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Thread: Civil War Medal Claimed

  1. #1
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    Default Civil War Medal Claimed

    Here's one for someone serving in the military. I just recently claimed the civil war service medal for my great, great Grandfather Jacob (photo), who served with the Union, 1st Reg, Co E, Volunteer West VA Calvary (inscribed on the edge of his medal). See photo of the medal in the original box (top removed) issued 1865 after the war. Jacob never claimed his medal and I discovered his service records on Ancestry.com. I stumbled on a list of unclaimed medals and was able to prove direct family lineage. His medal was stored in a vault in WV and issued to me.

    Jacob fought in the final battle of the war where Lee surrendered at Appomattox. He was present at Lee's surrender and marched in Washington for Grant following the war. He served under General Capehart who captured the Confederate supply train in Appomattox, then flanked the west side (1st WV marked in yellow on the map). Capehart led the 1st WV, 2nd WV, 3rd WV on the left. Pennington led the 1NY, 2nd NY, 3rd NY, and 2nd OH down the center, and General Custer flanked the right side with the 8th NY, 15th NY and 1st VT (see photo of map). I also secured a certified unfired and fired 58cal mini bullet from the battle - see photo. I have his military records and after the war Jacob elected to not purchase his horse for $3 when he mustered out 1865. He went home with his brother in law Levi, who served in the battle with him. Probably fought side by side.

    They were paid $33.33 / month for their service.

    (He also fought at the Battle of 5 Forks on 4/1/1865.
    He fought at Sailors Creek on 4/6/1865, where 7,700 Confederates surrendered under Gen Ewell along with 8 other Con. Generals.
    On 4/8/1865 his Company captured Lee's supply train when the battle began at Appomattox. Lee tried to break through the union calvary, but could not. 4/9/1865 Lee surrendered to Grant. Jacob also rode in the Grand Review in Washington, DC on 5/23/1865. He mustered out 7/8/1865 in Washington, DC.

    What was really cool was visiting Appomattox with my oldest son Chad on our way home from FL. We also stopped at Gettysburg.

    GGGF Jacob's medal is finally home. Levi's was never claimed. No known family members are existing. They probably never realized they had medals coming to them. Jacob was 26 yrs old at the time. His military records show his occupation as boilermaker for the engines of the railroad prior to his service. He was originally from Switzerland and lived in Hughestown, PA. He lived in the times of Jesse and Frank James of the James Gang.

    Pretty Cool?
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  2. #2
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    How very very cool is that?

    Kind of brings it all home when you tie the people in as real people. Relatives. Not just names in books etc.

    Thanks for posting that. I live for this kind of stuff.

    I have a percussion cap and a ball that a friend got out of his great grandfathers stuff stored in an attic. He had some of his other civil war gear.

    Just a simple cap and a lead ball but I cherish them and take special care of them.
    In Memory of Paul "Dietrich" Stines.
    Dad: Say something nice to your cousin Shirley
    Dietrich: For a fat girl you sure don't sweat much.
    Cue sound of Head slap.

    RIP Muggsy & TMan

    "If you are a warrior legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that JOCKO will not come today."

  3. #3
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    Yes, I understand exactly how you feel about the cap and lead ball. I'd bet it has a white ceramic like coating on it from age. Some old items that represent a huge piece of our country's history are worth taking special care of. It is especially touching, like you said, when it hits home through the history of family. Our family never knew about Jacob's service in the Civil War. He got home and went back to work. From my Ancestry research, I also found lots of family who fought in the Revolutionary War from PA. Some lived, stories of some wounded (- one many times great grandfather was shot through both feet on his horse and lived). Some stories of whole families of men (fathers and their brothers and all their their sons, ), all died side by side against the Brits. Some officers of the militia, some enlisted militia. A lot of good men died to make this country what it is today....under Ovomit. Jeez, I just ruined our historical reminiscing. Sorry....haha...let me start over.
    My Sword - PM4044N/CTL/Talons
    - "One should diligently train at all times." Miyamoto Musashi
    - "Train in technique until it requires no thought - no mind and just happens." Takan Soho
    - "The truth beyond the technique....Here's where we stop thinking and start shooting." Brian Enos
    - "A single sword against the cold sky." Yamaoka Tesshu
    - "You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair."
    Taisen Deshimaru
    - "Know your sword!"

