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1863 Chancellorsville silver engraved 12th Corps Badge ID 29th PVI Pennsylvania
$ 1848
- Description
- Size Guide
Description
Here is an original, rare engraved 12th Corps Badge dating from the Civil War. The front of thebadge
shows it is from a soldier in the 29th P.V. (Pennsylvania Volunteers) and has the motto "EVER UNITED - BE JUST AND FEAR NOT". The piece is initialed "TFB" on the reverse with the words "CHANCELLORVILLE" [sic] and "MAY 3rd 1863". The clasp and T-bar closure is correct for wartime
badges
. It measures 1-1/8" and is sterling silver; it has not been polished in a very long time. I combed through the muster rolls and was able to find three members of the 29th PA with those initials:
Thomas F. Bevens (Private, company A)
Thomas F. Burns (Private, company D)
Thomas F. Brown (Lt. then Capt., company F)
My instinct is that it probably was owned by Thomas F. Brown, the only officer of the three possibles.
Corps
b
adges
were private purchase and somewhat expensive. To have the extensive customized engraving would have been both costly and the motto would have been something that an educated man (an officer) would have requested and been able to pay for on a higher salary. One can't be sure, however. Both Brown and Burns are listed on the Pennsylvania monument at Gettysburg, which occurred just two months after Chancellorsville.
I did some more digging and found that May 3, 1863 was an auspicious day for the 29th Regiment. They found themselves smack in the middle of the so-called 'horseshoe' of the Union lines at Chancellorsville and beat back repeated Rebel assaults all morning behind earthenworks before retreating with the rest of the 12th
Corps
. In the photos I've shown a great sketch of the regiment in this position on May 3rd, published in
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War
taken from an original sketch by Capt. W.L. Stork (Co. I 29th PV). No doubt the valiant service the 29th provided at Chancellorsville on May 3rd was the reason for the engraving on this
badge
.
The badge is in excellent condition and retains an old, unpolished surface. It came from a local Philadelphia area collection of police and fire badges but no other information on this piece came with it. It has not been on the market for decades.