Publications of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State
of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
NOTES ON
THE BADGE OF MERIT OF 1782
HOWARD M. CHAPIN, A.B.
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NOTES ON
THE BADGE OF MERIT OF 1782
By
HOWARD M. CHAPIN, A.B.
Librarian
Rhode Island Historical Society
PUBLISHED BY
THE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI
in the STATE of RHODE ISLAND and PROVIDENCE
PLANTATIONS
1925
The Society of the Cincinnati
in The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Instituted June 24, 1783, by the
Commissioned Officers of the Rhode Island
Continental Line of the Revolution
Officers
1924-1925
President, Right Reverend James De Wolf Perry, Jr., D.D.
Vice-President, Major Philip Livingston, LL.B.
Secretary, George Thurston Spicer, A.M., M.D.
Treasurer, Mr. Thomas Arnold Peirce.
Assistant Secretary, William Paine Sheffield, A.B.
Assistant Treasurer, Mr. Thomas Gardner Stevens Turner.
librará
NOTES ON
THE BADGE OF MERIT OF 1782
By Howard M. Chapín, A.B.
Librarian
Rhode Island Historical Society
ON August 7, 1782, General Washington issued an
order creating two military orders of honor. The
first of these orders was distinguished by an honorary
badge of distinction, sometimes called the "Badge of
Merit," which was awarded for length of service. The
second order was tö honor distinguished service, and is
called the Order of Military Merit, the badge being a purple
heart. This badge was also sometimes called the "Badge
of Merit," a proceeding that has caused considerable con¬
fusion. An account of the Order of Military Merit has
recently (1925) been published by the Society of the Cin¬
cinnati in the State of New Hampshire.
The Badge of Merit for faithful service was established by
the following order of General Washington, dated Head¬
quarters Newburgh, Wednesday, August 7,1782.
*
"Honorary Badges of distinction are to be conferred on
the veteran Non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the
army who have served more than three years with bravery,
fidelity and good conduct; for this purpose a narrow piece
of white cloth of an angular form is to be fixed to the left
arm on the uniform coats; Non-commissioned officers and
Soldiers who have served with equal reputation more than
six years, are to be distinguished by two pieces of cloth set
in parallel to each other in a similar form. Should any who
are not entitled to those honors have the insolence to assume
the badges of them, they shall be severely punished. On the
other hand, it is expected that gallant men who are thus
designated will, on all occasions, be treated with considera¬
tion." »
On August 11th a second order was issued changing the
color of the badge, as follows:
«
"The badges which Non-commissioned officers and soldiers
are permitted to wear on the left arm, as a mark of long and
faithful Service, are to be of the same colour with the facings
of the Corps they belong to, and not white in every instance,
as directed in the orders of the 7th inst."
A printed certificate was issued in connection with the
Badge of Merit, the recipient's name and other data being
filled in with ink.
One of these Badge of Merit discharge certificates is in
the archives of the Rhode Island Historical Society and
reads as follows (the italics representing handwriting) :
"By His Excellency
"George Washington, Esq;
"General and Commander in Chief of the Forces of the
United States of America. These are to Certify that the
Bearer hereof Henry Axtell Soldier in the Seventh MassUs
Regiment, having faithfully served the United States Six
years & five Months and being inlisted for the War only, is
4
ii y Iiis Excellency
C F O jr,c, E W A S II I N G V O X. F, s q,j
Gercr.il a¿J Commander in Chief of the Forces of the
United States of Amène».
r C R T r F Y Fatt _thc Bearer hereof
Regiment, having faithful-
jn the »
ly fcrved the United States .
ind being inlifted f°r the War only, is
hereby DtruHAKGiD from the American An y
GIVEN at H e a o -0 u a R t ® R * *the
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REGlSTERED;n die Bcob — -
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THE above
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has been onored with tire Bapce of Me at J05.
u * / ? r * /' " i ■/'/ / 7 ^ <3 . ¿xf
Year» fa; ^ Service, {/v?".TT/U h¿ ■ fr: ^ '
Certificate issued to Henry' Extil
In Rhode Island Historical Society Library
, ^ He ad-Qü arters, June
7783.
THE within CERTIFICATE ilnll not avail thç
Bearer as a Difchargey until the Ratification of thc^ definitive
Treaty of Peace ; "previous to which Time, and untii'Proclama-
^ . *
tion thereof íhall be made, He is to be confidered a? being or
purlçugh.
