1775-1899 U.S., State Militia, & National Guard Buttons

[hhbooker2]

"Greetings & Salutations!" We must wonder how many here also collect uniform buttons of the United States militia, naval, and military of the 18th and 19th century? The various non-U.S. government buttons of the state militia and national guards appear to out-number the former? We shall start with South Carolina state buttons. The first is the Charleston Light Infantry which used instead of the Palmetto Tree a Scottish thistle as many of its volunteers hailed from Scotland (and Ireland). Here are three other S.C. militia buttons as well! All of the states issued buttons for their troops usually using the State Seal, maybe others might want to display buttons from their collection as well here? Some of the buttons here were battle-field dug. Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California ([email protected])

[hhbooker2]

Here is a Confederate officer's button, another for the Wisconsin Volunteers, New York Engineers, and the Kentucky Volunteers.

[hhbooker2]

Palmetto Guard - South Carolina U.S. Civil War Kentucky Military Institute.

[hhbooker2]

United States Navy unlisted white plastic button. Lighthouse Service FD24 brass button. United States Coast & Geodetic Survey brass button. Wisconsin National Guard button.

[hhbooker2]

Can you guess what these buttons are for?

[chrisdumford]

I'll take the bait.

 

1st button, GAR tie clasp.

2nd button Jewish veterans? (no idea).

3rd button Confederate Veterans?

4th and 5th buttons, Grand Army of the Republic (Post war Union Civil War Veteran's political organization).

MSH ?

Last button, Chicago Light Guard militia button (I own a pre-war CLG coatee and I think these are the buttons that are on it).

[SARGE]

The first GAR button fits over the standard hard rubber civilian button. This could be used to turn a blue civilian suit into a poor man's GAR uniform for the weekend meeting. Very neat! The lined GAR button with block letters is seldom seem as the common button is the one with the entwined GAR cypher shown next to it.