Insignia of the Uniformed Militia

Cap and Helmet Devices

HAT ORNAMENT, INDEPENDENT DRAGOONS(?), c. 1800

USNM 14978. Figure 97.

Figure 97

This silver ornament is one of the most unusual pieces of military insignia in the national collections. Obviously military, it is just as obviously of Militia origin. Although hardly artistic in design, it has a rather attractive simplicity and has been made with considerable care. The eagle is of the "frogleg" design that first appeared on buttons of the post-Revolutionary Army and, later on, of the Legion. In its right talon the eagle is grasping what appear to be rather stylized thunderbolts, and in its left, arrows. The arc above the eagle's head is comprised of sunrays, an edge of clouds, and 16 6-pointed stars. If the number of stars is of significance, the piece would date prior to November 1802 when the 17th state, Ohio, was admitted to the union. The "frog-legged" aspect of the design would tend to confirm such dating, and the thunderbolts in the right talon, symbolic of a belligerent attitude, could be attributed to the national temper during the "quasi war" with France, 1798-1800. The "ID," in delicate floriated script on the eagle's breast, quite out of consonance with the design and execution of the piece proper and obviously the work of a talented engraver, is interpreted as "Independent Dragoons." Too small for a hat frontpiece, it was probably worn as a side ornament on a dragoon helmet.

LEATHER FAN COCKADE, C. 1810

USNM 60257-M (S-K 15). Figure 98.

Figure 98

CAP PLATE, C. 1810

USNM 60275-M (S-K 33). Figure 99.

Figure 99

This grenadier-type plate, which is untrimmed and thus may be a die sample, is a rare example of the use of coiled snakes as a military device after 1800. A familiar motif of the Revolution, coiled snakes were not revived as a popular military symbol during the War of 1812. This specimen is struck in brass and is believed to have been made for a specific independent Militia organization, designation unknown, for wear prior to 1812.

COCKADE EAGLE, 1812-1815

USNM 60361-M (S-K 117). Figure 100.

Figure 100

COCKADE EAGLE, C. 1814

USNM 60379-M (S-K 135). Figure 101.

Figure 101

¶ Die work for cap, shoulder-belt, and waist-belt plates was expensive, and many Militia organizations found it expedient to purchase devices "ready made" from existing dies. By varying the trimming and adding borders of various designs, the same dies could be used to strike all three types of plates. Such badges are called "common" plates.

The common plates that follow were very popular during the period 1812-1835 and, although relatively rare today, were made in considerable quantity and in many die variations for the Militia in every part of the country. They are known in brass, copper, and silver-on-copper. It is possible that specimens such as these may have been worn by some officers of the Regular Establishment between 1814 and 1821.

CAP PLATE, 1814-1825(?)

USNM 60263-M (S-K 21). Figure 102.

Figure 102

This is a typical example of the common plates of the 1814-1835 period. The piece is struck in brass and has an edged and stippled border. The design is dominated by an eagle with wings outspread, head to left, arrows in right talon, olive branch in left talon, and with the national motto on a ribbon overhead. The whole is superimposed on a trophy of arms and colors with an arc of 13 6-pointed stars above. A plume socket, apparently original, is soldered to the reverse, as are two looped-wire fasteners. The fasteners are of a later period.

CAP PLATE, 1814-1825(?)

USNM 60264-M (S-K 22). Figure 103.

Figure 103

Struck in copper and silvered, this piece is a die variant of the preceding plate. A floral border replaces the plain border, and the overhead arc has 5-pointed rather than 6-pointed stars. The floral border marks it as probably an officer's device.

CAP PLATE, 1814-1825(?)

USNM 60313-M (S-K 69). Figure 104.

Figure 104

A die variant of the preceding plate, this device has an unusually wide floral border. As in so many of the common pieces of this period, the center device was purposely designed small so that the die could be used to strike matching waist-belt plates. Examples of waist-belt plates struck from dies of this particular design are known. Struck in copper, there is a plume socket soldered to the reverse along with two looped-wire fasteners. The fasteners are not contemporary.

CAP PLATE, 1814-1825(?)

USNM 60314-M (S-K 70). Figure 105.

Figure 105

This is a die variant of the three plates immediately preceding. However, the center device lacks the fineness of detail of the others, a fact that suggests that several makers working with different die sinkers produced this basic pattern. The plate is struck in copper, and originally it had a plume socket attached to the reverse. The present looped-wire fasteners are not original.

CAP PLATE, 1814-1825(?)

USNM 60299-M (S-K 57). Figure 106.

