship and design on such a fine foodstuff bottle! Glass is aqua in color! Has a "graphite" style pontil on base.
Civil War Period Tin Plate
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This is the type of basic tin plate that Civil War soldiers ate off of while in their varied Civil War field camps. While in "refreshment saloons of larger cities; training camps and larger military hospitals they may have had the luxury of stoneware or cheaper china plates, such items were overly fragile and heavy for campaign usage. These tin plates held up pretty well to daily usage. While they often got small usage dents and a little corrosion if left wet, the durabilty and weight were just right for huge armies on the fly. About 9" across. No maker's marks. Non-dug. Are often obtained for use in reenactment mess tent displays these days...
1892 GAR Medal: A plate, utensils, hardtack
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What could endear the heart of old soldiers better than a medal that shows that terrible biscuit called "hardtack" that they were supplied during the Civil War. Some later said these cracker-like snacks were like little bricks of tasteless cardboard that nearly broke one's teeth. Soldiers tried everything to get them down~ soaking in coffee, water and frying them in bacon grease. Probably some got mad enuff to use them for target practice (they were only about 2 1/2 inches afterall... would make a great bullseye!) But most soldiers ate them simply because they were hungry and had nothing else in the field. Now, thirty years later in 1892, old men at the Washington, D.C. National GAR encampment probably got a big kick out of seeing this brass medal upon the coats of old comrads: enthusiastically telling their children and grandpups about the pain of devouring such literal foodstuff rockcandy! This medal is finely crafted brass assembled from two pieces. The tin plate, knife and fork desisna are true to their forms during the CW era. Civil War soldiers from both sides had good temperaments and senses of humor in the twilight of their lives!
Tin Civil War Period Shaker
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THIS IS A LARGE TIN SHAKER OR MUFFINER THAT MOST LIKELY WAS USED TO SHAKE OUT FLOUR OR POWDERED SPICES> IT IS A LARGE 5 1/2" TALL AND 3 7/8" ACROSS> IT CAME FROM THE COLLECTION OF AN OLD GENTLEMAN WHOSE GREAT GRANDFATHER AND GREAT UNCLES BROUGHT THEM BACK FROM THEIR SERVICE DURING THE U.S. CIVIL WAR.
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