CIVIL WAR PURPLE HEART

[Patriot]

I was wondering if anyone on the forum has a Civil War Purple Heart that they would like to share? I have yet to see such an animal, and I would love to see one!

[Jack's Son]

That's a great question......Never, say never!

[dhcoleterracina]

Great picture. I think there are less than a dozen known but as JS implies, someday someone will get a big surprise when they research a PH.

[vicjoy1945]

Great picture. I think there are less than a dozen known but as JS implies, someday someone will get a big surprise when they research a PH.

 

I've seen a couple in the 20+ years that I've been collecting Purple Hearts....one even had the original transmittal document..that was cool !! Take my word, they look just like those PHs issued to WWI vets...only they cost a heckuva lot more !!

 

Vic

[emccomas]

I read somewhere (maybe Call of Duty) that there were 10 Civil War PHs issued.

 

I suspect pricing for one would be significant.

 

Here is the grave of a Civil War Purple heart recipient. Grave is locate at Mennonite Cemetery, Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio

 

 

OK, so here is the challenge.

 

Let's see if we can identify the Civil War recipients of the Purple Heart (sort of like we are doing with the Tiffany Cross recipients). Anybody have any names

of confirmed recipients?

[tarbridge]

Between Andrew Lipps and myself we owned one a couple of times trading back and forth.I will see if I still have the name wrote down and I do not have any pictures but Andrew might.It will look just like any other Purple Heart.Robert

[vicjoy1945]

Between Andrew Lipps and myself we owned one a couple of times trading back and forth.I will see if I still have the name wrote down and I do not have any pictures but Andrew might.It will look just like any other Purple Heart.Robert

 

Hey Robert !

 

I believe this is the same Civil War Purple Heart that had the transmittal letter...the letter even mentioned the action for which the Purple Heart was awarded.

 

Pretty cool !! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

Vic

[Championhilz]

I found this post fascinating - I never knew that any Civil War veterans were issued the Purple Heart. It inspired me to do some looking, and I found this article in the ADVOCATE (Baton Rouge, LA), July 15, 1934:

 

 

 

 

I also found a picture of his grave in Pueblo, Colorado, which has some great images on it:

 

 

 

 

His grave also had this informative sign:

 

[tom2001]

Robert, I believe you and Andrew owned the WILLIAM R. BELL Purple Heart (Co K, 14th Iowa Volunteer Infantry).

 

Fred Borch, in his article "Civil War Purple Hearts: A Story of True Rarity" (JOMSA, vol 56, no.3), found only 11 AGO Award cards to Civil War vets in the NPRC files. Two are pictured in that article, including the Bell Purple Heart.

[tom2001]

I found this post fascinating - I never knew that any Civil War veterans were issued the Purple Heart. It inspired me to do some looking, and I found this article in the ADVOCATE (Baton Rouge, LA), July 15, 1934:

 

Interesting. Yackey doesn't appear in Borch's article, so I guess that makes 12 known PH awards for the Civil War.

[Championhilz]

I just found another picture of Yackey in the SEATTLE DAILY TIMES, July 22, 1934, and in this one he is wearing his Purple Heart:

 

[Championhilz]

I found another article about a Civil War veteran being awarded a Purple Heart, and this one is great: General William Henry Bisbee, who served in the 18th U.S. Infantry during the Civil War and was wounded multiple times. He made the army his career, and fought in the Indian Wars and the Spanish American War. He retired in 1902, but lived until 1942. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery:

 

[tom2001]

Here's the list of 11 as listed in Fred Borch's article:

 

 

BALLINGER, DAVID, Pvt., Co H, 12th New Jersey Infantry (PH w/olc awarded 9/13/37)

BELL, WILLIAM R., Co. K, 14th Iowa Volunteer Inf. (PH awarded 8/26/32)

COTES, J.W., Capt., Co I, 12th Iowa Volunteer Infantry (source: American News Dakota News Service 6/28/38)

DAVIS, LUDWICK D., 4tth Corporal, Co. C, 56th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 8/31/32)

GIBBS, ANDREW C, Sgt., Co F, 58th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 4/18/33)

HAYES, JOHN W. (source: Life Magazine June 19, 1944)

McKIBBEN, CHARLES W. Pvt., Co. I, 75 Ohio Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 3/17/33)

PALMER, THOMAS F. Sgt, Co. F, 38th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 5/3/33)

SMITH, GEORGE N Pvt. Co. G, 1st Battalion, 18th U.S. Infantry (PH awarded 9/30/32)

THOMAS, WILLIAM HANNIBAL, Sgt., Co. I, 5th US Colored Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 8/31/32)

WILLIAMS, FRANK, Corp., Co. C, 32nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 5/16/34)

[Championhilz]

