Anyone ever seen this button before ????

[1stVaINF]

It came out of a CW camp site. I'm wondering where this type of button would fit in on the uniform ?? Maybe trousers? It says Macullar Parker and co. Approximately half inch in size. Thanks in advance guys!---- I've seen this same button that says Us Army on it, with two stars , but those weren't issued until WW1.--- Not magnetic

 

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[1stVaINF]

 

[duggap]

Those go back to the war for sure. I have always called them fly buttons, but I am sure they were used elsewhere as well.
I tried to find something on your company, but every site I found wanted to sell me a book on the history of the company. They are from Boston and I could trace them back to 1870. From the way I read that info, I believe the company may have been older than 1870. It appears they were mainly a clothing manufacturer.

According to my back mark book they adopted the name Macullar Parker & Co in 1879.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

First, for anybody who doesn't already know, stamped sheetbrass 4-hole buttons have been manufactured continuously since about 1830 through today.

According the button backmark dating book, although the company on your button's backmark was founded in 1849, it did not use the name Macullar Parker & Company until 1879. So, unfortunately, this is another case of a post-civil-war button getting dug in a civil war campsite.

The backmark book also says, that company was a clothing dealer, not a button manufacturer.

Info-source: "American Military Button Makers And Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates" by William F. McGuinn & Bruce S. Bazelon. It's available on Ebay for about $30 (plus postage).

 

[1stVaINF]

found it , thank you, still really old . 1 mile from Spotsylvania Battlefield.

 

[DCMatt]

1stVaINF,

When hunting these old campsites you must remember that... if it was a good campsite DURING the Civil War, it was a good campsite BEFORE that and for many years AFTER that. Nostalgia for the Civil War times was high in the 1880's & 1890's and lots of old soldiers took their families or joined organizations and went back to the places where they fought and camped. And they lost buttons and coins and other bits for us to find.

BTW... I was at the 150th Anniversary of the Wilderness battle back in May and I lost an Eagle button off my shell jacket. If you get a chance, could you swing around for it?

DCMatt
13th Va Infantry

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Here's an incident similar to DCMatt's report of losing a Reproduction eagle-button from his uniform at a re-enactment of the Wilderness battle. In 1984, "non-dug" original civil war era buttons were not expensive. So, I used genuine civil war Georgia State Seal buttons on my reproduction Confederate uniform coat. One of those GA buttons was the Van Wart Son & Co. version (made in 1864-65), which was cheap-priced because no Van Wart Son buttons have ever been dug at a civil war site. In 1984, I wore my Confederate re-enactor coat to the State Fair in Fredericksbug VA, which is located on part of the Fredericksburg battlefield. I lost one of the Van Wart Son backmarked Georgia buttons that night at the Fair. I suspect that it will someday be dug by a coinhunter at the fairgrounds... and he will spread the news that a Van Wart Son & Co. Georgia button has been dug at the Fredericksburg battlefield.

 

[1stVaINF]

Nobody detects the battlefields around here, unless they like prison.. So it will most like stay in the ground , and out of the dozens of war relics that have come out of this field, this is the first non war find .

 

[DCMatt]

Nobody detects the battlefields around here, unless they like prison.. So it will most like stay in the ground , and out of the dozens of war relics that have come out of this field, this is the first non war find .

I'm not saying you won't find mostly war relics at CW camps. But there MAY be a mix of items from other periods as well.

And no one reenacts on national battlefields either as it is against the law. We do all the Spotsylvania/Chancellorsville events at the intersection of Brock Road and the Courthouse Bypass, on the W. J. Vakos Companies property. Which reminds me... I also lost an Enfield bayonet in the nearby woods during the tactical battle. I'm sure someone will dig that someday as well.

Happy hunting

DCMatt

 

[duggap]

I believe at one time the re-enactors must have used the actual battlefield parks. One of the local clubs here helped out the National Park service in Murfreesburo, Tn. They were having a hard time figuring out why certain confederate buttons were showing up, where confederate troops were never known to have been. It was the relic hunters that explained to them that it was re-enactors buttons they were finding.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looks like a four hole Utility / Advertisement button mostly from "shoddy", a second grade suit material..

..or trousers...fly button...


Shoddy definition: "an inferior quality yarn or fabric made from the shredded fiber of waste woolen cloth or clippings."

 

[DCMatt]

I believe at one time the re-enactors must have used the actual battlefield parks. One of the local clubs here helped out the National Park service in Murfreesburo, Tn. They were having a hard time figuring out why certain confederate buttons were showing up, where confederate troops were never known to have been. It was the relic hunters that explained to them that it was re-enactors buttons they were finding.

In 1962, Director Wirth of the National Park Service established a policy not to authorize any future reenactments on park lands largely due to the debacle of the 100th anniversary reenactment of the 1st Battle of Manassas (1st Bull Run for any Yankees reading this.).

They do living history presentations and sometimes fire historical weapons, but battle reenactments are not allowed.

DCMatt

 

[duggap]

In 1962, Director Wirth of the National Park Service established a policy not to authorize any future reenactments on park lands largely due to the debacle of the 100th anniversary reenactment of the 1st Battle of Manassas (1st Bull Run for any Yankees reading this.).

They do living history presentations and sometimes fire historical weapons, but battle reenactments are not allowed.

DCMatt

That sounds like where those buttons came from.

 

[DigIron2]

Nobody detects the battlefields around here, unless they like prison.. So it will most like stay in the ground , and out of the dozens of war relics that have come out of this field, this is the first non war find .

Oh yeah!They will burn your tail up.I knew a couple boys who got caught over there not to far from the bloody angle.I think they found a Georgia plate,bayonets,all kinds of stuff.They even found the park rangers badge that he must have lost investigating where they where digging.I think they got 3 years federal prison and a $250,000 fine,not to mention getting all the relics they have ever found confiscated,computers confiscated and their machines,if I am not mistaken I think it is even illegal for them to even own a machine now? There's nothing out there worth all that!I use to hunt that field that is between Robert E Lee elementary school and the outskirts of the park,now they got that damn Lake Anna parkway running through there.Population is getting worse and worse around here.

 

[richeysd76]

Thought I was the only one from spotsylvania on this site

 

[1stVaINF]

it is crazy out here, due to disrespectful diggers, if it wasnt for my aunt, I'd still be in the Brooke road swamps with them confederate ghosts and cottonmouths... I've never actually believed in ghosts until the crows nest. My brother lives on raven road. I really don't like going out there by myself. Unless I'm packing , even though ghost are well , you know....

 

[1stVaINF]

I couldn't let you have the piece of pie all to yourself , it just wouldn't be right of me . . . .

 

[1stVaINF]

No unfortunately there was no reenactments back then, all the buttons I posted were found in less than two hours and none were reproductions , sorry

 

[Ant]

I have never see that button but I have one that is similar to it but with only two button holes. Take a look, what do you think, close?:

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Clothing manufacturers put their name on them. There used to be a great link called silversimon but its now gone that showed tons of different clothing manufacturers, mostly shoddy suits, on these 4 holed buttons. I dont remember if 2 holed are included in this category. They are commonly called "advertisement buttons" because that is basically what they do.