News:

Sign up for the monthly zoom events by sending a PM with your email address to Hitesh

Main Menu

Counterstamped coins used as military dog tags

Started by brandm24, May 26, 2019, 08:36:54 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.


Figleaf

I was hoping James was related to the Jamaican Manley family. No luck. The NY branch of the family seems to have been mixed race, turning towards the Republican party and methodist on the eve of the US civil war. James must have been at least caucasian-looking, since he could enlist before September 1862, when Lincoln made his emancipation declaration.

There is a Manley family newsletter on Google books, but searches are frustrating in snippet view. Perhaps you can find it in a library?

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

brandm24

If I remember correctly there used to be a regimental history of the 57th NY online. It was a privately hosted site and run by a man with a special interest in the regiment. I can't seem to find it now but did come across a reference that had at least a partial roster. Manley wasn't on it but I don't think it was a complete listing so he may have been missed I had a thought that perhaps he was struck from the records because of his desertion but while researching Civil War records years ago I found that wasn't generally the case. All members were listed warts and all. I'll have to look around some more.

Google Books can be frustrating at times, partially because of their extensive use of snippets. Sometimes you can get around that somewhat by searching the snippet or parts of it using quotes. The quoted part will some times show additional information, but only a limited amount. Very labor intensive way of researching but sometimes it yiels enough new data to make it worthwhile. Not a real big deal for me...this from a guy who once researched old New York City census records over a fifty year period looking for someone. ;D

Bruce
Always Faithful

caberney

Check out this web site https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/mil-hist.htm it was very useful to me when I was researching a recruit from 1862. The have the members broken out by regiments and companies. They might even like to have a photo of the tag.

brandm24

That's not the one I remember but still interesting. A cursory search found no reference to James Manley but I'll have to look more closely. Many thanks.

Bruce
Always Faithful

caberney

On Page 8 line 23 - James Manly Age 36 mustered in 13 September 1861 in New Yok by James W. Britt for 3 years. Mustered by Capt Larned Oct 24 1861.  This was the Muster report for Co D. So I believe this is your guy. So you might want to expand your search to the MANLY spelling of Manley.

brandm24

Thanks, caberney. I had some difficulty searching the site so just flat out missed it. He would surely be on the muster role you would think.

Bruce
Always Faithful

caberney

Glad to help. Spent a lot of time on the site researching a 1st Lt Charles A. Loretz because of a medal of his I discovered. Nothing official just a memento presented to him from the NCOs and Privates of the Baton Rouge Arsenal. Loretz was a member of the 159 Regiment Co. D. Joined up in late 1862 and became part of the Army of the Gulf in 1863.

brandm24

I've always been impressed as to how comprehensive US Civil War records were kept... both by federal and individual states. I've also researched quite a few Civil War issues over the years and have found much of what I was looking for.

Bruce
Always Faithful

brandm24

Here's another dog tag from the US Civil War. Like the last one this has the soldier's information roughly engraved on it. The generic blank is a rare one by an unknown manufacturer. As you can see by it's condition it was through a lot. The 122nd Ohio was heavily engaged in campaigns and actions througout the war so it's condition is understandable.

The wearer was Private Howard F. LLoyd of H Co. 122nd OVi (Ohio Volunteer Infantry). The regiment was made up of recruits mostly from Muskingum and Geernsey Counties, Ohio and was organized in the fall of 1862. LLoyd, then 34 years old, mustered in on Aug.22, 1862 as a "3 year man". Though his enlistment was for three years he was discharged for a disability...wounds or sickness...on March 18, 1864 in Columbus. Ohio.

Included with images of the tag is one of the regimental banner likely carried as a battle flag because of it's condition. Token images are courtesy of Steve Hayden.

Bruce
Always Faithful

Figleaf

Great file on that dog tag, Bruce. Who's the guy with the toothbrush on his upper lip? I wonder how "discharged in Columbus" worked in those days. Home was roughly 200 kilometers from Columbus. Even if you are a healthy, trained walker who is not wounded that's four days walking.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

brandm24

The man with the toothbrush is General George McLelland one of the early and very inept Union generals. He fancied himself quite a splendid specimen of military manhood but, sadly, was nothing of the sort. I always thought that if the Union had a competent leader like Ulysses Grant or George Thomas early on the war would have ended in short order.

During the Civil War regiments were locally recruited and were obliged to serve for a specified period of time...6 months, 1 year, 3 years , etc. Unless individual soldiers chose to re-enlist the entire regiment was mustered out on a specified date at a specified location...unless military emergency dictated otherwise. In LLoyd's case he was discharged due to disability so he was released from service at Columbus likely while attached to a casual company. I believe those who mustered out were provided transportation to there home county or city. No hitchiking required. :)

Bruce
Always Faithful

brandm24

Though this piece is engraved and appears to be a post-war memento rather than a dog tag, I though it would fit in this thread. I'm looking for any information on this man as I don't have the resources here to research him.

By the areas of service...Dardanelles, Egypt, Palestine... this must be a World War 1 piece. If anyone can identify C.Tellett I'd appreciate it. Also, I don't know what kind of coin it's engraved on. Thanks so much.

Bruce
C Tellett O.jpgC Tellett R.jpg 
Always Faithful

Figleaf

The host coin proclaims that it was struck in Qustantinyah (Constantinopel, now Istanbul). 1327 is the accession date of Muhammad V, sultan of the Ottoman empire. The actual date of striking was obliterated by the inscription. The denomination depends on metal and diameter.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

FosseWay

To add to what Peter says on the host coin: Unless Bruce has unusually large or small fingers  ;D I would say this is a 10 qirsh coin of Constantinople (diameter 33 mm). As Peter says, the regnal year is on the other side and is obliterated, but the options are 1-7, which equate to 1909-1915 AD.

As to the soldier: he was serving in the 1st/5th Royal Welch Fusiliers (no, that's not a typo, the regiment really spelt "Welch" like that). The Wikipedia article on the regiment has this to say:

QuoteThe 5th, 6th, 7th Territorial battalions fought at Gallipoli as part of the 53rd (Welsh) Division; by January 1916, it contained 162 officers and 2,428 men, approximately 15% of full strength.[49][51] The 8th Kitchener Battalion was also at Gallipoli as part of 13th (Western) Division. They remained in the Middle East until the end of the war, the 53rd (Welsh) taking part in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and the 13th (Western) in the Mesopotamian campaign.

As the tag doesn't mention Mesopotamia but it does mention Palestine, I imagine he was in the first of the two groupings mentioned towards the end of the war.

I'm at work at the moment but I'll have a look on Ancestry for Mr Tellett later. It's an unusual name and we have his regimental number, so there should be something available.