CIVIL WAR 1861 IDENTIFICATION TAG

tcornel

Sr. Member
Aug 11, 2011
460
706
NE Ohio
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030, 17" & 6" coils, Equinox 800, Propointer AT, Stealth 920i, Lesche Sampson and digger.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I haven't posted for awhile but I wanted to share this bucket lister with the group.

It is an 1861 identification tag of a union soldier found in NE Ohio this week. With others input I was able to identify the soldier and the battles his unit fought in. He was part of the initial formation and survived to muster out with the unit on June 30, 1864. The stories this soldier must have had to tell after well over a dozen battles. He is buried in Michigan. He was born in Allegheny County, Pa. and moved to Michigan at some point.

The soldier was Private J. G. Gilleland, Co. B of the 4th Michigan Infantry. 1840-1895 James Gilleland enlisted at age 21 as a Private in Company B of the Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry on June 20, 1861, for 3 years service. He mustered out at expiration of his term of service on June 30, 1864. Service:
Advance on Manassas, Va., July 16-21, 1861. Battle of Bull Run, Va., July 21. Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula March 16. Action at Howard's Mills April 4. Warwick Road April 15. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Hogan's, near New Bridge, and Ellison's Mills, near Mechanicsville, May 23. New Bridge May 24. Battle of Hanover Court House May 27. Operations about Hanover Court House May 27-29. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battle of Mechanicsville June 26. Gaines' Mill June 27. Malvern Hill July 1. Duty at Harrison's Landing till August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16-28. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battle of Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Blackford's Ford September 19. Shephardstown September 20. Reconnoissance toward Smithfield, W. Va., October 16-17. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Expedition from Potomac Creek to Richards' and Ellis Fords, Rappahannock River, December 29-30. At Falmouth, Va., till April 27. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan till October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Duty at Bealeton, Va., till May, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 4-June 15. Battle of the Wilderness May 5-7. Laurel Hill May 8. Spottsylvania May 8-12. Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Mills May 23. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-19. Relieved from duty in the trenches June 19. Mustered out June 30, 1864.
 

Attachments

  • Civil war dogtag front.jpg
    Civil war dogtag front.jpg
    97.1 KB · Views: 108
  • Civil war dogtag back.jpg
    Civil war dogtag back.jpg
    241.5 KB · Views: 99
Last edited:
Upvote 25
That's an amazing find, and even more amazing that it had his info so you could trace his history.

He saw every major battle on the eastern theater and lived to survive, the stories he could tell.

Perhaps he passed it on to a family member who lost it.
 

Here's his grave

 

I haven't posted for awhile but I wanted to share this bucket lister with the group.

It is an 1861 identification tag of a union soldier found in NE Ohio this week. With others input I was able to identify the soldier and the battles his unit fought in. He was part of the initial formation and survived to muster out with the unit on June 30, 1864. The stories this soldier must have had to tell after well over a dozen battles. He is buried in Michigan. How this tag ended up in NE Ohio remains unknown.

The soldier was Private J. G. Gilleland, Co. B of the 4th Michigan Infantry. 1840-1895 James Gilleland enlisted as a Private in Company B of the Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry on June 20, 1861, for 3 years service. He mustered out at expiration of his term of service on June 30, 1864. Service:
Advance on Manassas, Va., July 16-21, 1861. Battle of Bull Run, Va., July 21. Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula March 16. Action at Howard's Mills April 4. Warwick Road April 15. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Hogan's, near New Bridge, and Ellison's Mills, near Mechanicsville, May 23. New Bridge May 24. Battle of Hanover Court House May 27. Operations about Hanover Court House May 27-29. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battle of Mechanicsville June 26. Gaines' Mill June 27. Malvern Hill July 1. Duty at Harrison's Landing till August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16-28. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battle of Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Blackford's Ford September 19. Shephardstown September 20. Reconnoissance toward Smithfield, W. Va., October 16-17. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Expedition from Potomac Creek to Richards' and Ellis Fords, Rappahannock River, December 29-30. At Falmouth, Va., till April 27. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan till October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Duty at Bealeton, Va., till May, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 4-June 15. Battle of the Wilderness May 5-7. Laurel Hill May 8. Spottsylvania May 8-12. Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Mills May 23. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-19. Relieved from duty in the trenches June 19. Mustered out June 30, 1864.
That is an amazing find that allowed you do document his 3 years of service. Quite impressive service record. Lucky son of a gun also to survive to be mustered out.
 

Moved thread to Today's Finds for more exposure.

Great Find! :icon_thumleft:
 

I haven't posted for awhile but I wanted to share this bucket lister with the group.

It is an 1861 identification tag of a union soldier found in NE Ohio this week. With others input I was able to identify the soldier and the battles his unit fought in. He was part of the initial formation and survived to muster out with the unit on June 30, 1864. The stories this soldier must have had to tell after well over a dozen battles. He is buried in Michigan. How this tag ended up in NE Ohio remains unknown.

The soldier was Private J. G. Gilleland, Co. B of the 4th Michigan Infantry. 1840-1895 James Gilleland enlisted as a Private in Company B of the Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry on June 20, 1861, for 3 years service. He mustered out at expiration of his term of service on June 30, 1864. Service:
Advance on Manassas, Va., July 16-21, 1861. Battle of Bull Run, Va., July 21. Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula March 16. Action at Howard's Mills April 4. Warwick Road April 15. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Hogan's, near New Bridge, and Ellison's Mills, near Mechanicsville, May 23. New Bridge May 24. Battle of Hanover Court House May 27. Operations about Hanover Court House May 27-29. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battle of Mechanicsville June 26. Gaines' Mill June 27. Malvern Hill July 1. Duty at Harrison's Landing till August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16-28. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battle of Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Blackford's Ford September 19. Shephardstown September 20. Reconnoissance toward Smithfield, W. Va., October 16-17. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Expedition from Potomac Creek to Richards' and Ellis Fords, Rappahannock River, December 29-30. At Falmouth, Va., till April 27. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan till October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Duty at Bealeton, Va., till May, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 4-June 15. Battle of the Wilderness May 5-7. Laurel Hill May 8. Spottsylvania May 8-12. Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Mills May 23. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. Before Petersburg June 16-19. Relieved from duty in the trenches June 19. Mustered out June 30, 1864.
This is an honor to have read- what a brave man who must have seen unspeakable horrors and moments of grace in equal measure. Great find and thank you for doing this incredible research!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top