Options
Gettysburg 1938 75th Reunion Medal with program, pics, documents! ,
DCW
Posts: 6,976 ✭✭✭✭✭
Guys,
I thought some of you might enjoy this. It's a medal given to my great great grandpappy for serving in the civil war, presented by FDR in 1938. This was the last reunion of the Blue and the Gray, 75 years after Gettysburg. Not many veterans still around at that time; this thing is probably pretty rare. I havent seen another for sale. It is a great treasue to me, and I have all of the papers, rail tickets, and documents associated with this event. I even have the program. You'll take notice that it was kept in the presentation box. It is my understanding that the vets wore these proudly during the 3 day ceremony. Any Civil War guys out there care to comment?
I thought some of you might enjoy this. It's a medal given to my great great grandpappy for serving in the civil war, presented by FDR in 1938. This was the last reunion of the Blue and the Gray, 75 years after Gettysburg. Not many veterans still around at that time; this thing is probably pretty rare. I havent seen another for sale. It is a great treasue to me, and I have all of the papers, rail tickets, and documents associated with this event. I even have the program. You'll take notice that it was kept in the presentation box. It is my understanding that the vets wore these proudly during the 3 day ceremony. Any Civil War guys out there care to comment?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
2
Comments
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
Not only a COOL piece of history but, family history as well!
Can you take some pics of the documents as well?
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
As a veteran myself, I really hold this thing near and dear to me. I think the guy was only 16 or 17 years old when he went off to fight for the union.
Thanks for the comments so far...
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
rainbowroosie April 1, 2003
Lafayette Grading Set
I am amazed by this and it is an amazing piece of american history.
AWESOME
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Someone that would _Love to see this is Rafael @ Shiloh Relics
Even though you'd never sell it, you Need to know it's value for insurance purposes...
You could let Rafael appraise it on the "Antiques Roadshow"
Here I am holding the medal given to my great great great grandfather for participation in the American Civil War. In 1938, all the veterans from the North and the South gathered on the battlefield one last time. I believe about 2,000 were invited, and slightly less made the journey. At that point they were all in their 90's!
PVT. B. Frank Herbert of the 34th NJ Infantry wore this on his lapel that day, and I took it back to the eternal flame 70 years later in tribute.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I also have a picture of scene with a sigh advertising the sale of the Gettysburg commemorative half dollars.
I really like this medal and it's really neat that you still have to box. To me medals mean more when you have the box that went with them, but they are often tossed for whatever reasons.
<< <i>On a side note. Robert E Lee had the most trouble in battles in which was searching for shoes to outfit his army at the same time he was trying to outmanuever the Union. >>
Here is a fact I found about footwear for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The monthly wage for a Confederate private during the Civil War was frozen at $8 in Confederate dollars a month. As the war continued, the value of Confederate currency got lower and lower due to the ravages of inflation. By 1864 the price of a pair of cavalry boots was up $500. That works out to over 5 years' worth of salary!
I get these numbers from a paperback book by Arlie Slabaugh, Confederate States of America Paper Money which was published by Hewitt Brothers in 1964.
Here is $8 Confederate in 1863 bills:
The $1 and $2 bills do not have backs. The $2 note is hard to find nice.
This $5 note had a "sunset" clause attached to it. A year after the date on the red date stamp the piece had to be convered to Confederate bonds, or it was declared worthless. This was an attempt to limit the amount of money in circulation.
Bill, getting that video saved in a digital format and posting it to YouTube would be fascinating for all of us but especially for DCW if you can do it or have someone do it for you.
Amazing piece of history and even better that it is part of your family history!
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
Some signatures from the old soldiers:
I'll post some more documents that I have a little later...
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
<< <i>Extremely cool piece of history. Thanks for sharing it. >>
agreed
I wasn't able to find out who designed this, but I did find these additional pieces for the reunion for attendants and distinguished guests:
Veteran and Attendant: Nelson Brooks and his attendant M.C. Wehle. Nelson's info includes: Regiment Code: 251, Roll ID: 599, and Soldier ID: 168753.
Distinguished Guest
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Fast forward to the 1990s and I am doing genealogy and cannot find his name in any Union army musters. So with a bit of cunning out of frustration I started looking in the Confederate musters and found him and his unit. I guess it was hard to collect a Union pension when you served in the Confederate army. And generations of his descendants grew up believing he served in the US army and it is even so noted on his grave marker. 150 years later it is a bit funny to think about, but I am sure then it made perfect sense.
<< <i>The last of my Civil War ancestors died in 1928. For the rest of his life after the war he stated that he served in the US army but lost his pension number etc.
Fast forward to the 1990s and I am doing genealogy and cannot find his name in any Union army musters. So with a bit of cunning out of frustration I started looking in the Confederate musters and found him and his unit. I guess it was hard to collect a Union pension when you served in the Confederate army. And generations of his descendants grew up believing he served in the US army and it is even so noted on his grave marker. 150 years later it is a bit funny to think about, but I am sure then it made perfect sense. >>
Great story! I love it when mysteries are explained and put to rest.
