Rally the Troops

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Confederate Staff Officers Button
(Gold Plated Brass)

SEMPER FI

The artifact pictured above was donated by Robert Daly U.S.M.C (Ret). He found the button in September, 1962... 100 years after the Battle of Ox Hill was fought. There is no back to the button, just the face.

The above Confederate issued staff officer's button was found behind the second Confederate battleline about 50 yards west of West Ox road.

Interpretation

This artifact came from a field grade Confederate officer who was most likely rallying the troops of Hays' Brigade. The brigade was then brought forward in support of Early's Virginia regiments and the 8th Louisiana. Once supported, the Confederate line advanced and regained their earlier positions at the edge of the woods.

	Conservation
Confederate	To the left, is the original size and condition of the button as it would have looked in 1862. The drooped wings differ from the outstretched and upward pointing wings of a Union Eagle shown on the right.	Union

As with any battlefield artifact, conservators must contend with battle damage and the corrosive effects of metal being buried for long periods of time. Archaeologists of the future would not have been able to determine what this artifact was, due to the continuing effects of corrosion (even if the battlefield had survived development). Furthermore, the information that is gained, representing the positions and movement of the combatants... is priceless.

The uniform button has now been cleaned and stabilized. With proper care, it and the other artifacts represented in this exhibit, will tell their stories for centuries to come.

Note: If any of the readers, have any old metallic items, please understand that the idea is to stabilize the artifact, not to "shine it up". You never want to destroy the patina, just remove the corrosive salts.

If the artifact is not too delicate it can be boiled in distilled water in successive treatments until all of the corrosive salts have been removed. I've done this as many as ten or more times, discarding the distilled water along with the salts each time. The artifact is then sealed in a special micro-crystalline wax that most museums and conservators use for this purpose.