  4. #4
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    Yeah, your were doing so well until you did the Mr. Surv Dobie sculpture and brought up ovomit.

    Crap, I just threw up a little bit in my mouth AGAIN!
    In Memory of Paul "Dietrich" Stines.
    Dad: Say something nice to your cousin Shirley
    Dietrich: For a fat girl you sure don't sweat much.
    Cue sound of Head slap.

    RIP Muggsy & TMan

    "If you are a warrior legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that JOCKO will not come today."

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the post. Probably nothing bugs me more than the fact that our current CinC doesn't know our history ... nor does he seem to care ... and truth be told ... it probably sickens him because it sickened his father.

  6. #6
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    Anyone know what the monetary value of a civil war service medal like this might be? Not that I'd ever sell my gggrandfathers medal. Just curious?
    My Sword - PM4044N/CTL/Talons
    - "One should diligently train at all times." Miyamoto Musashi
    - "Train in technique until it requires no thought - no mind and just happens." Takan Soho
    - "The truth beyond the technique....Here's where we stop thinking and start shooting." Brian Enos
    - "A single sword against the cold sky." Yamaoka Tesshu
    - "You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair."
    Taisen Deshimaru
    - "Know your sword!"

  7. #7
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    Sold all my guns. I dislike firearms.
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    That notch in the rail is supposed to be there

    "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
    --Thomas Jefferson (1764).

  8. #8
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    garyb, that's an awesome story and very cool that you were able to claim it for him. I lived in Newport News as a kid and our house was on a Civil War battle camp ground. My neighbor worked as a historian for the US Army and asked my dad if he could come over with his metal detector and see if there was anything in our yard. Man was it full of artifacts. He gave me musket balls and mini balls but turned the good stuff over to the Army for a museum. He found a complete Union Army uniform (deteriorated of course) with all of the buttons and shoulder epaulets still in tact as well as a sword and a 6" piece of a leather belt with a US belt buckle still attached. All of that was found in our front yard.

    My family came to the US in the late 1800, its pretty cool for you to be able to say your family participated in building this country.
    PM9
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by mluikey View Post
    garyb, that's an awesome story and very cool that you were able to claim it for him. I lived in Newport News as a kid and our house was on a Civil War battle camp ground. My neighbor worked as a historian for the US Army and asked my dad if he could come over with his metal detector and see if there was anything in our yard. Man was it full of artifacts. He gave me musket balls and mini balls but turned the good stuff over to the Army for a museum. He found a complete Union Army uniform (deteriorated of course) with all of the buttons and shoulder epaulets still in tact as well as a sword and a 6" piece of a leather belt with a US belt buckle still attached. All of that was found in our front yard.

    My family came to the US in the late 1800, its pretty cool for you to be able to say your family participated in building this country.
    Thanks. Interesting family history of participating in most of the wars. Lots of ancestors fought and died in the Revolutionary War...whole families of men - fathers, their brothers and their sons. Sad to look at the records. Was just recently contacted from a distant cousin who visited my gggranfathers grave site in PA. He wanted the military history from me. I was glad someone else besides me was interested.
    My Sword - PM4044N/CTL/Talons
    - "One should diligently train at all times." Miyamoto Musashi
    - "Train in technique until it requires no thought - no mind and just happens." Takan Soho
    - "The truth beyond the technique....Here's where we stop thinking and start shooting." Brian Enos
    - "A single sword against the cold sky." Yamaoka Tesshu
    - "You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair."
    Taisen Deshimaru
    - "Know your sword!"

  10. #10
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    Default

    I'm reading a book about Custer and Crazy Horse, kind of compares the two. It mentions the surrender and how Custer actually got the white flag from Lee. General Grant gave the small table they used to sign the surrender terms to Custer to give to his wife Libbie, he rode off with the table balanced on his head.

    Some good stuff, some obviously speculation but some good facts too.
    In Memory of Paul "Dietrich" Stines.
    Dad: Say something nice to your cousin Shirley
    Dietrich: For a fat girl you sure don't sweat much.
    Cue sound of Head slap.

    RIP Muggsy & TMan

    "If you are a warrior legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that JOCKO will not come today."

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