<< <i>The last of my Civil War ancestors died in 1928. For the rest of his life after the war he stated that he served in the US army but lost his pension number etc.
Fast forward to the 1990s and I am doing genealogy and cannot find his name in any Union army musters. So with a bit of cunning out of frustration I started looking in the Confederate musters and found him and his unit. I guess it was hard to collect a Union pension when you served in the Confederate army. And generations of his descendants grew up believing he served in the US army and it is even so noted on his grave marker. 150 years later it is a bit funny to think about, but I am sure then it made perfect sense. >>
Confederate veterans and their spouses could collect Civil War related pensions from the Federal Government, but it did not start until the 1930s. The last Confederate widow who was collecting money died in 2003. The way that happened was there were some very young women who married some very old Confederate veterans. According to "U.S. News" there are still two children of Confederate veterans who are collecting money from the Civil War.
Since you ancestor died in 1928 he just missed out on the potential of collecting benefits
<< <i>According to "U.S. News" there are still two children of Confederate veterans who are collecting money from the Civil War. >>
One of the two children lived in Tennessee and passed away in 2013 at 93. The other, a lady, was born in the 1930s and lives in North Carolina. It's pretty amazing to think that her father fought in the Civil War.
The pension for the children is $876 per year.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
<< <i>
<< <i>According to "U.S. News" there are still two children of Confederate veterans who are collecting money from the Civil War. >>
One of the two children lived in Tennessee and passed away in 2013 at 93. The other, a lady, was born in the 1930s and lives in North Carolina. It's pretty amazing to think that her father fought in the Civil War.
The pension for the children is $876 per year. >>
I believe there still might be a very elderly Confederate widow alive in Tennessee or somewhere that was a teenage bride to a Confederate soldier in the 1920s or 1930s - often times young girls married these elderly men as a guarantee of a pension - considering the conditions of the Great Depression not such a far out idea.
Here is the first page of a letter sent to my relative detailing his trip to Gettysburg and the accommodations available for him at the event:
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>According to "U.S. News" there are still two children of Confederate veterans who are collecting money from the Civil War. >>
One of the two children lived in Tennessee and passed away in 2013 at 93. The other, a lady, was born in the 1930s and lives in North Carolina. It's pretty amazing to think that her father fought in the Civil War.
The pension for the children is $876 per year. >>
I believe there still might be a very elderly Confederate widow alive in Tennessee or somewhere that was a teenage bride to a Confederate soldier in the 1920s or 1930s - often times young girls married these elderly men as a guarantee of a pension - considering the conditions of the Great Depression not such a far out idea. >>
There are some articles referencing privately known widows that may still be alive in Tennessee and North Carolina. For the publicly known widows, Maudie Hopkins passed in 2008 and Alberta Martin passed in 2004. Maudie married William M. Cantrell (of the 7th Virginia Infantry) on February 2, 1934, when he was 86 and she was 19. Alberta married William Jasper Martin (of the 4th Alabama Infantry) on December 10, 1927 when he was 81 and she was 21. The Wikipedia pages on Maudie and Alberta has some good information on Confederate soldiers, pensions and marriage. Here's a good CNN interview with Maudie that discusses how they came to be married.
<< <i>Still quite a lot to add, which I will do over the next several days.
Here is the first page of a letter sent to my relative detailing his trip to Gettysburg and the accommodations available for him at the event >>
Your materials are very cool. Have you thought about putting them together into a website or book??
It reads:
"The Government of the United States extends a cordial invitation to B. Frank Herbert, a Veteran of the War of 1861-1865, to attend the Commemoration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, June twenty-ninth to July sixth, nineteen hundred thirty-eight at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania."
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
<< <i>
<< <i>The last of my Civil War ancestors died in 1928. For the rest of his life after the war he stated that he served in the US army but lost his pension number etc.
Fast forward to the 1990s and I am doing genealogy and cannot find his name in any Union army musters. So with a bit of cunning out of frustration I started looking in the Confederate musters and found him and his unit. I guess it was hard to collect a Union pension when you served in the Confederate army. And generations of his descendants grew up believing he served in the US army and it is even so noted on his grave marker. 150 years later it is a bit funny to think about, but I am sure then it made perfect sense. >>
Confederate veterans and their spouses could collect Civil War related pensions from the Federal Government, but it did not start until the 1930s. The last Confederate widow who was collecting money died in 2003. The way that happened was there were some very young women who married some very old Confederate veterans. According to "U.S. News" there are still two children of Confederate veterans who are collecting money from the Civil War.
Since you ancestor died in 1928 he just missed out on the potential of collecting benefits >>
While it may be a bit off this topic it is interesting to note that, as of last year, two of former president John Tyler's grandchildren were still living. Tyler was born in 1790!
Bump for the 80th anniversary of the 75th anniversary!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Thanks for resurrecting this great old thread. Some really interesting history contained here. Cheers, RickO