Very Rare, Early Civil War Comm. Medal Given to Members of Col. John T. Wilders Lightning Br

Very rare, early Civil War commemorative medal given to members of Colonel John T. Wilder's 'Lightening Brigade'. The center of the medal depicts canon artillery, a crossed musket and sword, and an acorn, the symbol for the 14th Corps. The outer edge reads: "WILDERS LIGHTNING BRIGADE" and shows the date range: "1861 – 65" at bottom center. The reverse of the medal is blank, as is commonly seen, and the outer edge features nicely detailed embellishments and there is a hole at the top where a suspension ring once attached a red, white, blue ribbon with a pinback.
"The famous 'Lightning Brigade,' as Wilder's regiments collectively were known, was one of the Civil War's most unusual and successful fighting conglomerations, and the brigade's 31-year-old commander was primarily responsible for both those characteristics. In 1849 Wilder had moved from his native Greene County, N.Y., to the Midwest, where he worked in a foundry as a draftsman in Columbus, Ohio. In 1857 he had established his own foundry in Greensburg, Ind. At the beginning of the Civil War he had hoped to form his own artillery battery, but Indiana had already filled its artillery quota. Instead, Wilder's men were accepted into the service as Company A of the 17th Indiana Infantry." Reference: History.net Battle of Chickamauga

Circa 1870's – 1880's

Approximately 2-3/16" x 1-3/8"

Silver with bronze eagle

Hole (for suspension ring)

None.

This is from a Civil War collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. MBJXX16 LHGEX3/16 SFJJX5/17

6+ (Fine—Very Fine): The medal shows moderate wear mostly to edges, original ribbon and pin are missing, overall handsome patina.

As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.