Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is a lovely pattern 1826 Eagle Breast Plate with a lead filled back. This example is missing both loops and shows some material loss, having been ground-dug. The back of the plate is carved with a Texas Star, with the letters for TEXAS between each of the star’s points. This buckle was ground dug at Peach Orchard, the location in Gettysburg of the 4th and 5th Texas Regiments, part of the famous Hood’s Texas Brigade.

The front retains the familiar raised American eagle design associated with the Pattern 1826 breast plate. These plates were worn on the leather crossbelt supporting the infantry cartridge box and became one of the most recognizable forms of U.S. military accoutrement hardware before and during the Civil War.

This plate came to us from the collection of the former Shields Museum in Gettysburg. The Shields Museum was a famous early private Civil War museum that once stood along Route 30 on the first day's battlefield in Gettysburg, near the statues of Generals John Buford and John F. Reynolds.

In the early years of the American nation, the need for a national symbol was acutely felt. The new nation appropriated many existing symbolic forms, but none were to become as pervasive as the eagle.

Hood's Division advanced near the southern end of the Union line. Soldiers crossed open terrain, passing through orchard areas toward Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard salient, and the slopes of Little Round Top. Veterans like Val C. Giles of the 4th Texas left vivid accounts of moving through the heavy artillery and musketry fire in this sector before engaging in close-quarters combat. These units were the primary representation of Texas troops fighting in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War. A granite monument dedicated to Hood's Texas Brigade stands along South Confederate Avenue at the Gettysburg National Military Park.

The plate has some material loss along the edges, and both of the loops on the back are now gone. Holding the plate to the side gives the holder a good view of the Texas Star and the letters between each point. This will quickly become the centerpiece of any Texas Civil War collection.

This plate combines several unusual elements: a recognizable Pattern 1826 Eagle Breast Plate, Peach Orchard battlefield recovery, hand-carved Texas star and TEXAS inscription, and provenance from the former Shields Museum collection. While the carving and find location cannot establish a specific soldier or regiment, together they create a compelling connection to the Texas troops who fought as part of Hood's Division during the intense July 2 action on the southern end of the Gettysburg battlefield.