Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (Mollus) membership badge issued to Medal of Honor Recipient Benjamin H. Child. The badge is serial numbered on the bale 9667. This number is confirmed in Mollus records as being issued to Child when he joined the society in 1892. The badge still retains it original ribbon and brooch. Other than toning and wear to the ribbon, the badge is in good condition, with no enamel loss.
Child was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor while serving in Battery A, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery at the Battle of Antietam on 17 September 1862, where he was wounded in action. He was previously wounded at the Battle of Bull Run on 21 July 1861 and was subsequently severely wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg on 2 July 1863. He was eventually commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Battery H. on 6 November 1863 before being discharged in 1864 for disability caused by his wounds.
After the war Child joined the Providence, Rhode Island Police Department, eventually becoming Chief in 1881. He authored a short monograph about his wartime experiences, "From Fredericksburg to Gettysburg", which was published by the Loyal Legion. The current location of Child's Medal of Honor is unknown.