Who says Westerners were "plain?"

[markj]

Greetings,

Get a load of this 4th Iowa vet:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2229995771&category=13960

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Alamo Guard]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

[QUOTE=markj]Greetings,

I wonder if thats a GAR metal on his lapel? Is this photo post war?

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

[QUOTE=Alamo Guard]

Greetings,

I wonder if thats a GAR metal on his lapel? Is this photo post war?

It appears to be a 15th corps badge and a snazzy ID tag.

[markj]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

Greetings,

>I wonder if thats a GAR metal on his lapel? Is this photo post war?

The original image itself was clearly wartime. However, it's a post-war "copy photo," probably made in the 1870's, based on the rounded edges of the cardstock and the type of "oval" surrounding the actual image of the soldier.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[paulcalloway]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

There were a lot of units sporting the Zouave-look in the midwest. A notable one here in Indiana was the 34th Indiana from Blackford County. Here are a few photos of the 34th IVI.



These images are located at http://www.civilwarindiana.com/soldiers/reg034.html and are available for purchase along with many many others.

[markj]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

Paulus Maximus,

Indeed, the 8th, 11th, 12th, 16th, 46th, and 100th IVI's (among others) all adopted mock-zouave or, at least, "fancy" attire for officers and enlisted men. As near as can be discerned, however, nearly all of these units did not adopt such uniforms until they veteranized at the end of 1863 or in early 1864. I was nevertheless surprised by how ornate the get-up was on that 4th Iowa guy (assuming the ID is correct). I sent it to Don Troiani.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

Jeeze...maybe I'm gettin' old, but...how old do you think Sarge is?

[ScottCross]

Army of Georgia Veteran's Badge

Here's the article I wrote last year for the Military Collector and Historian Sorry, no images, but you may be able to get a back issue from theCompany of Military historians.

An Army of Georgia Veteran’s Medal

Scott Cross

While cataloging the Civil War photograph collection at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in 1998, I first encountered images of Federal soldiers wearing an odd medal that I had never seen before. These soldiers were wearing on the right or left chest an eagle shaped pin with a suspended disk. The medal resembled no known corps badge or any authorized award. At the time I assumed that they were some type of ornate identification disk popularly sold by sutlers or available through newspaper advertisements. The following year I began working as the archivist at the Oshkosh Public Museum and once again came across images of soldiers wearing this strange badge.
While examining the original 1920s accession record of the photographs, I noted a listing for an “Eagle Pin” in the inventory. A physical search for the “Eagle Pin” revealed it to be the top portion of a G.A.R. Membership Badge. However, sitting next to it in the same storage container was an example of the badge seen in the photographs.

FIG #1 (OPM Negative #20866)
Sergeant John Braun, Company E, 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, circa June 1865.
Braun enlisted at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on April 15, 1862 and was promoted to corporal. He participated in the Battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He was captured at the latter and sent to Belle Isle near Richmond, Virginia. He was promoted to sergeant and returned to the regiment in time to participate in the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea and the Carolina Campaign. He mustered out with the regiment on June 13, 1865. The Carte de visite image of Braun bears no photographer’s imprint, but was most likely taken in Milwaukee in June 1865. He has altered his fatigue blouse by adding an exterior opening to the left breast pocket and the addition of two lower pockets. He is also wearing very small inverted sergeant chevrons on his sleeves (the left chevron is barely visible). On his right breast is the unusual badge.

FIG #2 (OPM Negative #20867)
Hospital Steward August Krieger, 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Carte de visite by Hugo Broich, Milwaukee Wisconsin circa June 1865. Krieger enlisted at Milwaukee on October 10, 1863 as a recruit and was made a hospital steward. He mustered out with the regiment on June 13, 1865. He wears an enlisted fatigue blouse and the veterans’ badge on his left breast.