Figure 106

This plate, which is of brass, is of a less common design than its predecessors. However, since there is another such plate, but of silver-on-copper, in the national collections, it can be surmised that pieces of this same pattern were made for use by several different units.

A floral-bordered shield is topped by an out-sized sunburst with 13 stars, clouds, and the motto "Unity is Strength." In the center of the shield is the eagle, with wings widely outspread and with lightning bolts in the right talon and an olive branch in the left talon. The lightning bolt device, obvious sign of belligerency, first appeared about 1800 and is not seen in plates designed after 1821. The motto and the date 1776 are far more typical of Militia than Regular Army usage.

¶ In 1821 the Regular Army discarded all its large cap plates and adopted the bell-crown leather cap. Militia organizations lost no time in adopting a similar cap and, conversely, placing on it—and on the tall beaver which followed in the 1830's—the largest plates it could accommodate, using variations of discarded Regular Army patterns as well as original designs.

From 1821 until well into the 1840's large cap plates were mass-produced by manufacturers in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and perhaps other cities of the New England metal manufacturing area. The few early platemakers, such as Crumpton and Armitage of Philadelphia and Peasley of Boston, were joined by a number of others. Prominent among these were Charles John Joullain, who made plates in New York during the 1820's, and William Pinchin of Philadelphia. Joullain is first listed in New York directories, in 1817, as a "gilder," and so continues through 1828. Sometimes his given name is listed as Charles, sometimes as James, and finally as Charles James. From 1820 to 1828 his address is the same, 32 Spring Street. There is a William Pinchin (Pinchon) listed in the Philadelphia directories as a silverplater or silversmith almost continuously from 1785 through 1863, indicating the possibility of a family occupation.

It is believed that some of the New England makers of uniform buttons also manufactured plates. Among such buttonmakers of the 1820's and 1830's were R. and W. Robinson, D. Evans and Co., Leavenworth and Co., Benedict and Coe, and others in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Buttonmakers often stamped their names or easily recognizable hallmarks on the back of their products.

In most cases it is virtually impossible to ascertain the precise units for which these different plates were first designed, and the problem is further complicated because the maker would sell a specific plate design to several different units. Those designs that incorporate all or part of a state's seal were originally made for Militia organizations of the particular state, but in several instances these plates were sold—altered or not—to units in other parts of the country. Militia organizations that were widely separated geographically purchased cap plates from distant manufacturers who had perhaps a dozen or more stock patterns to offer at a cost much lower than that involved in making a new die from which to strike custom-made ornaments. It made no difference to the Savannah Greys, in Georgia, that their new cap plates were the same as those worn by organizations in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Toward the end of this period of large cap plates, manufacturers came out with two-piece ornaments. After 1833, when the Regiment of United States Dragoons was authorized its large sunburst plate with separate eagle ornament in the center, insignia makers introduced a veritable rash of full sunburst, three-quarter sunburst, and half-sunburst cap plates with interchangeable centers. And for the first time small Militia units could afford their own distinctive devices at little extra cost. Shoulder-belt and waist-belt plates underwent the same evolution, and by the late 1830's such plates had become a mixture of either single die stampings or composite plates made of several parts soldered or otherwise held onto a rectangular or oval background.

In the following descriptions of plates, the term "stock pattern" is used because the insignia are known to have been worn by more than one organization, because their basic designs are so elementary that it appears obvious that they were made for wide distribution, or because they are known to have been made both in silver and in gilt metals.

CAP PLATE, ARTILLERY, C. 1825

USNM 60307-M (S-K 64). Figure 107.

Figure 107

On the raised center of this shield-shaped plate is the eagle-on-cannon device within an oval floral border; the Federal shield is below. The whole is superimposed on a trophy of arms and colors with portions of a modified sunburst appearing on the sides. The plate is struck in brass. The eagle-on-cannon first appeared on Regular artillery buttons in 1802. About 1808 it was used as an embossed device on the leather fan cockade, and in 1814 it became the principal design element of the cap plate for Regulars. This plate is thought to be one of the earliest of the post-1821 series of Militia cap plates incorporating the discarded design of the Regular artillery.

UNIDENTIFIED ORNAMENT, PROBABLY CAP PLATE, C. 1821

USNM 60331-M (S-K 87). Figure 108.

Figure 108

This silver-on-copper plate is unique in size, shape, and over-all design. It is one of the most unusual Militia insignia in the national collections. The standing eagle of the 1807 mint design with Federal shield, the panoply of arms and colors, and the rayed background all suggest that this plate was made not later than the early 1820's. Quite possibly it is a cap plate of the War of 1812 period, but positive dating is impossible. Three simple wire fasteners are affixed to the reverse.

