Cannoniers de Donaldsonville (Louisiana)

[rebjeb04]

Hey Folks,

Check this button out. I've read about them but never seen one. It would be cool if someone had the means to reproduce them. Maybe waterbury could do it, but would probably take somebody loaning out a non-dug original.

A fellow excavated this thing and posted the pics on a treasure hunt forum. It is a very rare button of the Cannoniers de Donaldsonville. Manufactured in Paris and identical to the button of the Artillerie Bataillon d'Orleans. The Donaldsonville Artillery as it became known by during the was was founded in 1837, and the members were made up of some of the wealthiest planters of Louisiana. They came from the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, and St. James. Capts. Victor Maurin and R. Prosper Landry commanded the unit in the Army of Northern Va. In the old Donaldsonville cemetery stands a wonderful monument, although rapidly decaying, of Maurin above a tomb of the Cannoniers as well as Louisianans from other regiments. The corners of the tomb are decorated with canonballs probably brought home from the war. Next to it is the ancient Landry family tomb that dates to the 1840's.

Cheers from Dandy.

[AndrewGrim]

Re: Cannoniers de Donaldsonville (Louisiana)

That is a neat find. Do you know where it was dug from?

[rebjeb04]

Re: Cannoniers de Donaldsonville (Louisiana)

Hey Mr. Grim,

I tried to PM the fellow on the forum, but he has yet to respond. I would assume in Louisiana or Virginia. In my personal opinion, which is not much, I think these were for the pre-war uniforms of the unit which were very close to those of the Washington Artillery in the antebellum days. According to Brassey's Uniforms of the Confederate States, they wore a tail coat rather than a frock. During the War, they adopted a more fatigue and regulation dress of a standard gray shell and trousers, red kepi w/blue band. That uniform may have had standard "A" issue buttons that landed on the fields of Fredricksburg and other Virginia battlegrounds. The Paris buttons maybe rare leftovers of gala days of Louisiana in years prior to 1861. This may explain the absence of them found in excavations today. I know this is probably one of the most rare Southern buttons out there! Even more rare than the Moultrie Guards button. Maybe a few relic hunters can enlighten us on the scarcity and availability of this button.

Cheers,