U.S. Civil War Colored Troops Medal
name: label: commissioner
content: Butler, Benjamin Franklin
label: maker
content: Tiffany & Co.
notes: label: Description
content: During the American Civil War, Gen. Benjamin F. Butler so appreciated the heroic actions of African American soldiers under his command at the 1864 battles of Fort Harrison and Fort Gilmer that he commissioned a special medal for them. Designed by Anthony C. Paquet and realized in silver by Tiffany, the U.S. Colored Troops medal had no official status. After General Butler was relieved of his command in 1865, the 300 U.S. Colored Troops who had received the medals were forbidden to wear them on their uniforms.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: related event
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Battle of Fort Harrison
label: related event
content: Battle of Fort Gilmer
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
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content: Military
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Coins, Currency and Medals
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: James Parton
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0612.01
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0612.01
label: accession number
content: 1985.0612
objectType: label: Object Name
content: medal
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: siver (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 53 cm x 3.8 cm; 20 7/8 in x 1 1/2 in