The Maryland Cross

[Legion Para]

"Maryland Cross" pins, adapted from the crosses on the state seal, were worn by many Old Line State troops as the unofficial symbol of Confederate Maryland—and more practically as ID tags. Private Gresham Hough of the 1st Maryland Cavalry wore this example

 

[Legion Para]

http://moconfederacy.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/A9757462-959F-4A47-8D15-444183435335

Lt. William P. Zollinger wore these two badges. He was a member of first Co. H, 1st Maryland Infantry and then Co. A, 2nd Maryland Infantry, CSA.

Badge of nickel-plated brass in the shape of "2 MD". Formerly attached to Boteller cross

 

[donna]

Lovely pins.

 

[major bill]

Thank you for posting this. They are interesting items.

 

[Package4]

The Maryland state seal or crest:

The design alludes to the coat of arms of George Calvert, Lord Baltimore (1580-1632), which quartered the family arms of Calvert, a pattern of yellow and black vertical stripes, with the family arms of Crossland, which featured a red and white cross bottony. Lord Baltimore had received a grant of land on the Potomac River in 1632 from King Charles I and named it Maryland after the King's wife, Queen Henrietta Maria.

Cross Bottony:
A cross with the ends of the arms bottony (or botonny, i.e. "furnished with knobs or buttons"), i.e. shaped like a trefoil—and so it is sometimes called a cross trefly.

The seal depicts a farmer and a fisherman with their arms resting on the Calvert and Crossland family crests, this was the seal of Maryland until it was changed post war, replacing the eagle with a crown.

Many Marylanders (CSA) wore the bottony cross on their uniform jackets and/or kepis, in fact the Maryland Line wintered at Hanover Junction in 1864, many buttons, buckles and crosses have been recovered from that area. The cross below was once a brass silver plated piece, but 150 years of ground action leaves only the brass cross.

 

[Bruce Vail]

Did wearing the pin mean the soldier was Catholic?

 

[Package4]

Did wearing the pin mean the soldier was Catholic?

No, religion only played into the founding of the colony and the Crossland Crest. Many were of different denominations.

 

[kel1985]

Cool post! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Jonathan Beasley]

http://moconfederacy.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/A9757462-959F-4A47-8D15-444183435335

Lt. William P. Zollinger wore these two badges. He was a member of first Co. H, 1st Maryland Infantry and then Co. A, 2nd Maryland Infantry, CSA.

Badge of nickel-plated brass in the shape of "2 MD". Formerly attached to Boteller cross

View attachment 135328

View attachment 135329

View attachment 135327

Are any of these for sale, I know the Gough family in Leonardtown. 301 475-2000 Jonathan

 

[MarylandLine]

Daniel Hartzler a noted Maryland relic collector wrote an article for North South Trader many years ago on Maryland Crosses.

 

[Legion Para]

@Jonathan Beasley there are Maryland Crosses in private collections. With that said, they rarely come up for sale and when they do, are usually sold privately.

They sell for thousands of dollars.

 

[Pollaco]

Other than nickle-plated brass where any other metals were used in these crosses?Neat.... Texas had the Star, Maryland had the cross what did other states have?

 

[Tailor Pete]

I remember an account some time back about a Lieutenant in the Confederate Signal Service that emblazoned both upper sleeves of his uniform with red bottany crosses. This shows how devoted Marylanders were to their home.

 

[Legion Para]

Other than nickle-plated brass where any other metals were used in these crosses?Neat.... Texas had the Star, Maryland had the cross what did other states have?

Silver.

 

[Rick Richter]

This is the Bottony Cross worn by Captain William D. Brown of the 4th Maryland Artillery (Chesapeake), brass with nickel plating. He was wearing this when mortally wounded at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863.