Excavated Confederate Block “A” Artillery Button, recovered at Fredericksburg, VA Battlefield

This is another item being offered, it is an excavated coat-size, 23mm, Confederate Artillery button. It is the block style "A” that denotes the artillery branch of Confederate service and would be considered as a local. It has the tin back, which is rusted, typical of these local buttons, but it still has the original shank. This button was recovered at the Fredericksburg, Virginia Battlefield many years ago.

On November 14, 1862, Union General Ambrose Burnside sent a corps to occupy the vicinity of Falmouth near Fredericksburg, Virginia. Lee reacted by entrenching his army on the heights behind the town. On December 13, after pontoon bridges were laid, Union forces crossed the Rappahannock River under fire.

Burnside mounted a series of futile frontal assaults on Prospect Hill and Marye's Heights that resulted in staggering casualties. On December 15, Burnside called off the offensive and recrossed the river, ending the failed campaign.

This is a nice dug button and remains a very solid piece. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.