While the star motif might be used by any militia company and was associated during the war not only with Texas, but with Mississippi and Louisiana, these stamped brass belt plates with raised star, rounded borders and lead-filled backs are closely associated with Texas troops from the location of field finds. See Plates 292-294 of Mullinax (1991,) who notes that the two “lined-star” plates (293 and 294) mostly come from Texas sites, but that #292, with an unlined star and closest to this, is “positively associated with Texans and is considered Confederate.” This plate is excavated and damaged as shown, but pretty clearly shows not only the rounded border and unlined star on the face, and remains of the lead fill in the reverse,  but also two short sections of wire that on Mullinax #292 formed a U-shaped iron wire tongue, with a raised belt loop and small tongue on the other side for adjustment. It looks rather like that belt loop gave way and the soldier switched the points of attachment, altering the wire tongue to form belt hooks and adding a hook of some sort where the bar had been, something that proved unsuccessful, tearing a hole in the plate. At least, that’s what it looks like to us.

The condition obviously leaves something to be desired, but Mullinax thought this pattern “was probably made in Texas when the war began” and notes they have been, “recovered at Civil War sites from Virginia to the Mississippi River.” This one comes to us from the collections of the Texas Civil War Museum and is extremely scarce with such a close, specific connection to Texas troops.  [sr][ph:L]

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