Sacred Soil of Virginia

Period1861

MediumGlass, soil

DimensionsBottle: 4 in. (10.2 cm)

ClassificationsSouvenirs and Relics

Credit LineGift of Joseph Ashton Yard, 1936

Object number964

DescriptionA small glass bottle with stopper, filled approximately 1/4 full with a light-colored soil. Attached to the bottle is a handwritten label that reads "Sacred Soil of / Virginia / Some of that first trodden / by Jersey Troops, July 24 / 1861"
Curatorial RemarksThe First Battle of Manassas, also known as the First Battle of Bull Run, was the first major battle of the American Civil War. It was fought on July 21, 1861 in Prince William County, Virginia, just north of the city of Manassas and about 25 miles west-southwest of Washington, D.C. The Union troops present included several regiments from New Jersey. Though both sides were disorganized and undertrained, the battle ended in a Confederate victory and foretold of a long war ahead. Just one day after the Battle of Manassas, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill that provided for the enlistment of another 500,000 men for up to three years of service.

Collections