Civil War Confederate Officer’s coat button, recovered at Brandy Station Battlefield

Being offered is an excavated Confederate officer’s brass coat button, measuring 21mm. It shows the eagle on the face and still has traces of the original gold gilt. The reverse still has the bent over shank remaining, but no obvious maker mark, perhaps a local. It was recovered years ago at the Brandy Station, Virginia battlefield. 

The Battle of Brandy Station was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. It was fought on June 9, 1863, around Brandy Station, Virginia, at the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign. The Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton went up against Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry.

Pleasonton launched a surprise dawn attack on Stuart and after an all-day fight in which fortunes changed repeatedly, the Federals retired without discovering Gen. Robert E. Lee's infantry camped near Culpeper. This battle marked the end of the Confederate cavalry's dominance in the East. From this point in the war, the Federal cavalry gained strength and confidence.

Confederate officer coats with eagle buttons were locally made or imported from England that featured an eagle design. While regulations specified buttons with the branch of service (like 'I' for Infantry), many officers, especially higher-ranking ones, wore more elaborate gilt buttons that included an eagle (see original CS coat).

Although dug, this button is still in nice condition with no pushes on the face and still having some gold gilt and the shank present. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.