Recovered along the Taneytown Road, Gettysburg Battlefield

From the famous Rosensteel Gettysburg collection

Recovered at the Taneytown Road, on the Gettysburg Battlefield, by the late and well known Gettysburg relic hunter John Cullison, who excavated Civil War artifacts at Gettysburg from 1935-1959. Mr. Cullison passed this breast plate on to the famous Rosensteel family of Gettysburg where it remained in their private collection until it was released in 1996. Extremely popular Gettysburg relic!

Federal 1826 pattern shoulder belt plate with raised vignette of an eagle holding 3 arrows in its talons. The face of the plate has a nice even brown patina to it, while the lead filled back retains almost all of its lead fill. Remnants of the rusted iron loops are visible on the reverse. The plate is slightly concave in its appearance with a couple of tiny edge chips and dings and a very thin surface crack above the eagle's head. Overall this Union eagle breast plate will display nicely in a dug Gettysburg relic collection. Very desirable!

WBTS TRIVIA: The Taneytown Road in Gettysburg was where the Lydia Leister farmhouse was located, near the center of the Union lines. It was here in this small wooden frame house that General George G. Meade, Commander of the Army of the Potomac, who led the Union forces during the epic 3 day battle of Gettysburg had his headquarters. On the evening of July 2, 1863, Meade met here with many of his corps and division commanders to discuss their battle strategy. It was decided that the Union army would hold its positions on July 3rd, with General Meade expecting that the Army of Northern Virginia, led by their iconic commander, General Robert E. Lee, would attack the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. Meade was correct in his evaluation, and after the now famous Pickett's Charge was repulsed, Meade's Army of the Potomac was victorious at the Battle of Gettysburg.