VERY RARE ORIGINAL VMM (VOLUNTEER MILITIA OF MAINE) CARTRIDGE BOX PLATE, DUG VA

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VERY RARE ORIGINAL VMM (VOLUNTEER MILITIA OF MAINE) CARTRIDGE BOX PLATE, DUG VA:
$595.00

Hereis one that you seldom see offered for sale. It is the original cartridge boxplate that would have adorned the outer flap of a Civil War cartridge box.These plates were not only for ornamentation but also helped to keep the outerflap of the cartridge box closed. What is special about this plate is thelettering on the front. It has the bold letters “VMM” that stand out fromacross the room. This stands for the “Volunteer Militia of Maine”.

Thisis the pattern that is illustrated as figure #558 on page 343 of the O’Donnellbuckle book – it is the large size measuring approximately 3 ½” x 2 ¼”. On theback of the plate are both of the iron attachment loops intact. The lead has apleasing look with a white tone. This is a very nice displaying Civil War Mainecartridge box plate.

When this plate was recovered it was in three pieces. I acquired it from the digger several years ago and he stated that when he went back to the original recovery site in Centreville, Virginia to see if there were additional pieces to this plate, he recovered another completely intact. Being a rare piece I felt this plate was worthy of a professional restoration. It was a long and tedious process but when it was finished it is simply a beautiful piece and well worth the investment.

Several major battles were fought near Centreville,including the First Battle of Manassas, the Second Battle of Manassas, and theBattle of Chantilly. During the winter of 1861 and early 1862 the town wassignificantly fortified by the Confederacy and served as a supply depot forboth sides at various points in the war, and is famous for being the site ofthe construction of the first railroad ever built exclusively for military use,the Centreville Military Railroad.

Centreville was of significant strategic value due to itsproximity to several important roads, while its position atop a high ridgeprovided a commanding view of the surrounding area. The town was frequentlyassociated with Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby, whose partisan rangers usedits hillsides and farms as a base of operations, leading to the sobriquet ofMosby\'s Confederacy. By the end of the War, Centreville was pretty muchdevastated.

As can be seen in the photographs, this is a fantasticpiece and worthy of the finest collection. These plates are very pricey when theybecome available, but I have this one priced accordingly. The glass top display case is included.