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Certificate issued to Henry Extil
(Reverse)
In Rhode Island Historical Society Library
G E 01* G E W A S H I K G T O X, Es pj
-j %\ >-
General and Commander In Chief of the Forces of the
United States of America.
II E S E are to CERTIFY that the Bearer hereof
¿jti-Á 1 1 " ssiri/~■■ fZt^s,-y
/ -f.- ' fi
in the M- ¿'.s*» ■<£. > Regiment, having EirhM-
/
iy íerved the United Stateî yeaaj /*"*■ ?* s.sïtf *¿—
y t. «' . _ and being iaiiaed for the War only, i»
hereby Discharged from the American Army.
a»
GIVEN at Head-Quarters tha
/./f, *** w
' -—-C-
— - —— ^ ^
By H i S E x c e l l e n c v î
Command^
/»/ í» ^
REGISTERED in the Books
of the Regiment,
-sisn# Adjutant.
THÉ above
¿e y-
/. c r -
has been honored with the Badge of Mse.it for 1
Years faithful Service, /?/ _ ^ f S ■'£ """
Certificate issued to Eseck Dexter
/// the Shepky Library, Providence
;, HEAD-QÜARTE&S, JuW5 ff'
THE within CERTIFICATE fball not aviti the
Bearer as a Difchatge, .until the Ratification oí the definitive
Tiwtv of Peace ; previous to which Time, and until Pr oclama-
tion thereof (hall be made, He is to be coaÛdered a< being oa
" -1 t
Furlough. V '
.*• :4 GEORGE WASHINGTON.
t mri-" ■ •
\
Certificate issued to Eseck Dexter
(Reverse)
In the S fiep ley Library, Providence
hereby Discharged from the American Army. Given at
Head-Quarters the 9lh day of June 1783
G° Washington
By His Excellency's Command J° Trumbull, Geni Sy.
Registered in the Books of the Regiment Jona Haskell
Adjutant.
The Above Henry Axtell has been honored with the Badge
of Merit for Six Years faithful Services.
J. Brooks Lt. Col0 Comdt
7th Mass* Regt:'
On the reverse is :
"Head-Quarters, June 9th 1783
"The within Certificate shall not avail the Bearer as a Dis¬
charge, until the Ratification of the definitive Treaty of
Peace; previous to which Time, and until Proclamation
thereof shall be made, He is to be considered as being on
Furlough.
George Washington"
Lower down on the sheet Henry Extil, who evidently
spelled his name Extil instead of Axtell, signed his name,
and his wife Anna Extil made her mark.
The Shepley Library contains a similar certificate dated
June 15, 1783, and certifying the award of the Badge of
Merit for six years service to Eseck Dexter, Sergeant Major
in the Rhode Island Regiment, whose exact length of service
is given as six years, five months and five days. Dexter's
certificate is countersigned by J. Greenman, Adjutant of
the Rhode Island regiment, and Jeremiah Olney, Lieut.-Col.
Comd.
. A note in the Magazine of American History in 1881
(Volume VII, pages 298 and 460) calls attention to the fact
5
that the Badge of Merit for six years faithful service was
awarded to Allyn Fox, Sergeant in the Second Connecticut
Regiment. The certificate of award was apparently at that
time in existence.
I recently made a canvass of some of the principal his¬
torical libraries in the hope of finding some of these certi¬
ficates of award. The New York Public Library, the New
York Historical Society, the Massachusetts Historical
Society, and the Connecticut State Library reported no
copies found. The Library of Congress has the certificate
of award of the Badge of Merit to private Abraham Farrow
of the New Jersey Regiment, of which Richard Cox was
Major Commandant in 1783, the date of the issuance of the
certificate is June 5, 1783, and the award is for six years
service.
The Essex Institute reports the possession of a photograph
of the certificate of Award of the Badge of Merit to Daniel
Mulliken of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment for a service
of six years, two months and seven days. This certificate
is dated June 7,1783.
According to a note on page 85 of the manuscript Regi¬
mental Book in the State Archives at Providence, Jotham
Bemus, Corporal of the Light Infantry Company in Col.
Olney's Rhode Island Regiment, had served five years and
four months up to September 1, 1782, and was entitled to
one badge. On May 1,1783, he was entitled to two Badges,
i. e. for six years service. On page 89 it is recorded that
having served six years, one month and ten days, Jotham
Bemus received two badges for faithful service on June 15,
1783.
There must be many of these Badge of Merit certificates
scattered about the United States in libraries and in private
hands and it would be interesting and well worth while to
locate and record as many of these certificates as are extant
and can be found.
6