Confederate Adjutant General button	The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!) I am a collector buying and selling authentic Civil War Relics
	This page updated   March 01, 2008

The Ridgeway Civil War Reference Archive 
Buckles issued by Virginia

This is a sampling of relics collected by Harry Ridgeway over the years.  This archive record is for educational purposes only.  Some of the relics listed may be on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester Virginia, some are no longer owned by the author.  None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to the separate sales catalog for items that are currently offered.

All  items listed are believed to be authentic to the Civil War or as otherwise described.   
Any excavated relics have been recovered from private property with owners permission.    
This information is available for research purposes, pictures may be used by permission only.

P0323     Virginia militia, oval belt plate "V"

Purpose is uncertain. These plates show up both in Mexican War Voltigeur sites as well as Civil War sites occupied by Virginia troops. This suggests that it may have been a stock plate purchased by Virginia militia units.
Construction is stamped brass, solder filled two hooks intact.
Outstanding example, two wire hooks intact
Recovered: Fredericksburg
Plate measures 51.8mm X 77.3mm
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 403 

P0350     Virginia two part belt plate


 
Tongue is stamped brass sweated onto cast keeper usually associated with a different wreath. Wreath is solid cast of style attributed to J.S Smith, Boston Mass. or it is a Confederate copy. These two pieces were recovered together and are believed to be a field "marriage".
Recovered: trench lines Spotsylvania by Jerry Levin
Tongue keeper 50.6mm, wreath keeper 50mm (approx), wreath 53mm
Ref: Crouch pge 219 item 4, actual example photographed
Ref: Mullinax Plate 404, actual example photographed 

P1438     Virginia two part belt plate

   
Tongue is stamped brass sweated onto cast keeper, swords up style employed by Virginia officers just prior to the conflict. Keeper is cast. Both pieces are high quality manufacturing, stamped detail on tongue is crisp. Some of these plates may have been utilized by later militias, but they were clearly manufactured in the late 1850's or 1860's before the shooting began. Outstanding example, beautiful patina, bench mark "28 appears on both pieces! Very small ding on the face from actual use, this buckle was worn by a proud Virginia officer in the great conflict.
Ref: Mullinax Plate 405

P1505     Virginia two part belt plate


Tongue is stamped brass sweated onto cast keeper, swords up style employed by Virginia officers just prior to the conflict. Keeper is cast. Both pieces are high quality manufacturing, stamped detail on tongue is crisp. Some of these plates may have been utilized by later militias, but they were clearly manufactured in the late 1850's or 1860's before the shooting began. Outstanding example, beautiful patina, minor bends from actual use.
Tongue keeper measures 48.3mm, wreath keeper 49.8mm, wreath 51.0mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 405 or 406

P0351    Virginia "white web" waist belt plate

Construction is light stamped sheet brass. Manufactured by J S Smith NY. It was never intended for the full rigors of battlefield use. Note the iron hooks used as field repair to keep the buckle in service.
This was the first Confederate plate found by digger, Harry Ridgeway in an 1864 camp near Kernstown, Va (recovered 1962)
Plate measures 51mm X 70.5mm
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 431

Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.

P0791     Virginia "white web" waist belt plate

This pattern was made by unknown manufacturer for Horstmann, who was an outfitter. These flimsy plates were worn on a white parade belt.
Unusually sharp example, hooks missing as is usual.
Recovered: central Virginia
Plate measures 50.5mm X 69.2mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 432 

P1439     Virginia "white web" waist belt plate, and belt attributed C Shaw, Mosby Cavalry or Rockbridge Artillery
 
Rectangle enlisted Virginia waist plate was stamped, Horstmann distributed them but did not manufacture them. White web belt is original, keeper bar is missing and tongue keeper is missing, soldier improvised by cutting a hole in the belt for the tongue to pass. At some point the keeper bar broke off of the buckle, probably after it was returned from the field, as there is definite impression on the belt where it had been attached, the belt slack adjuster belt is intact. Inscribed on the belt is definite "C Shaw". A search of CW data base shows three Virginia militiamen by this name, one was a member of the famed Rockbridge Artillery, another was a ranger of Mosby's cavalry. The third I think is the Mosby Cavalryman entered a second time into the record. Both enlisted early enough to have had this piece and both fought for very well known Virginia units. The description does follows the name, but so far I simply cannot make it out. If a legitimate interpretation can be made of the regiment, then the soldier identity will be confirmed. Also present on the belt is a makers mark (oval) which is probably Horstmann, although I cannot make this out specifically either.
Ref: Mullinax Plate 432

