Virginia State Seal buttons

[lukegilly13]

Just curious if anyone knows of a surviving original garment with them on it or possibly uncovered some in a dig site. Trying to place them in a specific year....pretty sure they are '61-'62 eastern ANV....but more curious as to sources linking them to dates coming out of the Richmond Depot. Have any been linked to Longstreets fellows in their western theater work? Anyone dug or seen them dug from Petersburg or other late eastern campaign locations?

[Jimmayo]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

Shown in attached pictures is a jacket identified to the Norfolk Light Artillery Blues. Period used is not documented but it was given to the Portsmouth Naval Museum after the war. The other is a Norfolk Military Academy button (close to a Va) found in some of the June - July trenches in Petersburg. I have a couple of Va. buttons from Petersburg but no pictures taken of them. Most all Southern state buttons have been found in Petersburg indicating late war use. They are not as common as the block I buttons but did show up now and then.

[Bmanz1085]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

Jim,
I know it's dangerous, but would it be safe to assume that depots would not be issuing uniform jackets with state seal buttons? In so much as the depot would issue uniforms to units regardless of state then late war uniforms with a generic block I button seems more credible. So it would seem that the men would re-use their buttons when possible from jacket to jacket. It would make sense IMHO for a survivors of say one of the 9th or 12th VA prewar companies (Portsmouth Rifles or Richmond Grays) would want to keep their brass, sort of a veteran status symbol. I would believe, again IMO, this would be the only way VA State Seal buttons would be found in a dig of a 1864 battlefield/position; since almost every soldier would have by this time been through at least 2 uniform issues. As always I stand to be corrected.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

Jim,
Thanks for the pics! I was hoping you would chime in with relic info!

Bob,
Good point on the depot. I'm not entirely sure how they obtained particular buttons...I was assuming that orders were placed or contract made requesting/requiring particular buttons. Wonder if some folks had them forced on the?

Any info anyone has on how/when/where va state seal buttons were obtained it would be greatly appreciated!

[Jimmayo]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

Jim,
I know it's dangerous, but would it be safe to assume that depots would not be issuing uniform jackets with state seal buttons? In so much as the depot would issue uniforms to units regardless of state then late war uniforms with a generic block I button seems more credible. So it would seem that the men would re-use their buttons when possible from jacket to jacket. It would make sense IMHO for a survivors of say one of the 9th or 12th VA prewar companies (Portsmouth Rifles or Richmond Grays) would want to keep their brass, sort of a veteran status symbol. I would believe, again IMO, this would be the only way VA State Seal buttons would be found in a dig of a 1864 battlefield/position; since almost every soldier would have by this time been through at least 2 uniform issues. As always I stand to be corrected.

I would also assume that the depot would not be issuing enlisted jackets with Va. buttons after any supply (if any) on hand was exhausted. Some of the commutation jackets most likely came with state buttons as they were available from pre-war stocks and some may have been received from yankee suppliers in the North after the war started. I think the ones dug in late war sites were lost by soldiers who reused their state buttons until they were lost. However there must have been limited numbers being made at some time during the war since "local" buttons are found with no backmark and are somewhat cruder than the marked ones.

Here is an interesting button imported by Georgia for high ranking officers.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

Since the discussion is on Va. buttons here are two found on the Eastern Shore at a pre-war house site. I feel certain these came from a militia coat.

Here are the before and after pictures.

[musketbal]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

Hey Jim,
Where on the Eastern Shore did you find them. I know about Camp Upton in Salisbury and Camp Bradford in the Pricess Anne area of Maryland. Lockwoods Brigade was sent to The Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia for what was called "the pasivacation of the Eastern Shore". There was also a skirmish at Drummond Town, Va. and at Eastville, Va. Federal troops were stationed all over the area with telegraph stations. The message sent to Lincoln about the surrender of Lee's troops at Appomattox was recieved from. I'm fairly sure there should have been some places where Virginia troops would have been stationed.
Brent Conner

[lukegilly13]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

I notice as well there is a ton of variation of the seal put on buttons. Of course the seal has changed bunches of times over the years from the original design struck less than 100years prior to the Civil war by Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, George Wythe, and Robert Nicholas (I think...). I've attached one of the earliest versions c. 1780's along with several buttons dated to the civil war period. It's interesting to see how it has changed. Anyway, to add to the discussion, do the variations of the buttons depict where they came from or help to put a year to them?

[lukegilly13]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

I think this one is more similar to the pictures posted by Jim earlier.

[roundshot]

Re: Virginia State Seal buttons

It appears Virginia State seal buttons were much sought after but must have been private purchase items. In April 1863 a soldier in the 12th Virginia Cavalry wrote: "One of our boys managed to get a splendid suit with Virginia buttons on it." A month later he wrote "Common Virginia buttons sell at 18 dollars per dozen." [From Katcher, "Army of R. E. Lee, p.143]