Eagle buttons from a Union Sack coat with thread, dug Sailor’s Creek, VA Battlefield

This is another great little excavated grouping, there are four coat-size General Service Eagle buttons. One of the buttons still has blue thread/fabric remaining on the shank. These buttons were found together on the Sailor’s Creek, Virginia Battlefield. Chances are they were off a Union sack coat.

Sack coats would have been worn by an enlisted men, like this one from a museum (see pictures). Dark blue wool machine-sewn collared blouse, center front has four general service brass eagle buttons down the right side – the cuffs are plain. The body of the jacket is lined with coarse green herringbone wool.

These buttons came from a long-time relic hunter who searched primarily in the Sailor’s Creek Virginia area in the late 1960s into the mid-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. This was the last major engagement of the war in Virginia; Lee's surrender at Appomattox occurred three days later.

Chances are that these buttons were on a 4-button sack coat which deteriorated over time in the ground. Being that one has thread, and all have their shanks, really points to the possibility. This is a great grouping and comes in the glass top display case pictured.