WHO WAS W. H. HUTCHINSON?

This little 1 1/4" lead token was found during a hunt earlier in the week on a ridge where several Confederate artifacts were found. In my searching of the internet I found that a Charles Hutchinson was apparently the inventor of the "Hutchinson" style stopper for soda bottles in 1879. W. H. Hutchinson, Charles ancestor, however, who died in 1879, was in the bottling business prior to and after the Civil War. This "washer" was part of one of Charles early soda pop bottle stoppers, and the source of the name given those soda pop bottles today - the Hutchinson's.

Strangely, I was led astray early in my search for the identity of the item when I found that a W. H. Hutchinson was a soldier who fought here in Vicksburg during the siege:

William served in the Civil War from May 1861 to June 1864. He enlisted on May 29, 1861 as a private and mustered into Company K, 17th Illinois Infantry. On the Muster Roll William was described has having black hair, brown eyes, a married blacksmith living at Bath, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (conflicts with other data). He served in this unit for three years. He then served in the 144th Illinois Infantry for an additional nine months.

William’s 17th Infantry unit saw service in the following battles:

•   Battle at Frederickstown, Missouri on 21 October 1861

•   Battle at Fort Donelson, Tennessee on 13 February 1862

•   Battle at Fort Donelson, Tennessee on 15 February 1862

•   Battle at Shiloh, Tennessee on 06 April 1862

•   Battle at Vicksburg, Mississippi on 22 May 1863

•   Battle at Vicksburg, Mississippi on 27 May 1863

•   Battle at Vicksburg, Mississippi on 28 May 1863

•   Battle at Vicksburg, Mississippi on 04 June 1863

•   Battle at Vicksburg, Mississippi on 25 July 1863

•   Battle on 05 February 1864