ANDERSON ZOUAVES BADGE GROUPING WITH AN M-NUMBERED CIVIL WAR CAMPAIGN MEDAL

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Item Code: 2021-383

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These three medals come with a nice family note indicating they had been awarded to Edward Willis “for bravery,” which is not exactly accurate, though he was likely brave enough, having enlisted at age 17 and having served a year in the Anderson Zouaves, the 62nd New York Volunteers. The group includes his “M-numbered” Civil War campaign medal, a GAR veteran’s badge with a rank bar below the eagle pin indicating he was a past officer at the time, and a silver sixth corps badge with his name and unit engraved on the front, a T-bar pin on reverse, suspending an gilt oval portrait in relief of a zouave at charge bayonets, with a border reading “Anderson Zouaves” at top, and “62nd Regt NYV” at bottom, flanked by “1861” and “1865.”

The Civil War campaign medal is very scarce. Authorized in 1905, the final design was not authorized until 1907. This has the second-type ribbon, blue and gray, the one usually found and authorized in 1913. The medal is also numbered on the edge “M. No. 4324,” which is the earliest way of stamping the numbers. These were authorized so late that relatively few veterans received them. The badge is in excellent condition.

The G.A.R badge is in fair condition, complete with pin bar, GAR star and rank bar, but with shredding to the blue-bordered flag ribbon. The rank bar bears two gold oak leaves on a blue ground which, with the blue bordered ribbon, indicates he had served as Junior Vice Commander of his post.

The engraved Sixth Corps badge is excellent might well pass as wartime, given its T-bar back, and the oval gilt pendant could be understood to be a later souvenir addition, but Willis had been discharged before the regiment joined that corps and even before the adoption of corps badges. The engraver was also not familiar with the usual wartime formula for such inscriptions, engraving “Edward Willis / 62nd Comp. C / NY / Volunteer,” which interrupts the regimental designation with the company, uses the unusual abbreviation “comp,” and omits the “s” from “Volunteers.” Nevertheless, the badge is scarce, the engraving is very nice, professionally done, and it was obviously meant to evoke a wartime corps badge for the veterans.

Willis is listed in the records as enlisting at age 19 in New York City on 6/1/1861, and mustering in as a private in Co. C of the 62nd New York on 7/3/1861. His tombstone, however, records his birth as 1843 and a 1921 memorial notice says he enlisted at age 17. The regiment was composed mainly of men from  New York City, Brooklyn, Albany, Troy and Saltersville, N. J.,  where it was organized and mustered into the U. S.  service for three years on June 30 and July 1, 1861.  It left for  Washington on Aug. 21, 1861, and in October was assigned to Peck's brigade, Buell's division, Army of the Potomac, which became the 1st brigade, 1st division, 4th corps, Army of the Potomac in March 1862. Willis was discharged for disability on 7/23/1862 at Harrison’s Landing, at the end of McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign, during which the regiment saw action and suffered losses at Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Savage Station, and Malvern Hill.

Willis died 31 May 1921 at Plainfield, N.J., and was buried at Scotch Plains. The memorial notice in the Courier-News of Bridgewater that noted his enlistment at 17 recorded that his death resulted from a fall on Memorial Day, sustained when he climbed a tree to cut off a branch that might have damaged the flag he just raised on a newly cut and erected flagpole. “He gave his life for his flag as surely as any brave soldier who died on the battlefield,” noted the paper.  [sr] [ph:m]

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