This Sixth Corps badge is nicely engraved in script with the soldier’s name and unit and is made with an integral loop at top for suspension from a narrow T-bar back upper bar. Wartime parallels from other Sixth Corps regiments are known to collectors and the badge seems to have come with a colored ribbon indicating the division when purchased by the soldier. (Badges like this are all privately purchased from commercial sources, of course.) The cross has a simple narrow border line, plain reverse, and is engraved across the horizontal bar in script, with simple flourishes is: “Sergt. Geo. W. Tittle / Company. C. 95.th. P.V.”

Otherwise known as the Gosline Zouaves, the 95^th Pennsylvania Volunteers mustered in from August to October 1861 and was composed largely of men from Philadelphia and vicinity, many of whom had previous service in the militia or three-month volunteer regiments. Tittle was among the latter, having served in the 20^th PA from 4/30 to 8/6/61, and enlisted again less than a month later in the 95^th on 9/2/61, mustering in on 9/4/61 as a corporal in Company C, for three years’ service. His previous militia service likely helped him get the NCO warrant, though he was more mature than many new soldiers: records indicate he was 31 years-old and a jeweler by profession. The 1860 census picks him up in Philadelphia with a wife, Elizabeth, and two young children.

The regiment left for Washington on Oct. 12 and assigned to the Army of the Potomac and in May 1862 became part of the 6^th Corps, with which it served to the end of the war. During Tittle’s time with the regiment it took part in the Peninsula Campaign, seeing action at West Point and suffering heavy losses at Gaines' Mill. It was briefly under Pope and then joined McClellan again to fight at Crampton's Gap, Antietam, and under Burnside at Fredericksburg with lighter casualties. Tittle was promoted sergeant as of 1/1/63, in time for heavy fighting in May at Salem Heights near Fredericksburg as the 6^th Corps tried to take the pressure off Hooker at Chancellorsville and was present, but took light casualties at Gettysburg.

The badge dates between May 1863, the adoption of corps insignia in the Army of the Potomac, and Tittle’s transfer to the Veteran Reserve Corps, noted as February 15, 1864, in the 1890 veteran census. In that organization he joined Co. I of the 1^st Regiment VRC, which organized and served at Washington, and reached the rank of First Sergeant. His date of discharge from that organization is not given, but the regiment mustered out by detachments in November 1865. Some pension records indicate he served in the 54^th Pennsylvania, but this was an alternate designation for the 95^th and also mention the 4^th Pennsylvania, which might indicate brief service in that three-month unit before moving into the 20^th, but we do not find him in their roster and it could be a mistake in transcription for the 45^th, another alternate designation of the 95^th.

Tittle was born in Pennsylvania Oct. 10, 1829, and died in Philadelphia July 9, 1907. Census records of 1860, 1870, and 1880 all place him in Philadelphia, and indicate his wife and at least one child likely died by 1870 and that he remarried and fathered several others. The 1870 census lists his new wife, Susan, in his household,  but also two other women with the last name Tittle, suggesting he may have moved in with or took in his sisters to help with the family. He was a member of Post No. 2, G.A.R., in Philadelphia, died in that city July 9, 1907, and was in Bala Cynwyd.

Real corps badges are scarce. Inscribed badges are scarcer. Those from zouave regiments are downright rare.

Accompanied by a file of research material. [sr] [ph:L]

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