Civil War Artillery Crossed Cannons Insignia, dug Sailor’s Creek Battlefield

This is another nice piece being offered, it is an Artillery Crossed Cannons Insignia. These brass emblems would be worn by artillerymen on their kepis or forage caps. Originally it would have two thin pins on the reverse, but are long gone, which is common in most cases. It was excavated at the Sailor’s Creek Battlefield, Virginia during the 1960s – early 1970s.

This battle took place when General Robert E. Lee's army was retreating from Richmond to Petersburg. Here, on April 6, 1865, Union General Philip Sheridan cut off and beat back about a quarter of Lee's army. Eight Confederate generals surrendered, and 7,700 men were lost. Confederate General George Washington Custis Lee, eldest son of Robert E. Lee, was forcibly captured on the battlefield by Private David D. White of the 37th Massachusetts Regiment. This was the last major engagement of the war in Virginia; Lee's surrender at Appomattox occurred three days later.

Being of thin brass, many of these insignias did not survive very well, usually found in pieces, but this one is not too bad, just a little wavey. It comes in the glass top display case pictured.