Page 52 - January1948

50 NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN

The thirtl and fourth buttons were probably used in the Revolutionary
Army, and there may have been other styles, but plain buttons prevailed'

UNITED STATES ARITY ARTII,LERY BUTTONS

The above styles of buttons were probably used previous to 1?99, when
the artillery was organized as two Regiments and so remained until 1802'

Buttons sueh as the first speclmen shown above were in all probabtlity
used also during this same period. From 1802 to 1808' there was a Regi-
ment ol Artillerists antl just when they adopted the second button is uncer-
tain. It misht have been when the Light Artillery was organlzed in 1808
and adoBted the script letter button, or not until January 1810' when Abel
Porter & Co., were ordered to make buttons. "R' A., 350 doubl€ gross, yel-
low. Letters R. A. instead of the old design of a cannon."

Previous to this Porter had been ordered in December 1808' to make
L. A. buttons for the Regiment of Light Artillery, organized the sanre year'
1808, and continued until 1821.
On February 12, 1816, W. H' Lamson was invited to bid for making
L. A. buttons, which were to be cupped with the letters, L. A., yellow, {
ineh in diameter. (Specimen two)
On December 5, 1820, the Commissary General of Purchases writes the
Adjutant and Inspector General, "that the buttons for Light Artlllery are
yeliow metal, cupped in form, having the letters L. A. and the number of
the regiment surrounded by stars, impressed upon them."
In 1812. two additional Regiments of Artillery were organized, and
with the Regiment of Artillerists as the first, became the 1st, Znd, and 3rd
Regiments of Artillery. In March, 1812, the Purveyor of Public Supplies
rvrote to Messrs. Hayden: "The R. A. buttons for the regiment of artillery
uow the second-there must be au oval under the R. A. and a number 2 in
it. thus: R. A./(2) It vrill do if like the L.A./(1). Please to despatch the
R.A./(2) before ary others. They rvill be first wauted." The third button
abore is an example of this stYle.