Tom Hughes
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- May 27, 2019
- Location
- Mississippi
This early U.S. eagle Artillery button with a letter "A" on the breast shield dates to around 1830-1840.
Even though the backmark is unknown, you can tell it's an early one because of the position of the eagle's feet
and the gaping mouth.
I dug this button in a camp near Champion Hill, MS. I assumed it was lost by a Union soldier. But the early nature of the button begs the question: If it was a Union artilleryman's button, why was he wearing an old style button? Wouldn't he be issued a current style button?
Of course, it's possible that this belonged to a Confederate since it is antiquated.
As you can see, the backmark either isn't present or it's simply too light to make out.
Early U.S. buttons are commonly found on civil war battlefields. It just deepens the mystery
behind their use and adds to historical discussion.