Relic Eagle Breastplate and Knapsack Hooks from Seven Pines Battlefield / SOLD
Dug eagle breastplate from a cartridge box sling surrounded by a collection of U.S. knapsack hooks, all from the Seven Pines battlefield, glued to a cardboard backing with a typewritten description. The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, nearby Sandston, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, in which the Army of the Potomac reached the outskirts of Richmond. Although the battle was tactically inconclusive, it was the largest battle in the Eastern Theater up to that time (and second only to Shiloh in terms of casualties thus far, about 11,000 total). Gen. Johnston's injury also had profound influence on the war: it led to the appointment of Robert E. Lee as Confederate commander. The more aggressive Lee initiated the Seven Days Battles, leading to a Union retreat in late June. Seven Pines therefore marked the closest Union forces came to Richmond in this offensive. A nice collection of early battlefield recoveries.
Inventory Number: REL 086 / SOLD