On April 3, I found a rare St. Timothy's Hall school button at a farm I have pounded. Apparently I haven't pounded it enough. Went to a field after the dentist and started digging where I stopped on Monday.
St. Timothy's Hall was a southern sympathizing military school in Catonsville, Maryland. During the Civil War, many of it's students left the ranks to join the Confederate Army.
It is best known due to alumni John Wilkes Booth, who did attend for a time 1852-1853. Booth, if you remember your history, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865. Another alumni, Samuel Arnold, was convicted of conspiracy in the murder and went to prison for it.
Maryland was a very divided state during the Civil War, and this particular school had a strong southern bend. While the headmaster was a strict abolitionist, the school body leaned strongly to the south, and it was reported when each southern state seceded from the union, the student body cheered and fired the cannon in salute to that rebellious state.
The school gave the Confederate Army General Fitzhugh Lee, another alumni and General Steven Elliott, among many, many other soldiers.
Professional button collectors consider this a true southern school button. The button itself is intact. Whew! Alphaeus Albert's "Record of American Uniform and Historical Buttons", Bicentennial Edition lists it as SU378 on pages 342 and 343. It lists its backmark as "Scovills & Co. Superfine".
This button does NOT HAVE THAT BACKMARK.
It has the "Waterbury Button Co.**" which was used exclusively 1861-1865. Now we all know there was never just ONE button made, but today I went and found another identical button. I have to admit it was TWO FEET away from the first one. I had gotten so excited on the one from Monday, I ran back to the truck and just left to go home with the treasure.
Both buttons have the Waterbury backmark. The back is pushed farther in than the first button and there is a little more ground action on it, but I'll take it! Two Confederate used buttons in the same week. This is the stuff of dreams. I am certain both came from the same coat. If that coat could talk! This site was less than a mile from what we lovingly around here call the "old trail", the old road that connected York PA, to Baltimore, MD.
THE SECOND BUTTON STILL HAS THREAD ON THE BENT OVER SHANK. Amazing! See the other BANNER post for the rest of the details on this school. The "new" find is on the left.
Happy dance commencing now!
St. Timothy's Hall was a southern sympathizing military school in Catonsville, Maryland. During the Civil War, many of it's students left the ranks to join the Confederate Army.
It is best known due to alumni John Wilkes Booth, who did attend for a time 1852-1853. Booth, if you remember your history, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865. Another alumni, Samuel Arnold, was convicted of conspiracy in the murder and went to prison for it.
Maryland was a very divided state during the Civil War, and this particular school had a strong southern bend. While the headmaster was a strict abolitionist, the school body leaned strongly to the south, and it was reported when each southern state seceded from the union, the student body cheered and fired the cannon in salute to that rebellious state.
The school gave the Confederate Army General Fitzhugh Lee, another alumni and General Steven Elliott, among many, many other soldiers.
Professional button collectors consider this a true southern school button. The button itself is intact. Whew! Alphaeus Albert's "Record of American Uniform and Historical Buttons", Bicentennial Edition lists it as SU378 on pages 342 and 343. It lists its backmark as "Scovills & Co. Superfine".
This button does NOT HAVE THAT BACKMARK.
It has the "Waterbury Button Co.**" which was used exclusively 1861-1865. Now we all know there was never just ONE button made, but today I went and found another identical button. I have to admit it was TWO FEET away from the first one. I had gotten so excited on the one from Monday, I ran back to the truck and just left to go home with the treasure.
Both buttons have the Waterbury backmark. The back is pushed farther in than the first button and there is a little more ground action on it, but I'll take it! Two Confederate used buttons in the same week. This is the stuff of dreams. I am certain both came from the same coat. If that coat could talk! This site was less than a mile from what we lovingly around here call the "old trail", the old road that connected York PA, to Baltimore, MD.
THE SECOND BUTTON STILL HAS THREAD ON THE BENT OVER SHANK. Amazing! See the other BANNER post for the rest of the details on this school. The "new" find is on the left.
Happy dance commencing now!
Upvote
14
