Capt K Hedrick 36th Va YANKEE SLAYERS

[Virginiadigger]

I dig & collect bottles & I know nothing about Civil War stuff. My buddy & I went to a yard sale yesterday & when I saw this I knew I had to have it. I was wondering if any of guys could give me some info on what it is & maybe a value. I think it is handmade out of tin.

[zaxfire69]

Handmade Dogtag??????? Could be????. Very freakin cool in my opinion. You scored a big find and didn't even have to dig for it.

Capt K Hedrick= His name
Company E= His company he is with
36th Virginia Cavalry????
Confederate Soldier
1863
Yankee Slayers...

I could be wrong. If I am correct me. I am not a big civil war dude so.

But that is in mint condition in my book. And at 145 years old I would say very awesome...I would have pee-ed my pants if I would have found that.

Now hold that find in your hand, do some research on the 36th Virginia Cavalry and think about all the places that tag could have been and what it might have went through while it was in Hedricks possesion. Now it is yours. You gotta love freakin history.

[Tom Henrique]

Virginiadigger,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings here but I recognized that "dogtag" as similar to one that was discussed several years ago on a couple of sites. To be sure, I posted your photo on a private website called "Fakebusters" to get some expert opinions:

One response:

Pure FANTASY

And another:

A definite fake. I was able to trace the manuf.'r "Yankee Slayers Martingale" over a decade ago to someplace in Houston TX. when I was in CWC. That info. is gone now. Maybe Steve can enlighten us all. However, the photo you show Tom, is a rough homemade pc. of yesterday's crappola.
As worthless as the debts I owe,,,,,

and yet another:

The shysters that sell these are usually too lazy to do even basic research and just make up a name.
A quick search of the NPS site shows NO Hedrick in the 36 VA Cav. much less a company commander!
I have seen similar items with Regiments that didn't even exist!

and a reference to the one I had seen:

The one on eBay was for the 37th Texas Cavalry with the same garbage, same stampings, etc.
It was really cute because I command the 37th Texas Cavalry and, with the help of the regimental history and rosters, I was able to confirm that no one of the name stamped on the "tag" had ever served with the 37th at any rank and that the 37th Texas was never known as or had the slogan "Yankee Slayers" - they were simply known as "Terrell's Texas Cavalry."
This tag is pure unadulterated garbage.

Sorry bud,
Tom Henrique