US Civil War, West Virginia Medal, Gettysburg Veteran, Battery C, 1st WV Light Artillery
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $450.00

Original period manufacture. One of the few states to award it's volunteers for service in the Civil War, was the newly formed state of West Virginia. In 1866 they authorized a medal to be awarded to those men who were either honorably discharged, killed in combat, or mortally wounded/died of disease. Interestingly several thousand of these medals remain unclaimed to this day, and are available to those who can prove ancestry to that veteran. This particular example was awarded to Conrad Pfaff 1843-1894, who served with Battery C, 1st West Virginia Light Artillery, 1862-1865. During the Battle of Gettysburg, Battery C arrived on the field late on the afternoon of July 2nd, posted on Cemetery Hill, it remained in position until July 5th. On July 3rd it fired upon the advancing Confederates during Longstreet's assault upon the Federal lines, better known as "Pickett's Charge". During their service at Gettysburg they suffered the loss of two artillerymen killed and two wounded, with five battery horses killed. Armed with four 10-pounder Parrott rifles, Battery C expended 1,120 rounds of ammunition during the battle. In addition to Gettysburg, Battery C also saw combat at Second Bull Run, Chancellorsville; later being assigned to the defense of Washington D.C. They were mustered out in June of 1865. Bavarian born, Conrad Pfaff was 19 years old when he enlisted on the 25th of January 1862. He served throughout the remainder of the war with Battery C, and was discharged with his unit. The medal is complete with it's original ribbon, the suspension pin is missing, and the planchet is loose from the suspension loop. Comes with several pages of copied research, including Muster rolls showing him "present" May-June, July-August 1863 .