© 2026 ABC News

Bill Shaner, 63, a Civil War historian and lifelong Memphis resident, told ABC News that Bryant's discovery was very rare.

\"They are in exceptional condition. It's hard to find a box plate that's that undamaged,\" Shaner told ABC News. \"I couldn't believe it was sticking up in the rocks like that.\"

Shaner said other Civil War-era box plates, which were standard issue for troops, are usually discovered underground and not near river banks.

Bryant said the fort and the area near the bridge was frequently used for shipping so it was not uncommon for materials to be washed up and left behind in the water.

\"PHOTO:
Courtesy Riley Bryant
PHOTO: Another Union 58 caliber three ring minie ball washed out of the river bank.
>

\"The water levels being at this low level is the reason that no one has found it before,\" he said.

The Memphis relic discovery is becoming a more common site around major bodies of water across the world as climate change, and droughts have brought up various rare objects and artifacts including dinosaur footprints in Texas.

The Mississippi River, following weeks of drought, hit a record low in Memphis of -10.71 feet last week, according to the National Weather Service.

Bryant said while he was excited to find the relics he also felt sad because of the state of the river.

\"It's showing how much garbage has been thrown into the river and how polluted the river really is,\" he said. \"The videos really show how much pollution is going on in the river along with the historical stuff.\"

\"PHOTO:
Courtesy Riley Bryant
PHOTO: Riley Bryant holds the freshly recovered union US cartridge box plate below the I55 bridge in Memphis, Tenn.
>

In the meantime, Bryant, who works as a videographer for American Digger Magazine, said he never sells any historical find and instead travels the country to display his collection to anyone interested in history.

\"I try to educate people about the history behind the relics,\" he said. \"I try to do that in a way that has the context of where it's from.\"

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