Jefferson
Davis Guards
According to one published account, “The one medal issued for a Confederate
battle honor that has the best claim to being ''semi-official'' is the medal
made for the Jefferson Davis Guards for their heroic conduct during the short
and sharp defense of the Sabine River Pass on September 8, 1863.
The Davis
Guards was a 47 strong detachment of Company F, First Texas Heavy Artillery,
Army of the Confederate States of America, Lieutenant Richard Dowling then
commanding. They were all Houstoner's in
their early 20's, or younger. Their unit had been nicknamed both ''The Houston
Rough and Ready Company'' and ''The Fighting Irish.'' Their defense of the Sabine River Pass saved
Houston, and all of Texas, from a Union invasion. Jefferson Davis, himself, wrote of the battle,
''There is no parallel in ancient or modern warfare to the victory of Dowling
and his men at Sabine Pass, considering the great odds against which they had
to contend.'' The Davis Guards medal was
commissioned by the grateful citizens of Houston, Texas, to honor the first
anniversary of the defense of the approaches to their city. Friar Felix Zoppa
da Connobio headed the movement to provide the men with silver medals and
Charles Gottchalk engraved them.
Each member
of the Davis Guards received a medal, whether he was present at the battle or
not. As awarded, the medals were
unnamed; engraved names vary in style and execution. CSA Major General John B.
Magruder prepared special unit citations for the Guards and may actually have
presented them with their medals. The
Congress of the CSA enacted a special resolution of thanks and some $3,000 was
raised for the guardsmen at a special banquet given in their honor in Houston. The Davis Guards medal is of the highest
importance to the military history of the Confederacy. For example, it can be noted that a specimen
was actually presented to President of the Confederate States of America
Jefferson Davis. Davis received his medal by virtue of being honorary commander
of his namesake, the Davis Guards.
In a letter
to Ed. Frossard printed in Numisma dated July 12, 1880, Jefferson Davis told
the following story. It underscores how significant Davis felt both the Sabine
battle and its award medal were: ''The very remarkable defense of the Sabine
Pass, in 1863, was commemorated by a medal struck in silver, one of which was
presented to each member of the Company that made the defense, and another one
to me, I having been elected an honorary member of the Company at the time of
its organization. After my capture in
1865, and while I was in Fortress Monroe, my wife held as a prisoner on board
the transport ship Clyde, some officers were sent to examine her luggage. Among other articles pillaged from her trunks,
was the medal to which I have referred.'' Davis continued that he understood that his
medal had later been sold and he authorized Frossard to try to recover it. Its whereabouts are still unknown today.”
This
recreation is a must for the Civil War enthusiast, re-enactor, living
historian, student of the American Civil War, and medal collector. Because we strive to exactly replicate the
original of each item we offer, we continually research and modify our
offerings as necessary. In addition,
where applicable, all are inscribed on the reverse or edge with our name and/or
the mold creation date; so as not to be confused with, or presented to, some
trusting individual as an authentic period piece. (rev. 4 Dec 12)
We
recreated our first medal in 2007 guided by the principle that we would provide
you -- our customer -- with the highest quality, most accurate reproductions
possible, at an affordable price. From
that time on, each product we sell has been painstakingly developed, often over
many months, and injected with as much WOW factor as we can muster. Then your purchase is carefully packed and
shipped to you as rapidly as possible.
If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason – or for no
reason at all – please give us an opportunity to set things right, or we will
gladly refund your purchase price. If,
for any reason outside of normal wear and tear, any medal, pin, badge, buckle,
or brooch we stock should ever fail, we will replace it for the cost of
shipping and handling and, on that, you have our word! (rev. 1 Oct 12)
We cannot track, or be
responsible for, any items shipped outside of the United States if lost,
damaged, refused, or seized by customs regulators in your country, etc. Import duties, taxes and other charges you
might incur due to overseas shipping are not included in the item price and are
the buyers responsibility. Please check
with your country's Customs Office and/or Postal Service to determine what, if
any, additional costs will be added prior to bidding/buying. Delivery time to your country can vary
widely, from a few days to many weeks, depending on your local mail processing
and/or customs inspection requirements. To knowingly falsify a Customs
Declaration is Illegal under International Law!
So, when you purchase an item from us, it must be declared as merchandise and cannot be changed! (rev. 11 Feb 12)
Save $$$ on Shipping and Handling!
Where applicable, we will combine all item shipped at the same time and
to the same address and you will only pay Shipping and Handling on the item
with the highest shipping cost, regardless of how many items you purchase. So, if you are purchasing multiple items that
include Shipping and Handling, please ask us to send you an invoice so we can
properly deduct any excess charges. (rev. 5 Dec 12)
PAYMENT POLICY: Payment must be received within
5-days of your purchase and the item will not be shipped until payment clears.
USPS
First-Class Mail® with Delivery Confirmation tm.
RETURN POLICY: If anything in this offering has been misstated I will take the item back and refund all your money, including return postage and insurance once the item, in “like new” condition, is in my possession. If you received an item in error, it will be replaced once the incorrect item is in my possession, and you will be reimbursed for the actual cost of return postage and insurance. All other returns within 14-calendar days of the receipt, with prior approval, less postage, handling, and associated payment processing fees. All returns are to be insured for the actual cost of your purchase and packed in such a manner as to assure receipt in "like new" condition.
Please email me with any questions!