The Civil War Relicman,
Harry Ridgeway.

Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!).

relicman.com.

Ridgeway Reference Archive, Civil War buttons.

This is the "Ridgeway Reference Archive", a research tool for educational purposes only, and is provided at no cost to the reader.   Some of the relics listed are retained in the author's collection, most reside in other collections and are not owned by the author.  None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to relicman.com sales listings for items offered for sale.  This is a work in progress, I list items as I get to them, there are many patterns that are not listed yet, this list will be regularly updated as I get pictures and descriptions for more items.  I will also correct mistakes, so if you see any please tell me. 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.

The states, (34 states at start of war, West Virginia was 35th state):

Southern states
(secession) (11)		 divided states sympathetic to south (2) Northern loyal states (20 ) divided states sympathetic to north (1) Northern states (secession) (1)
Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
North Carolina
South Carolina
Mississippi
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia		 Kentucky
Maryland		 California
Connecticut Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
Wisconsin		 Missouri West Virginia

Alabama buttons.
 B4927.jpg (27789 bytes) B5305A.JPG (39772 bytes)

Arkansas buttons.
 B4327.jpg (36764 bytes)

California buttons.

Connecticut buttons.
 B4931.jpg (29716 bytes) B4386.jpg (41138 bytes)  

Florida buttons.
 B4920.jpg (48533 bytes) B4933C.jpg (29468 bytes) B4935.jpg (29428 bytes)

Georgia buttons.

Iowa buttons (all post war).

Kentucky buttons.
 B4940.jpg (27509 bytes)

Louisiana buttons.

Maine buttons.
B4948.jpg (31791 bytes)

Maryland buttons.
 B5032.jpg (39284 bytes)

Massachusetts buttons, click here for details.

Michigan buttons.
B4961.jpg (36295 bytes) B4738.jpg (44925 bytes) B5030.jpg (36805 bytes)

Minnesota buttons.
 

Mississippi buttons.

Missouri buttons.
B4969.jpg (32912 bytes) B4696.jpg (33137 bytes)

New Hampshire buttons.

New Jersey buttons.
B4977.jpg (34538 bytes)

New York buttons.
B4803.jpg (36691 bytes)

North Carolina buttons.
  

Ohio buttons.

Pennsylvania buttons.

Rhode Island buttons.

South Carolina buttons.

Tennessee buttons (TN...).

Texas buttons.
 B4998C.jpg (25926 bytes)

Vermont buttons.

Virginia buttons.
 B5090A.JPG (38052 bytes)

West Virginia buttons.

Wisconsin buttons.
 B5013.jpg (31792 bytes)

Confederate government buttons:

Confederate officer buttons, English wartime manufacture imported through the blockade.

Confederate officer buttons, Confederate manufactured "locals".
B5363A.JPG (30462 bytes) B5366A.JPG (31117 bytes) B5361A.JPG (35317 bytes)

Confederate general service buttons.
B4609.jpg (37785 bytes)

Confederate Artillery buttons.

Confederate Cavalry buttons.

Confederate Engineer buttons.

Confederate infantry buttons, English wartime manufacture, imported through the blockade.

 

Confederate Infantry buttons Confederate manufactured, "locals".

Confederate Marine buttons.   (Examples coming soon)

Confederate Navy buttons.

Confederate Rifleman buttons.

Federal government buttons:

Federal officer buttons.

Federal general service one piece buttons, 1820's through 1840's generally, including "general militia" buttons.

Federal general service two piece buttons, 1840's through 1860's generally.

Federal Artillery one piece buttons, 1820's and earlier generally .

Federal Artillery one piece buttons, 1820's to 1840's generally.

Federal Artillery two piece buttons, 1840's through 1860's generally.

Federal Cavalry buttons.

Federal Diplomat buttons.

Federal Dragoon buttons (DR....).

Federal Engineer buttons.
 B4368.jpg (40809 bytes)

Federal Infantry one piece buttons, up to1820's generally.
B5033.jpg (30232 bytes)

Federal Infantry one piece buttons (GI74 to GI80), 1820's through 1840's generally.

Federal Infantry two piece buttons (GI82 to GI92), 1840's through 1860's generally.

Federal Marine Corps buttons.

Federal Navy buttons, click here for details.  

Federal Ordnance buttons.

Federal Revenue Cutter buttons.

Federal Riflemen one piece buttons, 1820's earlier generally.

Federal Riflemen one piece buttons, 1820's to 1840's generally.

Federal Riflemen two piece buttons, 1840's through 1860's generally.

Federal Sharpshooters buttons.

Federal Signal Corps buttons.
 

Federal Topographical Engineer buttons.
  

Federal Voltigeur buttons (VG...).

Zouave, cadet, or "bullet ball" buttons.

Political campaign buttons.

Others.

Veteran buttons.

Ridgeway Reference Archive, Civil War button backmarks:
 Catalog of button backs,  

backmark references in my listings refer to this "catalog"

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