Confederate Buttons Banned

[Gypsy Heart]

I have read many articles that state that after the war, Confederate soldiers were forced to hide any button that displayed the Confederate symbol....that they were literally cut off their coats etc by the Union soldiers and thrown away, if not covered in cloth....

In the aftermath of the Southern defeat, almost anything that smacked of the Confederacy was forbidden, including Rebel flags, uniforms, and military insignia. Uniform buttons were included in the ban and had to be either covered with fabric or removed entirely from a garment. Buttons immediately became a coveted item among the ladies, who did, indeed, make jewlery from them. One of the more spectacular sets consists of a necklace, bracelet, and earrings made entirely from the buttons of well-known generals and staff officers and is on display in the Museum of the Confederacy.

I wonder if this is why so many are found?