Block I Buttons

[27thNCdrummer]

Pards,
At what time did the Block I button come into use during the war? My concern is that I have a very early war battle shirt with block I buttons that I'm planning to wear to an April, 1861 event and I don't want to have the wrong kind of buttons on it.

Thanks,

[ewtaylor]

Re: Block I Buttons

GENERAL ORDERS,ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 9. * Richmond, Va., June 6, 1861.

UNIFORM AND DRESS OF THE ARMY.

BUTTONS.

13. For general officers and officers of the general staff, bright gilt, rounded at the edge, convex, raised eagle in the center, with stars surrounding it; large size, one inch in exterior diameter; small size, half an inch.

14. For officers of the Corps of Engineers, the same as for the general staff, except that, in place of the eagle and the stars, there will be a raised E in German text.

15. For officers of artillery, infantry, riflemen, and cavalry, gilt, convex, plain, with large, raised letter in the center-A for the artillery, I for the infantry, R for the riflemen, C for the cavalry; large size, seven-eighths of an inch in exterior diameter; small size, half an inch.

16. Aides-de-camp may wear the button of the general staff, or of their regiments or corps, at their option.

17. For enlisted men of artillery, yellow, convex, large, raised letter A in the center; three-quarters of an inch in exterior diameter.

18. For all other enlisted men, the same as for the artillery, except that the number of the regiment, in large figures, will be substituted for the letter A.

I have NEVER seen the buttons with number designations on CS buttons. I'm assuming that would have been a tremendous task that the qmaster was not up to.

AS you can see the Letter buttons were originally for Officers. Hope this helps,

[roundshot]

Re: Block I Buttons

http://www.lazyjacks.org.uk/button.htm

[Jimmayo]

Re: Block I Buttons

I agree with the time frame stated in the above article. It took some time from the adoption of the regulations until the block letter buttons were available. I might add that the early block I buttons had brass backs which later were made of tin as the brass became scarce. What were available in significant numbers at the beginning and end of the war were eagle buttons. Another fact to consider was that the early block letter buttons were either supplied from a clothing dealer such as E.M.Lewis or received on a depot issue jacket. I would guess that an early war battle shirt if made locally and far from the city of Richmond would not have had block I buttons.

[Slouch]

Re: Block I Buttons

A better button for an early war battleshirt would be civilian coin buttons, state seal buttons, or as previously suggested, Federal eagle buttons (IMO in that order)

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Block I Buttons

Thanks guys!