FIG #3 (Courtesy of Wisconsin Veterans Museum)
Corporal George W. Longhurst, Company D, 12th Wisconsin Infantry. Longhurst enlisted at Auburn on November 29, 1861. He was promoted to corporal and re-enlisted as a veteran. He was present with the regiment through the March to the Sea, Carolina Campaigns and the Grand Review. He mustered out with the regiment on July 16, 1865. Longhurst is wearing a Mounted Service Jacket which he has altered by removing the branch of service trim and replacing it with infantry blue trim; adding sky blue material to the ends of the cuffs; and replacing the small size buttons with blouse size buttons. He wears the 16th Corps Arrow on his right breast and suspended beneath is an Army of Georgia Veteran’s Medal.

FIG #4 & 5 (OPM Accession #1086-8, negative # 21878:14,18)
Army of Georgia Veteran’s Medal worn by James F. Sawyer, Company K, 21st Wisconsin Infantry. Sawyer enlisted as a recruit at Gibraltar, Wisconsin on March 28, 1864. He participated in the Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea where he was wounded in the neck during the Battle of Savannah, Georgia. He participated in the Carolina Campaign and was transferred at the end of the war to the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry. He mustered out on July 30, 1865. The medal itself consists of an American eagle made of stamped brass with applied silver wash and a wire hook and traces of a soldered pin on the back. It measures 1 5/8 inches from wing tip to wing tip, and 7/8 inches high. A brass wire ring runs though a punched hole between the eagle’s talons and suspends a metal disk. The disk is cast of a lightweight nonferrous metal measuring 1 ¼ inches in diameter. It is 1/16 of an inch thick. The overall height of the entire medal is 2 ¼ inches. The obverse of the disk portrays a bust image of William T. Sherman and the words, “MAJ. GEN. W. T. SHERMAN”, surrounded by a wreath. The reverse has a 14th Corps Acorn at upper left, 20th Corps Star at upper right, 15th Corps Cartridge Box on Lozenge in center, and a 17th Corps Arrow below.

All of the corps represented on the reverse of this medal constituted Sherman’s Army of Georgia, 1864-1865. The identified images of soldiers wearing this medal were also members of the Army of Georgia and were photographed near the end of the war. The 26th Wisconsin became a part of the 20th Corps when the Army of the Cumberland was reorganized in October 1863. They became a part of Sherman’s Army of Georgia when it was created just prior to the March to the Sea. The 21st Wisconsin was transferred to the 14th Army Corps on May 2, 1864 and on November 12th, 1864 the 14th Corps became a part of the Army of Georgia. The 12th Wisconsin Infantry became a part of the 17th Army Corps in June 1864 and joined the Army of Georgia on November 15, 1864.

Exactly who manufactured these medals, who authorized them (if anyone), and where and when they were distributed or purchased remains a mystery. It is possible that some enterprising sutler or manufacturer took advantage of the large concentration of Sherman’s troops in Washington, D. C. during the Grand Review and was hawking them in the camps. The quality of the materials suggests that they were very cheap. Undoubtedly, there are other images in museum and private collections of veterans of Sherman’s Army of Georgia proudly wearing these medals or even other original examples in existence.

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

Very interesting!

Nice writing Scott. My guess would have been that the medal was a Lincoln death commemorative item. I've seen the eagle with disc motif before in circa 1865 images. I seem to recall a period advertisement for such a 'mourning' badge.

Cool info! Interested to check the images I've seen to see what 'army' the fellows belonged to. Maybe more of these Army of Georgia Vet medals than what I realize.....

John Pillers

[ScottCross]

Army of Georgia Badge

Here is a back and front image of the original badge in our museum's collection. Steve Osman also has one in his private collection.

[John Pellarin]

Re: Who says Westerners were "plain?"

Scott,

Great info. For what it's worth, I have a GAR medal from the 1886(?) GAR convention in St. Louis. It looks to be the same size, same or similar eagle (although one of the wings of the eagle is clipped) and similar size disc.

Could this type of medal been a "stock" form from 1865 to the post CW era?

John Pellarin