Here is a choice example of a United Confederate Veteran’s uniform coat in fine original condition. The garment was recently obtained from the family of Private James H. Norris, a July 1863 combat participant at Gettysburg. Replete with five of his original UCV badges and ribbons attached to the coat lapels, Norris’s old gray/brown Span-Am era (1889-1900) slouch hat with its brass UCV hat insignia is also included. The slouch exhibits a six-point ‘snowflake’ vent and is the hat Norris used when he attended the unit’s reunions and encampments.

James H. Norris was an eighteen-year old farmer from Earlysville in Albemarle County Virginia when he enlisted in the 88^th Militia on March 17, 1862. On May 2, he was assigned to Company “H”, 56^th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers and served with that hard fought regiment through Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg where he was captured in battle near the ‘stone wall’ on July 3 during Picket’s Charge. An excerpt taken from the regimental titled 56^th Virginia History written by William A. Young, Jr. reads “Nineteen year old Private James H. Norris of Company “H”, 56^th Virginia had just fired his musket when a Pennsylvanian charged him from behind with fixed bayonet. Captain Michie saw the bluecoat coming and shouted, “Jimmy, look out!”. Norris had fixed his bayonet to the end of his musket; he whirled around and caught the Yank in the stomach with his cold steel. Norris was certain that he killed the man.” Pg. 86 Norris was subsequently held at the Union prisoner of war camps at Point Lookout and Fort Delaware until the end of the war. He survived the war and was released on June 15, 1865 to return home.

Norris’s single-breasted U.C.V. uniform coat is made of high quality, cadet-gray satinet wool cloth with a fold-down collar. Constructed in four separate panels and completely fitted with a brown-plum colored cotton lining, the coat is in wonderful original condition. Each coat sleeve is fully lined and features three cuff-size, Virginia State seal brass buttons sewn to the non-functioning cuffs. Five, inline coat-size, Virginia State seal buttons adorn the front closure. The uppermost button has a “C. Wendlinger / Richmond” backmark while the four others are marked “Horstmann / Philadelphia”. All buttons are in excellent condition with strong shanks, no dents or face depressions. Coat features no external pockets but it does have two slash pockets, one at the inside front of each panel. Sewn to the inside lining below the collar is a light-colored, 1” x 2” cloth tag with Norris’s name handwritten in black ink. The written name could be discerned as “Morris” but the garment was handed down through the Norris family and is definitely the soldier’s.

Five different post-war UCV insignia, badges and pins adorn the soldier’s coat. Included is Norris’s personalized Southern Cross of Honor; a silk ribbon with a celluloid disc depicting the image of Stonewall Jackson; a 1921-dated UCV Dept of Virginia Annual Encampment badge, and a stick pin with a small metal version of the Confederate 3^rd Pattern National Colors. The fifth badge is a very scarce ‘token of peace’ brass medallion, complete with ribbon and suspension bar, presented to members of Picket’s Division from the Philadelphia Brigade at the 1913 Gettysburg Reunion. Norris’s bronze-colored Southern Cross of Honor is a fine, two-piece suspension badge device that bears his name “JH Norris” engraved on the pin bar. The celluloid badge pin is a 1¼” diameter circular disc that bears the likeness of Confederate General ‘Stonewall’ Jackson with attached red and white silk ribbons. In addition, there is an oval, UCV red and white painted pin bar with a plastic card attached that reads “ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT / DEPT. OF VIRGINIA / CHARLOTTESVILLE, 1921”. The stickpin flies a small, 1” x 1½” metal flag of the Confederate States 3^rd National Pattern. The fifth coat badge is a unique post-war medallion from the 1913 Gettysburg Reunion. The brass, 1½” diameter disc is attached to a red, white and blue striped ribbon and suspended from a plain brass rectangular tie bar. The face of the medallion bears a Union blue pennant (3^rd Div) with a white trefoil centered on it (General Hancock’s 2^nd Army Corps). “JULY 3 1863” is found stamped above the pennant and “JULY 13, 1913” is stamped below. The border stamping reads “PHILADELPHIA BRIGADE / PICKETTS DIVISION”. Reverse side reads “PRESENTED / BY / JOHN WANNAMAKER / THROUGH / THE PHILA. BRIGADE / AS A / TOKEN OF PEACE”. Mr. John Wannamaker (1838-1922) was a ‘mover & shaker’ in Philadelphia history and politics.

With the grouping comes a binder of family and historical documentation relating to Norris. Here is a unique identified U.C.V. grouping that would be a wonderful addition to any Civil War military collection or United Confederate Veteran display. [RA] [PH:L]

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