Va. breast plate ?

Kco.

Private
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Location
Pa.
I was wondering if the Va. Units had the Va. state breast plate on the cart. box sling during the Civil War? Or is this another reenacting myth?
 
The circular Virginia State Seal Breast plate was a pre-war militia uniform decoration. These were private contract purchased items for the very few units that employed them in the mid-late 1850's era or so. A few of the pre-war militia units continued use into the beginning of the war. These are actually quite rare. These were generally made of stamped sheet brass and had a soldered pin on the back... Intended to be used on the then standard White Webbing belts that majority of Virginia troops were using at the time. Not normally found lead filled with loops as the Federal Eagle breast plate was...to be used on leather cartridge box belts.... The plain oval, square or clipped corner breast plates were much more common.

In the April-June 1861 quartermaster invoices and reports whereas Virginia was issuing out gear to the newly formed Va Volunteer regiments that were being mustered for state service at that point in time... They had thousands of yards of the webbing in arsenal stocks that were being issued out.. No mention of breast plates being issued by the state..

Ive examined a few of these and they all had pins on the back... not lead filled with loops. Again these were designed and intended to be worn on the webbing belts... not leather. Have never found an image or surviving example of their use on leather belts.. the pins don't work well on leather...

Unfortunately some reenactors tend to be quite preponderance of decorating their uniform and hats with all sorts of insignia devices, state plates, fraternal medallions and badges that historically has very little evidence of... Because a sutler makes and sells it isnt always confirmation that the item is authentic... Nor that it had a common use or is correct for any time/place.... As I've told many over the years... Research... don't just replicate what other reenactors do..

On this same token is the rectangle Virginia State Seal waist belt plates.... that so many reenactors love and wear... These are from the 1840-50ish era and also were made of heavy stamped sheet brass... not lead filled... nor sand cast with the three hooks on the back as the sutlers sell... These were made with a loop and pins... for use also on the webbing belts... not intended for nor could feasibly be adopted and continued used on later leather belts...
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Virginia Seal rectangle waist belt plate... for the webbing belts (not leather)
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