Publications of the United States National ISAIiseum The scholarly publications of the United States National Museum include two series, Proceedingsoj the United States National Museum and United States.\ational Museum. The register of insignia of the veritable multitude of independent uniformed militia companies that existed during the period under consideration may never be complete.
Duncan Campbell Edgar M. Howell
Of the three additional infantry regiments authorized, only two were organized, becoming the 3rd and 4th Sublegions.*. Meanwhile, increasing demands for surveying and mapping.. services led to the creation of the Corps of Topographical Engineers as a separate entity.-".
DRAGOON HELMET PLATE, 1800
As for enlisted men's insignia, only the depictions of the 1800 dragoon cap plate and the riflemen's pleats of 1814 and 1817 give anything approaching a clear picture. "Elongated Silver Plates. Although of the most varied, this plate, struck of fine bronze, appears to be an example of the plate described above.. artillery men a "black leather cockade, with a diameter of 4 centimeters, a yellow button in the center, the button in the uniform with the coat. the button."'^.
COCKADE EAGLE, GENERAL OFFICER, I800-I8I2
It seems clear that the dragoons wore tin letters in keeping with their other decorations, for in July 1812 Colonel James Burn of the 2d Light Dragoons asked for official permission to issue such letters. as a 'silverer', and in 1820 as a maker of silver-plated and military ornament. Peasley was a maker of ornaments and insignia in Boston during the same period.*'.
CAP PLATE, INFANTRY, I8I2
CAP PLATE, INFANTRY, I8I2 (REPRODUCTION)
DRAGOON CAP PLATE, 1 8 12
In May 1961, one of the authors fortunately found this plate (Fig. 20) in the Niagara Historical Society's collections. Asked for his opinion on a new design, Fenwick, second-in-command of the light artillery, states bluntly, “It.
CAP PLATE, DRAGOONS, 1833
The uniform decorations were for that as for the infantry, with the letter "v" substituted. An example is known where the large-numbered embroidered letters of US letters and Miller's Photographic History of the Civil War include several photos of general officers.
CAP AND COLLAR INSIGNIA, ENLISTED ORDNANCE, 1851
CAP AND COLLAR INSIGNIA, ENGINEER SOLDIERS, 1 85
CAP INSIGNIA, OFFICER, REGIMENT OF MOUNTED RIFLEMEN, 1850
CAP INSIGNIA, ENLISTED, REGIMENT OF MOUNTED RIFLEMEN, 1850
Obsolescence However, white metal shoulder belts do not appear to have been issued to the infantry before 1814, and brassons were still issued in 1815.*^ Most of these plates were plain oval, although they were known. Oval brass plates have been found that have the same size and construction as the regular ones, but with the letters. 34;waist belts of white leather two inches wide, yellow oval plate of same width." It is not made.
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, I790(?)-I8I2
There is a rectangular plate struck in brass on a die of the same design as was used to make the 1814 ArtilleryCorps cover plate, type I (p. 18). Before the strike was made, a piece of sheet iron, slightly narrower than the finished product, was fitted to the back of the copper. After the stroke, which clearly shows through the iron, the ends of this applied metal are bent inwards into tongues for fastenings to the belt, and the rest of the back is filled with pewter.
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, OFFICER, ARTILLERY CORPS, I8I4-I82I
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, INFANTRY, I8I4-I.S2I
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, I8I4
Crafted from very pure gold, experts in the gold and silversmithing fields consider the clasp to be one of the most outstanding American-made pieces of its kind. -" The central motif is. The regulations of 1832 specified that the plate for engineer belts be "gilt, elliptical, two turns in the shortest diameter, bearing the device of a button." Such a plate (fig. 73) is in the collections of the Valley Forge Chapel Museum .In the collections of the West Point Museum is a button bearing the "Essayons" device which was excavated in the area behind the "Long Barracks".
WAIST-BELT PLATE, GENERAL AND STAFF OFFICERS, 1832 (?) -1850
Another similar button excavated in Sackets Harbor at the site of a barracks bears the name of its maker (Wishart) from the period 1812-1816. star of twisted cord on top of a larger star of tightly stitched cord which in turn is placed on top of an even larger star of sunburst. Two coats that used to belong to Major. SKIRT ORNAMENT, INFANTRY OFFICER, 1832 USNM59861~M. Figure 7S. The horn decorations of infantry officers varied almost as much as the shells and flames, usually in relation to the wealth of the individual involved. This example, of silver ullion cord, is a coat that once belonged to Lieutenant William Williams Mather, graduated from the Military Academy in 1828, and enlisted in 1836.
WAIST-BELT PLATE, NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER, 1836
In view of the large and somewhat elaborate hood plates and shoulder strap plates adopted by the Regulars and Militia in the early 19th century, it is somewhat surprising that apparently neither component had decorations on the cartridge boxes until the Ordnance Regulations of 1834 prescribed a very ornate design embossed on the leather flap. The German mercenary troops of the Revolution and the British and Canadian troops of the War of 1812 wore metal decorations on their cartridge cases. The copper... would provide a central target as far as the soldier's body was concerned, and one that would be visible at a great distance from fire.
WAIST-BELT PLATE, INFANTRY, 1839
The back of this plate is provided with the rather rudimentary wire clasps, similar to the shoulder belt plates of the period 1812-1821. The eagle has hanging wings, head left, three arrows in right talon and an olive branch in left talon. While the back of the later models was lead filled, this plate was struck in thin brass over tin and the edges of the front were crimped to preserve the back.
SWORD-BELT PLATE, 1 85
This circular plate, with a raised border, is dominated by a refined design very similar to the eagles that appeared on the War of 1812 plates. The 1851 description, called a "border of clouds and rays" and the official drawing in full size in Rules for the Uniform Dress of the Army, includes the "edge of the cloud" and depicts the eagle with its head to the heraldic left. It is cast in strong brass, with the wreath attached, and has the narrow brass tongue for attachment at the back (fig.95), typical of the early types.
