The Bolivar County Democrat., 1923-05-05
Revolutionary Camps Around
New York Are Still Yielding
Up Relics of Conflict.

New York.-Many British army but
| .ons of the War of Independence
which are on exhibition in our mu-
seums were dug up in sections in and
rear New York where the British had
heir encampments. These little me-
mentos of the various corps of the
British army are remarkable for the
variety of types which they display
md for their perfection Of workman
ship. For 40 years William L. Calyer
of the field exploration committee OF
he New York Historical society has
been bringing them to light and col
Getting them.
"The British late Eighteenth cen
Jury military buttons" says Mr.. Calver
the quarterly bulletin of the society.
ARE distinguishable by the numeral
they bear, or by the initial letters of
the corps, as described below. Nu-
merical titles were bestowed on the
regiments of the British army in 1851 !;
previous to that time they had been
named for their colonels, and 1t was
decreed in 1867 that the number OF
each regiment be placed upon the but
tons of its uniforms.
"At the time when the first num-
bered button was issued-September
q, 1767-it was stated that the num-
Der of each regiment was to be placed
on the buttons of the uniforms Of the
officers and men of the British army
The royal warrant of December 10.
176S, as it pertained to the cavalry
reads as follows: The number Of each
regiment to be. on the buttons Of the
uniforms Of the officers and men, ex-
cept the regiments of Dragon Guards.
The initial letter of the title of those
corps to be on the buttons For the
infantry the warrant directs: The
number of each regiment to be on the
buttons of the officers and men,
Copied the French.
eve cannot say positively that the
uniform buttons Of the British SOL
liery were first numbered in 176S.
There are evidences that numerical
designations were placed upon the
buttons of some regiments earlier than
the date mentioned above. We may
presume that in this detail the British
followed closely after the French, who
prescribed numbered buttons for the
troops Of the line December IL, 1852
We must confess that we find no speci-
mems whatever of numbered, or in
scribed, buttons of practically every
regiment of the British army present
on these shores during the war. There
can be no doubt that the British regu
lations as they pertained to the but
tons were strictly observed, and the
practice was promptly adopted by the
Americans at the beginning Of hos
tilities.
1.-The results of the order were far
reaching. The numbered buttons iden-
titled, alive or dead, the officers or men
who wore them; rendered desertion or
any dereiction of duty more difficult,
and to considerable degree made
esprit du corps. The units of the army
came hither, then, marked for identifi-
cation, and the buttons which we find
today represent the first inscribed
types worn by old regiments. From the
camps and barrack sites, or haply
from scenes of conflict, or from an
occasional grave, we gather the little
metallic discs whose numerals con-
stitute a roll of the British regiments
In America.
"Some few regiments, as will be
seen, had their numbers expressed
upon their buttons on plain surface,
or field. Some buttons had a plain
field with cord. or milled border,
while others again bear profuse dec
OratiOns.
Fashionine Of the Buttons.
''The officers buttons have, as a
rule, thin repousse silver or gilt, faces
and bone backs. The space between
the face and the cone-like back was