A mint condition crimson silk reunion ribbon for the 5^th Pennsylvania Reserves (34^th PA Vols.) The top bar has a floral impressed design and pin back. From it hangs a crimson silk ribbon with a celluloid photographic button showing Colonel Seneca G. Simmons fastened in the center. A bullion fringe is attached to the bottom. Printed above the image is: “Ninth re-union / of the 5^th Reg’t P.R.V.C,” and below it is: “at Milton, Penn. May 13, 1896.”

Simmons is shown in a vignette bust wartime view wearing his field officer’s frock coat and shoulder straps. He was a West Point graduate, serving in the 7^th US infantry from 1834, making captain in 1847. In 1861 he was transferred to the 4^th US for promotion to major but received a commission as colonel of the 5^th PA Reserves and commanded that regiment until he was killed in action at New Market Crossroads in Virginia on 6/30/62.

At the beginning of the war Pennsylvania exceeded its federal quota for volunteers, but the state retained the men in service and created a Pennsylvania Volunteer Reserve Corps of 15 regiments organized into division of three brigades who took the field and saw a great deal of action in the war. The 5^th Pennsylvania Reserves were also designated the 34^th Pennsylvania Infantry in the state’s sequence of line regiments. The unit served from June 1861 to June 1864, seeing most of its action while in the 5^th and 1^st Army Corps, and was engaged with losses at such battles as Malvern Hill, Gaines Mill, New Market Crossroads, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Wilderness, and Spottsylvania, losing 14 officers and 127 men killed or mortally wounded, plus dozens of wounded men who recovered.

This is a ribbon from a good regiment in wonderful condition with photo of its colonel killed in action. It even has the original paper label on the reverse of the makers, Whitehead and Hoag.  [sr]

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