CAP PLATE, ARTILLERY, C. 1825

USNM 60255-M (S-K 13). Figure 109.

Figure 109

Although the Regular riflemen wore a diamond-shaped plate from 1812 to 1814, this shape does not appear on Militia caps until the mid-1820's. It was a common form through the 1830's, but since it was always made as a one-piece die-struck plate it became out-dated in the late 1830's when the composite plates came into vogue.

This plate, struck in brass and bearing the eagle-on-cannon device, must be considered a stock pattern available to many organizations. Insignia struck from the same die could have been easily made into shoulder-belt plates as well.

CAP PLATE AND PLUME HOLDER, C. 1825

USNM 604748 (S-K 893). Figure 110.

Figure 110

This brass plate is similar in many respects to the regular infantry cap plate, type I, 1814-1821. It is attached to a bell-crowned shako of distinctly Militia origin and is cut in the diamond shape popular with the Militia in the 1820's and 1830's. The design lies within a raised oval dominated by an eagle similar to ones used on War of 1812 insignia. Below the eagle is a Federal shield and a trophy of stacked muskets, a drum surmounted by a dragoon helmet, a gun on a truck carriage, and colors—one the National Colors with 16 stars in the canton.

The plume holder attached to the cap above the plate is an unusually interesting and distinctive device. It is a hemisphere of thin brass with a round plume socket at the top. The hemisphere has an eagle on a shield and a superimposed wreath device in silver. The blazonry of the shield cannot be identified with any particular state or locality.

CAP PLATE, C. 1821

USNM 60262 (S-K 20). Figure 111.

Figure 111

The familiar hooked-beak eagle dominates the center of this brass, scalloped-edge plate. The arrows of belligerency, however, are held in the left talon. Surrounding the eagle is a three-quarter wreath of olive with the national motto above and the date 1776 below. While there is a possibility that this plate may fall into the period 1814-1821 because of its outline shape, it lacks the panoply of arms associated with that era. It is much more probable that this is one of the earliest plates made for Militia during the years 1821-1830. Since this plate is also known in silver-on-copper, it is considered a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, MILITIA, ARTILLERY(?), C. 1821

USNM 60306-M (S-K 63). Figure 112.

Figure 112

This oval, brass-struck plate framed within a large wreath of laurel is one of the finest in the national collections, comprising as it does a number of devices of excellent design and considerable detail standing in high relief. The curving line of 21 stars above the motto, decreasing in size laterally, is an interesting detail, and the eagle and panoply of arms is reminiscent of those on the plate ascribed to the Regiment of Light Artillery, 1814-1821, and on several of the common Militia plates of the same period. It is assigned to the artillery because of its "yellow metal" composition. It has simple wire fasteners, applied to the reverse, and carries no plume socket.

CAP PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1825

USNM 60273-M (S-K 31). Figure 113.

Figure 113

This unusually large, shield-shaped plate, struck in brass, is dominated by an eagle—within a smaller shield with raised edge—standing on a half globe and wreath of the colors, both of which are superimposed on a trophy of arms and flags; clouds and sun rays are above. The specimen represents one of the large cap plate patterns adopted by the Militia for wear on the bell-crown cap soon after it came into general use in the early 1820's. While a stock pattern in a sense, its use was most likely confined to New York State Militia because its principal device, the eagle-on-half-globe, is taken directly from that state's seal. These large plates were widely worn until the middle or late 1830's when newer styles began to replace them. The plume socket affixed to the reverse appears to be contemporary, but has been resoldered.

CAP PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1825

USNM 60356-M (S-K 112). Figure 114.

Figure 114

This is a variant of the preceding plate and well illustrates how an insignia-maker could adapt a single die for several products. The eagle-on-half-globe, with a portion of the trophy of arms and colors, and the clouds and sunburst above have merely been cut out from the plate proper for use alone. The plate is struck in brass.

Another specimen, of silver-on-copper, is known, indicating that this insignia was made for wear by infantry as well as by other branches of the service; consequently, it may be termed a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1825

USNM 60266-M (S-K 24). Figure 115.

Figure 115

Illustrating fine craftsmanship, this elaborate brass cap plate comprises perhaps the most ornate and intricately detailed design ever attempted by a military ornament die sinker. The strike itself has been so well executed that the most minute details are even today readily discernible, even after very apparent use. Made for New York Militia, its central theme is the eagle-on-half-globe superimposed on a trophy of arms and flags.

