Help with button ID

[Dig2Deep]

Found this button in a patch of woods that has given up a lot of rev war relics. I’m pretty sure it’s rev war era or just after. Several loyalist buttons have been found here also but this is the first French find. I’ve seen some close matches but nothing exact. Thanks in advance...

 

[Steve(Can)]

Hey Dig2Deep, beautiful button! Could not be a revolutionary war button... France did not become a republic (Republique Francaise) until 1792, after which time the USA and France had a falling out as allies. A few years later, during the war of 1812, France and the USA both fought against the British again but never really in a co-ordinated or co-operative way and french republic troops did not participate alongside American troops in North America during that conflict.

 

[u2robert]

Hey Dig2Deep, beautiful button! Could not be a revolutionary war button... France did not become a republic (Republique Francaise) until 1792, after which time the USA and France had a falling out as allies. A few years later, during the war of 1812, France and the USA both fought against the British again but never really in a co-ordinated or co-operative way and french republic troops did not participate alongside American troops in North America during that conflict.

But did the Americans have French Advisers during 1812?

 

[Steve(Can)]

Don't believe so. During this period, American and French and British relations were pretty rocky all way 'round... mutual distrust, trade disruptions, infringements and embargoes, to the point of open naval battles between all three. Though war was not formally declared on France by America during this time, it was seriously considered. When the French entered into war with the English, America did not become an ally to France in the conflict, instead, saw an opportunity for retribution for British naval disruptions and to further expand American territory while British forces were occupied in Europe. The War of 1812 in North America was to a large extent an isolated event, separate from the Napoleonic Wars, until Napoleon was defeated in 1814, and British forces were freed up in Europe and able to turn their full attention toward the Americas again.

Check out American French relations after the Revolutionary War. To sum it up, America distrusted and resented the English and the French... just distrusted and resented the English more.

 

[Dig2Deep]

Steve, thanks for the info. We have found 1812 era buttons here in this spot also. The
“other war of 1812” had some action. Some refer to it as the patriot war. So that would make sense on the timeline but the whole French thing threw me for a loop.

 

[Steve(Can)]

Best match I can find to your button is a "napoleonic foot artillery button" which brings up plenty of near matches. Don't have a book covering french buttons of that period, which is what it might take to find an exact match. A very nice find Dig2Deep, and in fantastic shape. Beats me how it got to where you found it.

One of the greivances of the US against the british at the time, was the British were pressing American sailors into service in the the British navy... simply put, they would capture an American vessel at sea, confiscate the cargo and force the crew to serve as British sailors. To some extent, the French and Americans were doing the same sort of privateering, at least the capturing vessels and confiscating cargo from one another. Your button could well be from a Frenchman who deserted or otherwise jumped ship given the chance to leave Europe for better opportunities in the new world. Who knows? In any case, a beautiful button and very nice find!

Interesting side note about the French buttons of this time.... When Napolean's Grand Army made their dreadful march into the Russian winter, of the 685,000 soldiers who marched in, only of 27,000 managed to stumble back out again. There is new evidence that suggests the tin alloy in their uniform buttons may have crumbed and broke apart when exposed to the extreme temperatures. One of those, what else could possibly go wrong moments in history.

Napoleon's Major Wardrobe Malfunction: An Introduction to Science XPlained

As Yale's Ainissa Ramirez explains in this new video, the harsh Russian winter, combined with the chemical properties of tin, may have led to "the greatest wardrobe malfunction in history."

bigthink.com

 

[Dig2Deep]

Steve
The history lessons are greatly appreciated. I’m quite happy with this find. Adds a little more mystery to the ground it came from. At least lightly ironic that this button is in better shape than nearly any other that I’ve found.

 

[Steve(Can)]

If these little treasures could speak, Dig2Deep, the stories they could tell!

Oh, the year was 1778...
(How I wish I was in sherbrooke now!)

 

[Dave_E]

Fantastic button and love the history.

 

[Draco]

French artillery button 1793-1800

 

[Draco]

The Quasi-War is a non-formally declared war, fought almost entirely by naval forces, between the United States and France between 1798 and 1800. In the United States, the conflict is often called the Franco-American War, the Undeclared war against France, the Pirate Wars or the Middle-War. It is also known in a minority as Guerra de Brigantes, the latter name used by Alejo Carpentier in his work "The century of lights."

 

[okierebel]

Kinda late but that is one awesome button, Dig2!! Congrats and I too love the history shared by the other posters here