Tom,

I just found another one who is not on your list: Brig. Gen. Aaron Daggett, who was awarded the Purple Heart on June 11 1936. The article is from the SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN (MA) June 16, 1936:

 

[Championhilz]

Tom,

I just found another one who is not on your list: Brig. Gen. Aaron Daggett, who was awarded the Purple Heart on June 11 1936. The article is from the SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN (MA) June 16, 1936:

 

[Patriot]

This thread has produced more information than I could have ever anticipated! Great research guys... :thumbsup:

[emccomas]

:think: So, we have these 11 from the Borch article

 

BALLINGER, DAVID, Pvt., Co H, 12th New Jersey Infantry (PH w/olc awarded 9/13/37)

BELL, WILLIAM R., Co. K, 14th Iowa Volunteer Inf. (PH awarded 8/26/32)

COTES, J.W., Capt., Co I, 12th Iowa Volunteer Infantry (source: American News Dakota News Service 6/28/38)

DAVIS, LUDWICK D., 4tth Corporal, Co. C, 56th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 8/31/32)

GIBBS, ANDREW C, Sgt., Co F, 58th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 4/18/33)

HAYES, JOHN W. (source: Life Magazine June 19, 1944)

McKIBBEN, CHARLES W. Pvt., Co. I, 75 Ohio Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 3/17/33)

PALMER, THOMAS F. Sgt, Co. F, 38th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 5/3/33)

SMITH, GEORGE N Pvt. Co. G, 1st Battalion, 18th U.S. Infantry (PH awarded 9/30/32)

THOMAS, WILLIAM HANNIBAL, Sgt., Co. I, 5th US Colored Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 8/31/32)

WILLIAMS, FRANK, Corp., Co. C, 32nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry (PH awarded 5/16/34)

 

plus

 

BEANE, EZRA, Co C, 6th Maryland Infantry

DAGGETT, AARON S. 5th Maine Infantry (PH awarded 6/16/36)

BISBEE, WILLIAM H, 18th US Infantry (PH awarded 1/28/40)

YACKEY, N. BENTON, (PH awarded 1934)

[Championhilz]

Here's another to add to the list:

 

[Championhilz]

And yet another one - and this Purple Heart was awarded to a Black soldier who served in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry:

 

 

 

 

 

[wartimecollectables.com]

I don't know the actual numbers but I"d say it's far more than the 13 or so that we've noted here. Not a significant number but there are several photo's from the 1938 Gettysburg 75th Anniversary Encampment of Union vets with PH's. NOW, of even more interest perhaps... there are I believe 3 know Civil War Silver Stars out there! Gallantry awards that carried on by veteran request into the 20's century long enough for a Silver Citation Star to be awarded then a Silver Star in 1932.

[emccomas]

I don't know the actual numbers but I"d say it's far more than the 13 or so that we've noted here. Not a significant number but there are several photo's from the 1938 Gettysburg 75th Anniversary Encampment of Union vets with PH's. NOW, of even more interest perhaps... there are I believe 3 know Civil War Silver Stars out there! Gallantry awards that carried on by veteran request into the 20's century long enough for a Silver Citation Star to be awarded then a Silver Star in 1932.

 

Names Andrew, names.

 

Seriously, this could turn out to be an interesting research project, documenting the medals awarded to Civil War (Union) veterans.

I am putting the info from this thread into yet another spreadsheet.

 

Does anyone know of a Confederate soldier that was awarded a US decoration? Obviously it would not be for service with the

Confederate services. I am thinking about those Confederate serviceman that subsequently served in the US armed forces after

the Civil War.

 

By the way, can anyone identify the Union serviceman that is wearing the PH in the first picture in this thread?

[DakotaDave]

Names Andrew, names.

 

Seriously, this could turn out to be an interesting research project, documenting the medals awarded to Civil War (Union) veterans.

I am putting the info from this thread into yet another spreadsheet.

 

Does anyone know of a Confederate soldier that was awarded a US decoration? Obviously it would not be for service with the

Confederate services. I am thinking about those Confederate serviceman that subsequently served in the US armed forces after

the Civil War.

 

By the way, can anyone identify the Union serviceman that is wearing the PH in the first picture in this thread?

 

 

I believe that may be the Rev. E. George Biddle who is mentioned in the news articles and photos supplied by championhilz in post 19 of this thread.

 

 

DakotaDave

[emccomas]

Here is an interesting story. A Civil War vet that is awarded a PH in 2007. Yep, his family requested and received a PH for his service in the Civil War.

The Vet died in 1932.

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&a...hsEXH8v51pFzmTg

 

And another CW vet PH story...

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&a...48kNY2k4mwU3Wfw

[teufelhunde.ret]

Great thread folks - will enjoy following this!

[Patriot]

Would these hearts have been officially engraved?