Civil War Eagle Coat button with thread, recovered at the 3rd Corp Hospital site, Gettysburg

This is another nice piece being offered; it is an excavated 19.3mm Union Eagle coat-size General Service button. The brass front has the typical spread eagle. It still has the bent over shank on the back and a Scovill backmark. Also, there is also some of the original thread remaining on the shank. It was recovered from the 3^rd Corp hospital site at the Gettysburg battlefield.

The Division Field Hospitals of the Third Corps were located July 2nd in houses and barns along the Taneytown Road from the Schoolhouse Road to the Mill Road. During the night they were removed to the south side of White Run three hundred yards from its junction with Rock Creek. These Hospitals cared for more than 2500 wounded. They were closed about August 6th, 1863.

It was dug many years ago by local Gettysburg resident and relic hunter Ken Bream. Wounded soldiers were brought directly from the field of battle to these crude make shift field hospitals. No doubt this button came off the coat of one of those wounded soldiers.

Mr. Bream was born and raised in Gettysburg and grew up in a house right next to the famous Peach Orchard. He graduated from Gettysburg High School and for a while worked for Johnny Johnson who owned the General Longstreet’s Headquarters Museum which once stood on Seminary Ridge, right along Confederate Avenue near the Longstreet Headquarters marker.

Mr. Bream obtained some relics from this now defunct museum and dug many more on private property surrounding the battlefield, and on the Confederate approach and retreat routes. This artifact was obtained from the auction of Mr. Bream’s collection in October of 2021. It comes in the glass top display case pictured. A great piece of Gettysburg history.