I.D. 18th Corps Badge Edwin M. Pettengill

[skypilot6670]

     21 year old Edwin Pettengill from Boston  enlisted in Company M 44th Mass. Vol. Inf. on September 12 , 1862 for 9 months. The nucleus for this unit was the 4th Battalion of Militia , known as the New England Guard . The 44th was assigned to  Major General John G Fosters Dept. of North Carolina arriving  at New Bern on October 24th 1862 .  
     11 days after they arrived the 44th was engaged at , “Rawls Mill, Williamson N.C. loosing 2 men killed and 11 wounded . On Dec. 14th and 16th the 44th was again engaged at Whitehall and Washington N.C. loosing 6 men killed and 14 wounded. Things then quieted down for Edwin and the 44th. They suffered no more casualties until March 3rd 1863 when 3 men were taken prisoner. The records show no more casualties and the unit returned to Boston and was mustered out on June 18 , 1863. 
    Gen. Fosters soldiers in the Dept. of N.C. were designated the 18th Army Corps on Christmas Eve 1862.  
    Edwin lived in Roslindale Ma. after the war and received a pension beginning on April 26 , 1892. He was a member of the GAR Post 191 (Gettysburg) in Boston. He died on April 11 , 1923 at 81 years old . Rest in peace soldier.

    This badge is rare on several accounts , the main one is the NEG 44 button which is quite rare. Also the enameling is rarely seen on wartime badges of which I believe this is one. Further it has the remnants  of its original ribbon. 
    The Gold of the button and the blue (infantry) ribbon make an attractive display along with the photo of him. Thanks for looking Mike.  
 

                                                  Sources.  Historical Data Systematic ,Library of Congress and National Archives

[USCapturephotos]

Another nice one Mike!

Paul

[M24 Chaffee]

That’s great! It’s very cool to have that great photo to go with that nice badge!

 

Frank

[skypilot6670]

Thanks Paul and Frank.  The photo is a copy , I wish I had the original , but no such luck. I’ve only seen one other of these badges and that was just the 18th corps badge part. The button is so rare I think that one was taken apart and sold separately , it would generate more profit that way.  
Thanks for commenting I appreciate it.  Mike

[mdk0911]

once again -great badge - 

[katieony]

Mike,

Another rare and historic badge...thanks for sharing!

Mike