Scarce, original 2-piece Confederate Mississippi Infantry coat/ vest button. A few weeks ago I listed a Mississippi button in pretty rough condition, and am listing this one after a number of people asked me for a nice one. So, here it is.... I recovered this button in 1980 on some property I own which is located on a portion of the Mill Springs battlefield. The Battle of Mill Springs, also known sometimes as Fishing Creek or Logan\'s Crossroads, was fought on January 19, 1862. Although it was a pretty small engagement compared to the big battles yet to come in the Civil War, it was the first clear-cut Union battlefield victory of the war, and was trumpeted in newspapers and by public speeches throughout the North, providing a much-needed morale boost. It was also significant in other ways. After this defeat Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston\'s positions in Kentucky became untenable and he was forced to withdraw into Tennessee. This led to the battles of Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and Corinth as Federal troops advanced southward in 1862. After studying the battlefield, official reports, some other artifacts, etc. I am convinced this button came from a soldier in the 15th Mississippi Infantry, which was engaged and then retreated across the spot. It was the only Mississippi unit on that part of the field, and was forced to retreat by a charge of the German-speaking 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Button has no dents or pushes. The face is undamaged with light surface pitting and a bit of calcification. Back and shank are in good shape. A bit of lead solder still present around the shank. The whitish on the back, I believe, came from a bit of chalk in the soil but may be lead oxidation from the solder. The small letter I in the center of the star denotes Infantry. Has a nice original patina. These Mississippi buttons, like those of several other Confederate states, measure about 3/4 inch in diameter, roughly the same as standard Union sack-coat buttons. The small protective display/ storage holder is included. I will ship this free. I do my best to ship the next business day after receiving payment, but in some instances I might get delayed a day or two. Tracking information will always be posted.I\'m retired from the US Army with over 30 years of honorable active service, and rated as a Permanently & Totally Disabled Veteran due to wounds and injuries during my career. I also hold a Ph.D. in Military History with post-doctoral study in Military/ Battlefield Archaeology. Following my military career I taught these subjects at the university level as well as engaged in a great deal of archaeological field work until my military disabilities forced me to retire again. I also began metal detecting as a boy way back in 1961- 57 years ago. About 2 years ago I began selling some of my extensive private collection to clear some of it out and supplement my retirement income. buyers/ buyer must be aware that this is an excavated historical artifact that is over 150 years old. It is delicate and should not be handled, carried around, or played with. It has already been as cleaned, washed, brushed, etc as it should be, according to professional / academic archaeological preservation standards. No additional \" cleaning \" of any type should be undertaken. Further, any alteration to the condition of the item, no matter how slight -- under Federal law and the policies of both and Paypal - - voids all return / refund options. I refuse to do business with anyone who is a retail, show, or online seller/dealer in Civil War artifacts. I\'ve refused to have any dealings with any of those people for over 40 years ( except involvement in their criminal prosecutions or civil cases against them as an Expert Witness) so I refuse to do so on here. Further, I will not provide any additional information as to recovery locations or anything else other than what\'s stated here in the listing. I have a No - Return policy due to disreputable people who pulled various scams or who altered items. However, if a buyer has a VALID reason I will work with you in some cases.