Rare Surviving Richmond Sharp’s Ammunition Crate

By Shannon Pritchard · Originally published March 2018 · p. 5

The green waterproof paint on this Richmond Arsenal ammunition chest shows a lot of wear, but has not peeled or faded. The Richmond Arsenal’s white stenciled information panels are strong, clear, and legible, informing all that it weighed 86 pounds and contained 1,000 Sharp’s Rifle Cartridges, (Sharps carbine) Caliber 52 and was manufactured at the Richmond Arsenal during August 1864. The Richmond Arsenal was housed in the large antebellum tobacco factory buildings situated on Byrd Island, between the Kanawha Canal and James River.

Richmond Arsenal Sharp’s ammunition crate.

(All photos Shannon Pritchard)

The water from the canal and its basin had been harnessed to supply power to the various factories and mills built along its course prior to the war. Not only did the Canal provide a steady source of power, it served as a fire break, separating Richmond’s financial and residential areas from the hazardous munitions. Byrd Island also served as terminus of the Richmond-Petersburg Railroad which had connecting lines to the Danville Railroad as well as the Weldon. Tredegar Iron Works, the Richmond Armory, the Artillery Works and numerous mills, foundries and factories were located adjacent to, and around the Richmond Arsenal. It was an ideal location for the Confederacy’s most important arsenal. The following is taken from a report prepared under the direction of Lt. Col. William LeRoy Broun and published in the Richmond Enquirer the day of Richmond’s evacuation. During the three and one half years between July 1, 1861, and Jan. 1, 1865, the Richmond Arsenal issued a staggering seventy-two million, four hundred thirteen thousand, eight hundred fifty-four (72,413,854) small arms cartridges of all calibers and 146,901,250 percussion caps! Each of these cartridges had to be individually wrapped, then rewrapped ten to a package along with twelve percussion caps and finally, one hundred of these tenpacks were packed in protective wooden crates like the one shown here. These crates had to be labeled with type and caliber of the enclosed ammunition as well as the date and location of issuance. Lt. Col. Broun’s report does not delineate between pistol, carbine, and rifle ammunition, but using the formula of 1,000 rounds per crate, the Arsenal had to have produced seventy-two thousand, four hundred fourteen (72,414) ammunition crates. Only a small percentage of these would have been Sharp’s ammunition crates; this and the nature of Confederate cavalry operations made the survival of these Sharp’s ammunition crates barely above 0 percent. After having taken a survey of the larger Confederate collections both in private hands and institutions I believe that there are less than five surviving examples of this rare box. Of those, only the one in the North Carolina History Museum in Raleigh is in comparable condition. The crate was found near Woodstock, Va., in 2006. It measures approximately 18 by 10 by 8 inches. These measurements are not exact, because I do not want it copied. From a collector’s perspective, the crate has rarity, condition, and stunning eye appeal; the collector could ask no more. Shannon Pritchard has authored numerous articles relating to the authentication, care and conservation of Confederate antiques, including several cover articles and is the author of the definitive work on Confederate collectibles, the widely acclaimed Collecting the Confederacy, Artifacts and Antiques from the War Between the States, and Confederate Faces in Color.

Stenciled on the side is “86 lbs. / 1000 / SHARPS RIFLE / CAR T. CA L. 52 / RICHMOND ARSENAL. / 1864.”

Stenciled on the side is “86 lbs. / 1000 / SHARPS RIFLE / CART. CAL. 52 / RICHMOND ARSENAL. / 1864.”

Base view of ammunition crate.