Many of the facets of detail are of particular interest. Almost every ray of the aura of sunlight can still be clearly seen; the North Pole is well marked with a vertical arrow; the Arctic Circle, Tropic of Capricorn, and the Equator are included on the half-globe, as are the meridians of longitude and the parallels of latitude; both North America and South America are shown, and that portion of North America east of the Mississippi basin is clearly denominated "United States." An unusual feature of the design is the way the arrows are held in the eagle's left talon—some of the arrow heads point inward, some outward. What appears to have been a contemporary plume socket has been resoldered to the reverse.

Although this plate is unmarked as to maker, another plate of a similar design but of silver-on-copper has the maker's mark "J. JOULLAIN, MAKER, N. YORK." Since two distinct but similar designs are known, and the finished product is found in both brass and silver-on-copper, it seems probable that this plate was produced by more than one maker, and for all arms of the service. It is therefore deemed a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1825

USNM 60267-M (S-K 25). Figure 116.

Figure 116

Almost immediately after the last Regular rifle regiment was disbanded in 1821, Militia riflemen adopted the large open horn with loops and tassels that the Regulars had worn from 1817 to 1821. The basic device was altered slightly by showing an eagle in flight and the horn suspended much lower on its cords. The illustrated brass plate is one of four die variants, and more than a dozen similar to it have been examined. It is significant that all are of brass, for these were made and worn during the period when the trimmings for infantry were silver or "white metal."

This plate differs from the others examined in that it has 17 6-pointed stars along the upper and lower parts of the shield inside the border. The number of stars cannot be significant in dating for the plate was obviously made long after 1812 when the 18th state, Louisiana, was admitted to the Union. A plume socket affixed to the reverse appears to be original.

Undoubtedly made as a stock pattern by several manufacturers, these plates continued in use for at least 15 years after they first appeared about 1825. Although U.S. Military Magazine illustrates many large cap plates for the period 1839-1841, none has a shield outline. This may indicate a decline in the popularity of the design, but it must be remembered that Huddy and Duval presented the uniforms of only a small cross-section of the Militia of the period.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1825

USNM 60267-M (S-K 26). Figure 117.

Figure 117

This is a second form of Militia riflemen's plates. Struck in brass, it differs from the preceding primarily in the placement of 17 5-pointed stars along the upper half of the shield, between the borders. Other small differences show that the basic die was not that used for the preceding specimen. The most obvious difference is the legend "E PLURIBUS UNUM" carried on the ribbon behind the knotted cord of the horn, an element not present in the other.

A third form, not illustrated, substitutes a floral border for the plain border around the edge of the shield and contains no stars as part of the design. Still a fourth form, also not illustrated, has the same center device of eagle and open horn placed in a longer and narrower shield, with 23 6-pointed stars between the borders.

¶ These various combinations of devices give a good clue as to the method of manufacture of stock patterns, and indicate the use of several different dies and hand punches. The blank metal was first struck by a die that formed the plain or floral border and cut the outline of the plate. Next, a smaller die containing the center device of eagle and horn was used. Then the stars, and sometimes elements of the floral border, were added by individual striking with a hand punch. This latter method is clearly revealed by the comparison of several "identical" plates in which the stars or elements of the border are irregularly and differently spaced.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMAN PATTERN, C. 1825

USNM 60398-M (S-K 154). Figure 118.

Figure 118

This plate is called "rifleman pattern" because it is silver-on-copper and is the only known example of this type of insignia made for wear by infantry, or possibly for Militia riflemen whose trimmings were, incorrectly, silver.

There are several conjectures about this cut-out device made from a die of the preceding series of shield plates. It may have been made after 1834, when the open horn with cord and tassels was adopted by the Regular infantry as a branch device. It is equally possible that it was submitted to a Militia infantry organization by some maker as a sample during the 1820's and when selected was silvered to conform with other trimmings. In either case, it illustrates how a single die could serve to make many different variations from a basic design.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1825

USNM 60304-M (S-K 61B). Figure 119.

Figure 119

The very unusual construction of this brass plate for riflemen indicates that it is possibly one of the earliest of the composite plates. Within a wreath of crossed laurel boughs is a small center circle with raised edge to which has been soldered the eagle and horn device struck in convex form.

CAP PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1830

USNM 60252-M (S-K 10). Figure 120.

Figure 120

CAP PLATE, C. 1835

USNM 604851-M (S-K 996). Figure 121.

Figure 121

The eagle and horn devices were sometimes separated by the manufacturer to produce this type ornament open with cord and tassels. Struck in brass, it differs in form and detail from the silver horn adopted by the Regular infantry in 1834 as a cap plate.

