Corp badges

[1stMaine]

Re: heel cleats

Comrade,

In either "The Diary of Infantryman Petit" or Daniel Chisolm's diary, there's a comment about wearing cleats in wintertime because of all the ice, frozen mud and snow around camp. He also writes for his father to send him a pair of boots rather than shoes. The ones that I have seen were identical in outline to the standard mini-horse shoes that everyone seems to wear, EXCEPT that, instead of being flat and smooth, they were ridged, sort of like a concertina stretched into a "U" shape. I've also seen ones with scalloped edges, both horizontal and vertical to the shoe.

One point, however, is that in every case of attached cleta that i have seen, they were put on with scr*ws, not nails or brads. Every set I have seen were a civilian item, and if attached to shoes or boots, were civilian footwear, not government issue.

I can tell you, however, that they were a staple of life in New England, and probably elsewhere, and remained so until the advent of comercially produced rubber soles and/or boots to replace them, which was in this past century.

Respects,

[Charles Heath]

Re: heel cleats

In either "The Diary of Infantryman Petit" or Daniel Chisolm's diary, there's a comment....

Tim, did you mean The Diary of a Dead Man: 1862-1864, complied by J.P. Ray, which is Ira Petit's letters and diary from his last days on the family farm until his demise at Andersonville. I'm wading through Dennis "Army Snuff" Shank's copy these days, and it is a darn good read. His mistrust of the mail system is timeless.

As to footwear appliances, D.P. Newton's White Oak Museum near Fredericksburg has a small collection of toe and heel plates well worth examining up close and in person. These were dug primarily from the 1862-1863 camps in that part of Stafford County, and thanks to the excavation of a corduroy road, and the donation of said road remnants to the museum, he also has a nice pile of shoes right near the front door.

If folks haven't been to that museum chock full of items of interest to those potraying the common soldier, then consider making it a side trip in conjunction with The Slaughter Pen event in October.

[1stMaine]

Re: heel cleats

Charles,

I was going from memory. The book I was refering to is "Infantryman Petit", the CW letter of corporal Frederick Petit, edited by William Gilfillan Gavin. Fred was in the 100th PA. He, too, wrote a series of letter reproduced in this volume, and also did not survive the war, being killed at Petersburg by a sharpshooter.

Respects,

[Richmond Depot]

Re: heel cleats

This style of heel plate is found quite frequently by relic hunters. Dug originals are readily available at most relic shows ( around Richmond anyway). They are probably very under represented in today's reenactment ranks.

I must admit however, I have never noticed any with cut outs in the shape of Fed. Corps badges at the shows....not to say they don't exist, I just haven't noticed any.

There is a guy at the NSSA nationals who sells these. Don't remember his name, but I believe that he is from the mid-west. He makes them in sheet iron or sheet brass.

Best,

[Jimmayo]

Heel plates

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/relics.html

I have two examples of horseshoe heel plates on the above page about half way down.

Small brass heelplates with Crosses, Hearts etc. cut into them are found in CW sites as well as non CW sites. The prevaling opinion on these are that they are boot plates (for small heels) , civilian and period.

[33rd VA Co. H]

Re: heel cleats

This style of heel plate is found quite frequently by relic hunters. Dug originals are readily available at most relic shows ( around Richmond anyway). They are probably very under represented in today's reenactment ranks.

I must admit however, I have never noticed any with cut outs in the shape of Fed. Corps badges at the shows....not to say they don't exist, I just haven't noticed any.

Though this is not the "cleats" the original question was referring to,.. I absolutely agree that the type of heel plate you're talking about is way under represented. They are commonly found by relic hunters with trefoil, diamond, heart and quite a few other shapes cut into them and some were much larger than others. I can see where some folks would think they could be corps designations but they were not.

Here is a picture of a bent up toe plate and a well worn small version of the heart style heel plate I detected some years ago. The toe plate was obviously attached with small tacks but the heel plate was in my opinion attached with screws. The heel plate is shown from the side that went against the heel. The other side shows extreme wear which probably was the reason it was discarded.

Charles Heath
As to footwear appliances, D.P. Newton's White Oak Museum near Fredericksburg has a small collection of toe and heel plates well worth examining up close and in person. These were dug primarily from the 1862-1863 camps in that part of Stafford County, and thanks to the excavation of a corduroy road, and the donation of said road remnants to the museum, he also has a nice pile of shoes right near the front door.

I'm proud to say I found relics from that courderoy road along Stoneman's Switch and have a few large pieces of that very road in my collection. For those interested, a friend of mine made some decent videos of the excavation as it was taking place. The fun starts at Episode 18 but Episode 21, 22, 23,24 contain the best look at the road.
http://www.treasureoutfitters.com/20...1_archive.html

[Poor Private]

Re: heel cleats

This past march I bought a pair of full heel plates, that had the 5th corp cross cut out of them. They were brass. I picked them up at the Kalamazoo Mich. Living history show. A guy I believe who was with the 1st Michigan Light arty was selling them for $20 per pair.

[adamandnicole]

Re: heel cleats

Just to clarify, I was also referring to the heel plates that some of the the other guys had mentioned. The only reason I used the word "cleat" is because that is the title they were given in Vol 2 of Lord's Encyclopedia. Thanks to all that responded.

Adam Dickerson

[Minieball577]

Re: heel cleats

The man who makes and sells the reproductions of heel plates from Michigan is John Hughes. He sells them through e-bay as CWRedleg or directly at hughes3rdbattery@aol.com, if you are so inclined. Good fella to deal with, and a good friend of mine. I know he makes several patterns that are fantasy, but many are documented to originals. He also hase several originals in his collection.

[Silas]

Re: heel cleats

Here's a photo of one type he creates :


Here's a link to the above mentioned ebay store. My posting isn't a quality assurance. Just passing along information.

[rejtiger]

Corp badges

Guys,

From what I have gathered the 56th Ohio was in the 12th corp at the time of Vicksburg. I have also found that the 12th Corp badge was a 5-point star. Is any one for sure if their Corp badge was a 5-point star at this time? Any help?

Ryan [Johnson]

[paulcalloway]

Re: Corp badges

Yes, but Ryan who?

[rejtiger]

Re: Corp badges

Ryan Johnson

[JKfifer119]

Re: Corp badges

Guys,

From what I have gathered the 56th Ohio was in the 12th corp at the time of Vicksburg. I have also found that the 12th Corp badge was a 5-point star. Is any one for sure if their Corp badge was a 5-point star at this time? Any help?

Ryan [Johnson]

wasn't 12th corp fighting in PA at the time of Vicksburg

I see a number of Ohio regiments listed in the 12th but not the 56th least ways not around July of 63

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Corp badges



Slocum's XII Corps was hiking around Virginia and Maryland in May and June of 1863, and was sitting on top of Culp's Hill at Gettysburg on July 4, around the time the little white flags popped up on the Confederate trenches at Vicksburg.

XI and XII Corps were sent to reinforce Rosecrans at Chattanooga in late September 1863, and subsequently consolidated into the XX Corps later that year.

Corps badges did not come into general use in the Army of the Tennessee until late in 1864 or early 1865.