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Imagine going into battle fearing that your loved ones might never learn your fate.

Civil war soldiers had that worry because they were not provided with "dog tags" by the U.S. or Confederate governments. Pragmatic men prepared for the possibility that they might be wounded or die in battle by providing their own means of identification.

At Mary's Heights, Mine Run and Cold Harbor, for example, in preparation for what they knew would be hopeless attacks, federal soldiers wrote their names on strips of paper which they pinned to the backs of their coats. When the battles were over, the strips helped the fallen be accounted for.

Some soldiers stenciled their names and the name of their regiment on the equipment they used while countless other men were identified by the notebooks, diaries and letters they carried in their pockets.

The most farsighted troops purchased identification products from private companies before leaving home. Harper's Weekly, Leslie's and other popular magazines carried advertisements for ornate gold or silver pins that could be worn on a man's coat.

A more popular and cheaper alternative was to purchase a brass or lead tag from enterprising sutlers who plied their wares at the theater of war. Similar to the dog tags used in World War I and in the early part of World War II, these markers had a hole in the top for attaching a string or chain that could be worn around the neck. There were several variations of these tags but most featured an eagle, shield and the words "War of 1861" on one side and the soldier's name, regiment and company on the other. Sutlers, who set up shops in roadside tents, hand stamped the soldiers' personal information on the discs for a small fee.

Now you can own a true replica of the identification discs purchased by soldiers on their own initiative -- recreated and hand stamped for you by Memorial Brass. A 40 percent regiment discount is offered for orders of six or more.

Albert R. Fromberger,
Memorialist and Proprietor,
Memorial Brass I.D.Mfg.Co.