151st NY SOLDIER’S CIVIL WAR TIN MESS CUP AND HIS US CHRISTIAN COMISSION IDENTIFICATION TAG

151st NY SOLDIER’S CIVIL WAR TIN MESS CUP AND HIS US CHRISTIAN COMISSION IDENTIFICATION TAG

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Item Code: 2026-9465

The US government did not issue identification tags during the Civil War. The soldier’s fear of ending up in a grave marked “unknown” thus gave rise to various commercial and a few charitable solutions. One of the rare latter was a stiffened paper or linen printed tag distributed by the U.S. Christian Commission that could be filled in by the soldier and worn around his neck by a cord through a small grommet set in one edge. One secondary source states that some 40,000 of these were distributed, but they are fragile bits of ephemera, purely functional with no esthetic appeal, and thus far scarcer that the robust brass and white metal identification disks or fancier engraved silver shields and corps badges purchased from sutlers, peddlers, jewelers and by mail order. It is also worth noting that while those badges were popular in part from their resemblance to campaign medals and awards of honor, these simple string tags were simply and overtly for the identification of the soldier’s body and notification of his next of kin if he were killed in battle

This is one of those rare survivors, filled out by the soldier, a member of the 151st New York, and preserved by him and his family, along with his wartime mess cup. The tag, measuring 2-3/4” by 1-1/2” is printed on both sides. One side reads at top: “IDENTIFIER.” Below that are three lines with blank spaces to be filled out with headings: “I am . . . . / Co. . . . .  Reg’t . . . . / . . . .  Brig.  . . . . Div. . . . . Corps.” As if the “I am…” were not enough to indicate this was given out with a view to the soldier’s death in battle, it is followed by the statement of faith and belief of John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The tag has the helpful note “See over” on one edge on each side, and the other side, reads “U.S. CHRISTIAN COMMISSION” at top, below which is simply, “Address my . .  .” followed by four blank lines, for the name and address of who should be notified of his death. The bottom has printed directions following a pointing hand: “Suspend from the neck by a cord, and wear over the shirt – in battle, under.” The latter is probably a practical suggestion, since the soldier is likely in motion in battle, passing over and through underbrush, etc., that might tear off a string tag. But, given its purpose, one can’t help but think the directions were given in view of the rifling of dead bodies on the battlefield by scavengers who might tear off and discard anything that impeded their looting, or to avoid its removal during the standard post-battle salvage of weapons and gear from casualties.

Dutcher filled out the tag in ink, now brown. There are rubs, fading and wear, but it is largely legible, filled in to read, “Merritt T. Dutcher [Co.] A [Reg’t] 151 NY Vols  “1st [Brig] 3rd [Div] 6th [Corps.]” We note that he slipped in writing the regimental number after the printed “Reg’t.”  The company letter would date it after his transfer from Co. K to Co. A as part of the regiment’s consolidation into a battalion of five companies Dec. 21, 1864, which fits with the regiment’s assignment to the 1 Brig. 3 Div. 6 Corps from April 1864. On the other side he designated his father as the one to be notified, filling in the blanks: “[Address my] Father/ Mr. Martin Dutcher / Somerset / Niagara Co. N.Y.”

Preserved with this is Dutcher’s issue tinned-iron  mess cup measurinh 4” in diameter and 3” tall, with crimped top and bottom edges and seam, with the handle secured by rivets. This is one of many patterns of cups and mess gear issued by the various recruiting services. It is in solid condition with scratches and wear, but no dents or holes and shows much of the original tinned surface as a muted gray, with some thin brown, with some green paint added for display after the war. A small red-bordered paper label was  glued on one side reading “CIVIL / WAR / M.T. DUTCHER” in old ink. More significant is an ink inscription directly applied to its front, reading, “Coffee Cup / used in the Army / Buckannon VA May 1863 / M.T. Dutcher.” This dates it to the 1863 Union reoccupation of Buckhannon, Virginia, officially West Virginia after its official statehood in June 1863. The town had briefly fallen into Confederate hands when Union forces there pulled back in the face of the Jones-Imboden raid of April-May 1863. Dutcher’s regiment, in the 8th Corps, reportedly served in the town for a time on provost guard duty after its reoccupation by U.S. forces in early May.

Also listed as “Ducher,” Merrit T. Dutcher was born in Somerset, Niagara County, NY, 12/17/1843. He enlisted 9/6/62 at Somerset, NY, giving his age as 18 and mustered into Co. K 151st NY as a private 10/22/62. He was described as standing 5’7” with dark hair, eyes and complexion, and a farmer by occupation. He transferred to Co. A on 12/21/64, as part of the regiment’s consolidation into a battalion of five companies. He was discharged 5/30/65 from Tilton Hospital in Wilmington, DE. The County Clerk’s record for his wartime service  credits him with participation in the battles of “Locas Grove, Wilderness, Spotselvany, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and Monococa.” The spelling leaves something to be desired, but his combat record, or at least part of it is clear.

After the war Dutcher married, studied medicine at the New York Medical College in NY City, various hospitals in the city and at the NY Homeopathic Medical College, though his type of practice was later listed as “allopath.” He set up practice in Owego, NY, where he was active until about a year before his death in July 1916. We show a photo of him from his online cemetery listing.

The 151st New York lost 5 officers and 101 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded during its service and another 204 listed as wounded but recovered. They were officially mustered in for three years Oct. 22, 1862, and left the state the next day. They served in and near Baltimore until moving to West Virginia in February 1863 and were posted at South Mountain, MD, in June, transferring from the 8th Corps to the 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac in July, taking part in Wapping Heights during the pursuit of Lee after Gettysburg. In Fall 1863 they took part in fights at McLean’s Ford and elsewhere and in the Mine Run campaign suffered 60 casualties in fighting that included Locust Grove on Nov. 27, 1863. In Spring 1864 as part of the 6th Corps they took casualties at Wilderness,  Spottsylvania, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor followed by service at Petersburg and then the pursuit of Early, losing 118 officers and men in killed, wounded and missing at Monocacy, followed by service in the Valley, taking further casualties at Opequon, Cedar Creek and elsewhere, eventually returning with the corps to the Petersburg front for the final fighting at Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign and mustering out near Washington June 26, 1865. A regimental history published in 1995 would certainly add more details.   [sr][ph:L]

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