Potlids from Civil War Army Trashpit

[XRdsRev]

These three potlids and bases were dug from small trashpit near the 1862-63 winter camp of the 9th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. This regiment was a mostly Irish unit from Boston. Two of the pot still have original contents in them which is pretty remarkable being that they were buried for over 140 years. The Roussel potlid is relatively common. I believe the 2 Boston potlids are fairly rare. Best of luck to all.

 

[Plumbata]

Common or not that Bazin/Roussel lid is beautiful! It is great that you found the entire units and also left the contents unmolested. Most people would clean the history right on outta there!

 

[Lordbud]

I would save all of those pots/lids as is. Great to see the mummified contents. Basically museum pieces in this state of preservation.

 

[creeper71]

ORIGINAL: Lordbud

I would save all of those pots/lids as is. Great to see the mummified contents. Basically museum pieces in this state of preservation.

AGREED 100%.. Wow wish I could find one good dump this one....

 

[kwalker]

Rare or not those pot lids are incredable! The contents are just an added treat [] I've found pieces with trace left overs but never nearly full ones. It just adds to the visual aspects of the piece itself and to me, gives more of a trace of human to the piece.

 

[glass man]

CAN I HAVE THEM?[8D][8D][8D] JAMIE

 

[XRdsRev]

I believe the reason two of the pots are almost completely full of contents is because they were discarded by neccessity. At the beginning of June 1863 this camp was broken up and the units given orders to be ready to move (march) immediately. Veteran soldiers on the march will always carry as little baggage as possible, even officers economize. Pots of fine toothpaste was a nice luxury to have in camp during the winter but it was not something a soldier was going to hump around in his knapsack or valise on a 20 mile march.

Once this unit left this camp in June 1863, it marched northward with the Army of the Potomac. Three weeks later this regiment found itself south of a little town in Pennsylvania..........a little town called Gettysburg. The rest is history.

 

[VA is for Diggers]

Very Nice lids! Besides the bottles, you should try a metal detector, and dig a buckle or buttons. I remember getting a pewter or lead jar lid last year from a CS camp in VA. patented in the 1850's. About 5 CS buttons and 2 plates/buckles came out of that site....

 

[TROG]

Hello Ern,

Thankyou for posting the photo of the lids which are certainly interesting and something you do not dig every day.Would think the 2 Boston lids were more than likely for Ointment rather than tooth paste as is the Bazins.

David

 

[XRdsRev]

VA is for Diggers - I detect too. That is how we found many of the huts we dug out. Below is a pic of some of the plates I dug in the Stafford Camp where most of these bottles were dug.