Civil War Soldier’s Brass Button Board

This is another nice personal item being offered, it is a Civil War soldier’s Brass Button Polishing Board. It is made of brass and measures 6 ¾” x 1 ¾”. There are some faint markings, but mostly worn off. The soldier would have his coat off and put the button through the open slot and slide it up so he could polish it without staining his uniform.

Even during the Civil War, soldiers were expected to reflect the standards and values of the unit in which it served. When soldiers were not on marches or in the field, they were expected to keep up with cleaning the brass pieces on their uniforms. However, this would be more common in the larger permanent camps, winter camps, or in forts.

This was a small light piece, so it would be kept in a soldier’s backpack or haversack. It is doubtful that Confederate soldiers would ever use these devices, and I am sure many Union soldiers never used them either. In “The Civil War Collector’s Encyclopedia”, by Francis Lord, there are similar examples (see pictures). It is a nice touch to a display of personal items of a Civil War soldier, or with a button collection.