SWORD-BELT PLATE, I85I, DIE SAMPLE
This silver ornament is one of the most special military insignia in the national collections. The 'frog-legs' aspect of the design would seem to confirm such a dating, and the lightning bolts in the right claw, symbolic of a warlike attitude, could be attributed to the national mood during the 'quasi-war'. The 'id', in delicate floral script on the eagle's chest, completely at odds with the design and execution of the actual piece and clearly the work of a talented engraver, is interpreted as 'Independent Dragons'.
If the number of stars is significant, the piece would date before November 1802, when the 17th state, Ohio, was admitted to the union.
COCKADE EAGLE, I8I2-I8I5
This specimen is struck in brass and is believed to have been made for a specific independent militia organization, designation unknown for clothing prior to 1812. This eagle, of the general design first seen on the 1807 half dollar, is very similar to the one on buttons attributed to staff officers, eagle. struck in brass, has raised wings and the familiar hooked beak; it stands on a wreath of the colors.
CAP PLATE, 1814-1825(7)
CAP PLATE, I8I4-I825(?)
Militia organizations wasted no time in adopting a similar cap and, conversely, placing it on—and on the tall beaver that followed in the 1830s—it. The Harrison Guard plate is an example of the license sometimes practiced by Huddy and Duval in the preparation of their military prints. Around 1808 it used a device embedded in the leather cockade, and in 1814 it became the main design element of the cap plate for.
UNIDENTIFIED ORNAMENT, PROBABLY CAP PLATE, C
This plate is believed to be one of the earliest post-1821 militia cap plates, incorporating the discarded regular artillery design.
CAP PLATE AND PLUME HOLDER, C. 1825
IGIRK I 36
Other such front hats in national collections are 2dCompany, 6th Regiment:.'idCompan\-, 6th Regi- . ment; and the 1st company of the 8th regiment. The crescent pattern, sometimes mistakenly identified as an agorget because of its shape, is an old heraldic device of the state of South Carolina. Based on the size of this brass plate, it can be concluded that it was worn without other decorations on the front of a round leather cap that was associated with cavalry units.
CHAPEAU ORNAMENT, C. 1836
This pattern of the 1833 dragon eagle on half sunray, struck in copper and silver, was worn by the Washington [D.C.] Light Infantry"* and possibly by other units in the period. During the period the plate was worn, one of the most famous of the State's Militia organizations the Republican Blues—the "rb" on the plate—of Savannah."^. The design of the modified Napoleonic-type eagle is almost exactly that used in the 1833 plain dragoon plate and other Militia plates; and the period of apparent manufacture coincides with the.
CAP AND CAP PLATE, 1ST ARTILLERY, PENNSYLVANIA,
Dates included as parts of devices are generally the original organizational dates of the units concerned - as is the case here. In this innovation, several stock patterns are punched around the waist as part of the design. Although this added a step in manufacturing, it allowed the incorporation of bright colors, which added zest and sparkle to the final product.
CAP PLATE, I845-I850
This bronze specimen, surmounted by 'Massachusettsseal elements', is the pattern struck for the Massachusetts troops with the left center bank. Of course, this organization was one of the state armed units registered only for protection, but little more is known about it. The spear point at the top of the flag is obviously of military design, and, in the absence of naval vessels in the engraving, the clasp must be considered a military article.
ORNAMENTED WAIST-BELT PLATE, I8I2-I825(?)
The two small hooks on the reverse indicate that the plate was for a shoulder belt rather than a waist belt, and that it was decorative rather than functional.
WAIST-BELT PLATE, INFANTRY, I8I4-I825 (?)
WAIST-BELT PLATE, INFANTRY, I8I4-I825( ?)
This plate, cast in brass, is typical of the small plates, both round and rectangular, that were carried with lightweight, full-bodied swords. This small plate of cast brass is another example of plates made for social or full dress with the light staff sword. The decorations on this cast brass plate include the arms of the city of Philadelphia and its shape and pattern, especially the floral design on the outer ring, which was placed in the 1840s.
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, BOSTON LIGHT INFANTRY, C
The date 1798 is believed to be the year of the unit's original organization, but the Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was unable to verify this. The letters "sf" applied with wire fasteners to the small brass plaque are most appropriate for the State Fencibles of Philadelphia, and are believed to have been worn by that unit in the 1840s. A print in the VSMilitary Magazine* depicting this unit shows an officer carrying a plate of an entirely different design, but since a plate in this simple form would most likely have been carried by service personnel and the soldier in the print is alone can be seen from behind, the unit identification may be correct.
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK LIGHT GUARD,
Huddy and Duval's Hibernia Greens print of Philadelphia"" definitely features the Irish harp on both the shoulder belt panel and the cap panel, but the "erin go bragh" motto is not included. The specimen would be suitable for several militia organizations, such as the Irish Jasper Greens of Savannah, Georgia, and the Montgomery Hibernia Greens. This plain brass plate, with the pewter letters "sLi" applied to the wire, is believed to have been worn by the SalemLisjhtInfantr\' of Massachusetts.
SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, NEW ENGLAND GUARDS, C
In fact, this design for the arms of the state was approved pending admission to the Union, on October 2. Shortly before 18.50 there were two militants in Philadelphia who used the letters "pg" to indicate the name of the organization - the Philadelphia Guard and the Grays of the City of Philadelphia. The silver letters "gg" on this rolled brass plate present several identification possibilities. The uniformed militia units of the 1840s and 1850s were the Garibaldi Guards, German Guards, and Gray Guards.