P0352     Virginia sword waist belt plate
  

Construction is solid brass casting, tongue is sweated.
Outstanding example with hook, benchmark is "28"
Recovered: central Virginia
Plate measures 51.2mm (45.8mm inside) X 88.3mm (moderate curve)
Ref: Mullinax, Plate 434 

P0353     Virginia shoulder plate

This is one of the most sought after of the southern shoulder plates.
It is stamped onto heavy sheet brass, with no filling. It was never actually intended for field use and was attached to a white strap of light construction. Imagine the elegance of the proud Virginians on parade displaying this round breast plate, a matching square buckle and buttons all displaying the great seal of Virginia.
Recovered: in Maryland in the Gettysburg retreat
Plate measures 65mm
Ref: Mullinax plate 437 

P0354    Virginia militia oval shoulder plate

These obsolete prewar militia plates were issued to quite a few Virginia militia units prior to the war. They were not intended for the heavy field use they saw. They were affixed to a shoulder strap via a pin soldered onto the back. These pins typically failed early in the conflict.
Found by Harry Ridgeway, Second Battle of Winchester
Plate measures 62mm X 82mm (hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax, plate 444

Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.

P0693     Virginia militia, Montgomery Guards,"MG / 1850"

This shoulder belt plate made from "common" sheet brass was frequently used by the local Virginia militia units. This unit was formed in 1850 in Richmond and the members were men of Irish descent. This unit was one of the first units called to service for the Confederacy and became Company C 1st Virginia. These plates would have been issued to all the men in the unit, somewhere between 40 and 100. Only a couple examples including this one have survived.
Clean example, bend has been straightened, hooks missing
Recovered: Manassas Va by Joe Callahan, original discovery was published in the NST Vol XXVI, No 2, 1999, pg. 14
Plate measures 61mm X 82mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 447 

P1431     Virginia militia, Young Guards, "YG"

Cast brass plate, then hand engraved crudely, these plates were fashioned for the Young Guard formed in 1850 as an independent company from Hanover Virginia This unit served as Company H 15th Virginia Infantry. These plates would have been issued to all the men in the unit, somewhere between 40 and 100. Only a few examples including this one have survived.
Clean example, iron hooks missing
Found Malvern Hill, Va by Henry Carter Harris Jr, January 2004
Plate measures 51mm X 85mm
Ref: Mullinax Plate 451 

P0355    Petersburg City guards, militia "PCG"

This plate made from "common" clipped corner stock frequently used by prewar militia. Local craftsmen expertly engraved the initials of the unit onto this stock. A militia company typically consisted of about 30 men. Probably there would have been one for each member but this is the only known surviving example. This unit also used an oval breast plate of similar construction. The Petersburg City guard became Company A, 12th Virginia Infantry.
The original hook bar was recovered with the buckle, but was detached, an unsuccessful attempt was made at the time (1960's) to re solder it to the buckle. Tongue is fully intact.
Plate measures 55.3mm X 76.5mm
This is the most photographed of the items actually recovered by digger, Harry Ridgeway, from Pumpkin Ridge, near Clearbrook, VA
Ref: Crouch , Virginia Militaria of the Civil War, fig 20
Ref: Mullinax; Plate 452

Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.

P0356    Virginia militia enlisted waist belt plate

These plain faced plates were inexpensive to make and were supplied widely to the Virginia militias before the war. Hooks were soldered, and easily failed. The soldier made an iron replacement hook for this one.
Found by Harry Ridgeway, Second Battle of Winchester, VA
Plate measures 60mm X 81mm (hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax Plate 453

Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.

P0357    Virginia militia enlisted waist belt plate

These plain faced plates were inexpensive to make and were supplied widely to the Virginia militias before the war. Hooks were soldered, and easily failed.
Found Harry Ridgeway, Pumpkin Ridge, Clearbrook, VA
Plate measures 58mm X 83mm (hand cut)
Ref: Mullinax Plate 453

Item is on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, VA.

[Back to Ridgeway archive main page]

[Back to relicman.com Home Page]