1857 Dated Soldier’s Bible Carried by a Confederate on the Retreat from Gettysburg / SOLD

Description

1857 Dated Soldier’s Bible

Carried by a Confederate on the Retreat from Gettysburg

 

A personal 1857-dated Holy Bible, bearing an inscription that it was the property of a Confederate soldier named Frick, noted as captured on July 4, 1863, at Cearfoss Crossroads during the retreat from Gettysburg. The volume shows heavy field wear, with rounded corners, abrasions to the covers, and overall handling consistent with prolonged campaign use—testament to its role as a soldier’s constant companion.

 

The reference to Cearfoss Crossroads situates this Bible at a critical moment in the aftermath of Gettysburg. Located just north of Hagerstown, Maryland, the Cearfoss area was a key intersection of the Williamsport, Hagerstown, Greencastle, and Mercersburg roads, making it a vital thoroughfare for Lee’s retreating Army of Northern Virginia. On July 4, 1863, Confederate stragglers, supply trains, and rear-guard forces converged there under pressure from pursuing Union cavalry. Accounts from the retreat note skirmishes and captures in this vicinity as the disorganized Confederate columns pushed toward the Potomac River crossing.

 

This Bible not only embodies the personal faith carried into battle by thousands of Civil War soldiers, but its provenance links it directly to one of the most desperate moments of the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg.

Comes housed in 20 x 14 riker display case with blue velvet and descriptive card.

 

Inventory Number: CON 622