In northwest Ohio, the University of Toledo recovered three War of 1812 military buttons from test excavations of the Amos and Olive Spafford farmstead (1810-1830). Spafford was the federal customs collector at Port Miami. The buttons were two, brass, Script "A", one of the 1st Artillery Regiment and the other of the 3rd Artillery Regiment, and a pewter, general service "US" button. The farmstead was destroyed on August 21, 1812, with the sacking of Port Miami by a British military (41st Regiment of Foot) and Indian detachment from Fort Malden, Canada, lead by Captain Peter Latouche Chambers, the Shawnee Tecumseh, and the Wyandot Roundhead. The Spafford family escaped where Amos served as a civilian with General Willian H. Harrison's logistics and supply depot in Clevleland.

These buttons were probably deposited as part of a military uniform, along with some other War of 1812 objects, after the original log house was rebuilt in 1814. The second house was abandoned in 1823, and had decayed and collapsed by 1850. We don't know for sure who the unifrm belonged to. Spafford did not see military service in any of the U. S. artillery regiments during the war. The only War of 1812 artillery unit recorded at Fort Meigs, next door to the Spafford farmstead, was an artillery company of the 2nd U. S. Artiller Regiment under Captain Daniel Cushing. We do know that in 1815 Spafford's daughter Chloe and her husband Almon Gibbs were living with him, his wife, and son. Gibbs was in charrge of Fort Meigs in 1815 when the fort was decommissioned and the arms and ammunition were transported to Detroit for storage in a federal armory. Unfortunately, we don't know Gibbs military service in the War of 1812 yet.

http://www.warof1812.ohio.gov/_assets/docs/SpafffordFarmandtheWarof1812.pdf

Pat Tucker, RPA
Firelands Archaeological Research Center
Amherst, Ohio

-----Original Message-----
>From: Tim Bennett <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sep 6, 2013 9:12 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Military Button
>
>Hi,
>
>Does anyone have information on recovery of single (or small quantities) of military buttons at farmstead sites (especially in the Midwest US)?  We recovered a mid 19th century officer's infantry button at the Warner site in Brighton, MI.  The back is stamped "Superior Quality".  The button was found below the existing clothesline and evidence suggests that a clothesline was located in the same area during earlier times.  Over three hundred buttons have been recovered at Warner from the excavation of 4400 sq ft but only one attributed to military use.  Extensive genealogical research suggests that none of the Warner's served in the military until WWI.  Other pioneer sites in MI have also yielded single military buttons (Cater in Midland Co, Waterous in Grand Blanc, Van Hoosen in Rochester).  The Edison house in Port Huron also yielded a quantity of military (around 21 I believe) but it was occupied by military personnel for a time.   I've found quite a bit of information on 
 t
> he buttons from books by Warren Tice & Alphaeus Albert but what I am trying to figure out is why just a single military button is found at these sites, in some cases with no direct link between the occupants and military service.  Are they momentos, part of surplus clothing that was sold after the Civil War, clothing worn by itinerant laborers, etc?  Any ideas appreciated.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Tim Bennett
>Warner Site