This identification disk has lots of its original silver wash, crisp stamping, and good detail with just slight rubbing on the high points. Charles Brown served in 12^th New York Volunteers, was wounded in action at Gaines Mill in 1862, and was with his company as part of the independent battalion serving as the provost guard attached to Fifth Corps headquarters from May 1863 to March 1865. This included service at Gettysburg, the Wilderness campaign, and Petersburg. The unit saw action with the corps, was in the rear guard on the way back from the raid on the Weldon Railroad at Petersburg, and at Appomattox were among the foremost in the surrender ceremony as part of the First Division Fifth Corps and were assigned to take custody of the surrendered arms. At Gettysburg the impressive monument of the 44^th NY on Little Round Top also contains plaques to their service.

The obverse of the disk is stamped, “CHARLES BROWN.” around the inside upper edge, “Co. B / 12^th / REGt. / N.Y.S.V.” in the center, and in smaller upper-case letters, “ENLISTED DEC. 1861” around the inside lower edge. The reverse reads, “AGAINST REBELLION / 1861” with a U.S. shield at the center, with a banner scroll draped across it reading, “UNION.” Since the government did not issue modern “dog tags,” Soldiers were obliged to obtain identification disks, shield pins, and inscribed badges from commercial sources. Meier and Stahl, p. 40, list this pattern as their “Shield 2A.” These were usually suspended from an eagle pin or shield bearing the bust of a favorite general, lending some resemblance to a medal, though one soldier referred to them as useful, “in case we were lost, killed, stolen, or strayed.”

Born 22 December 1844, Brown enlisted in New York City at age 16 on October 1, 1861, for three years’ service, joining a company being recruited to enable the 12^th NY State Militia, a discharged three-month regiment, to again take the field. New York records list him as 19, probably at his own word. His disk indicates he signed up in December, but this may be the date of his muster into service, which is often given an effective date corresponding to enlistment in the New York records. In January 1862 Brown’s company, along with four others, was officially transferred to the 12^th NY Volunteers, a separate organization that had enlisted for two years service, seen action, and had been reduced to five companies. Brown’s company was designated Co. B in the 12^th NYV and fought with regiment in the Peninsula Campaign as part of the Fifth Corps. Brown was wounded, reportedly in the arm, in the ferocious fighting of Gaines Mill on 27 June 1862. How soon he returned to duty, is unclear. The regiment was further engaged at Malvern Hill and in August was heavily engaged at Second Bull Run. They were lightly engaged at Fredericksburg in December and at Chancellorsville in May, when the five old companies, enlisted for just two-years, were heading home. Brown is reported “present” as of April 1863, but may have returned to duty earlier.

Brown was then among the three-years men of the 12^th consolidated into two companies and assigned headquarters guard of the Fifth Army Corps in May, a post they held into March 1865 (Phisterer.) In June they were given new company letters and Brown was officially transferred into the “new Company D.” The companies sometimes adopted the title of “12^th NY Independent Battalion,” but never increased beyond two companies, despite the hopes of their officers. Brown seems to have been promoted to corporal in the new battalion, but when he reenlisted on 29 February 1864 records indicate he was again a private.

In June 1864 the two companies were officially taken into the 5^th NY Veteran Volunteers, the old Duryea Zouaves, which had reorganized, but they remained on detached duty as the headquarters guard and provost guard of the Fifth Corps, though once again company designations were changed, and Brown was officially part of Co. F. The assignment nevertheless placed them under fire, as General Warren typically was at the front. They are recorded as being the rearguard for the corps as it returned from destroying part of the Weldon Railroad at Petersburg in December. They also furnished details for the firing squad that simultaneously shot five deserters in front of the corps in late August. Brown’s records indicate that he was posted as orderly to the Assistant Adjutant General of the Fifth Corps from August through October 1864, at which point non-essential extra-duty men were called back into the ranks. He thus may have escaped the execution detail, but served in the rearguard as the corps crossed the Nottaway River.

At Appomattox the 104^th NY had officially taken over as corps provost guard, but the battalion was at the head of the surrender ceremony as part of the First Division, Fifth Corps, and were tasked with guarding the surrendered arms. Brown was promoted to corporal in June mustered out with his company in August 1865. In civilian life he entered the wholesale tobacco business. He died in Brooklyn 10 December 1913. He was obviously proud of his military service, listing his profession as “soldier” when reenlisting in 1864 and precisely listing his time in service for the 1890 veteran census.  [sr]

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