¶ In the following series of rather similar plates, four different dies are used for the center ornament, perhaps made by as many different die sinkers. The relatively large number of these plates still in existence suggests that they were worn very extensively. Those with silver finish were used by infantry; the gilt or copper ones by artillery and perhaps by staff officers. All specimens are currently fitted with plain wire fasteners and plume sockets, both of which may or may not be original.

CAP PLATE, INFANTRY, C. 1825

USNM 60271-M (S-K 29). Figure 122.

Figure 122

The floral-bordered shield outline of this silver-on-copper infantry plate is known to have been used also with the rifleman's eagle-horn device in the center. The panoply of arms and flags used as a background for the center device, which is characterized by the long neck of the eagle swung far to the right, links it closely to the plate of similar type worn during the period 1814-1821. Because of its large size, it is assigned to the post-1821 era of the bell-crown cap, contemporary with the riflemen's large plates. The 13 5-pointed stars were added with a hand punch.

CAP PLATE, C. 1825

USNM 60298-M (S-K 56). Figure 123.

Figure 123

This brass plate is a duplicate of the preceding, lacking only the hand-applied stars. The crispness of detail indicates that it was one of the very early products of the die.

CAP PLATE, C. 1825

USNM 60269-M (S-K 27). Figure 124.

Figure 124

The second variation of the series is a product of perhaps the best executed die of the group, with unusually fine detail in the eagle's wings and with neatly stacked cannon balls at the bottom of the center device. It includes other excellent detail not found in other dies: an eagle-head pommel on one sword, a star pattern made of smaller stars in the cantons of the flags, and crossed cannon, rammer, and worm behind the Federal shield. It is struck in brass.

CAP PLATE, C. 1825

USNM 60297-M (S-K 55). Figure 125.

Figure 125

A tall, slender, rather graceless eagle with broad wings and erect head reminiscent of the Napoleonic eagle is the outstanding difference in this third example of the series. The floral border lacks a finished look because the plate, which is of brass, was apparently hand trimmed.

CAP PLATE, C. 1825

USNM 60270-M (S-K 28). Figure 126.

Figure 126

This fourth variation, of silver-on-copper, bears an eagle with very small legs (somewhat out of proportion), an erect head, a fierce mien, and a heavy round breast. The design is struck on a shield-plate with the exact measurements as on one of the riflemen series.

CAP PLATE, MUSICIAN, C. 1825

USNM 60302-M (S-K 60). Figure 127.

Figure 127

The oldest known plate made expressly for musicians, this silver-on-copper, floral-bordered shield bears an eagle similar to one for riflemen of the same period (see fig. 116). Among the early musical instruments easily identifiable in the design are the tambor, the serpent, the French horn, and the rack of bells. Such a plate was undoubtedly a stock pattern, available in either gilt or silver finish, and was probably sold well into the 1840's. The reverse is fitted with what appears to be a contemporary plume socket, although resoldered, and two simple wire fasteners.

CAP PLATE, MUSICIAN, C. 1835

USNM 6030-M (S-K 61A). Figure 128.

Figure 128

This gilded brass plate, while not as old as the preceding one, is of an unusual pattern. Made for New York State Militia, it carries the eagle-on-half-globe device at the top. The central design includes a French horn, a serpent, and a straight horn, all intertwined about an open roll of sheet music. It is probably a stock pattern. The reverse is fitted with three simple bent-wire fasteners.

CAP PLATE, C. 1830

USNM 60250-M (S-K 8). Figure 129.

Figure 129

The design on this brass plate, reminiscent of that on the regular infantry cap plate, 1814-1821, was adopted for wear by the Militia after being discarded by the Regular Establishment. The ornate floral border and diamond shape place it in the late 1820's and the 1830's, although the lightning in the eagle's left talon and the arrows in its right talon are usually associated with plates designed prior to 1821. It has been suggested that this is the plate worn by the West Point cadets after 1821, but such seems doubtful.

¶ No Militia plates enjoyed wider use or longer life than those patterned after the plate that disappeared from the Regular Establishment with the disbanding of the dragoons in 1815. More than a dozen die variants are known, several worn by more than one Militia unit. Although size and shape may vary, any plate exhibiting a mounted trooper with upraised saber can safely be assigned to mounted Militia. However, the dating of such plates is a real problem because they are known to have been in use as late as 1861.

In the national collections there is a dragoon cap (USNM 604767, S-K 912) carrying a plate of this design struck on a massive diamond-shaped piece with concave sides. There are additional variations in several private collections and at the Fort Ticonderoga Museum. The mounted horseman device was also struck on heart-shaped martingale ornaments.

CAP PLATE, DRAGOONS, C. 1830

USNM 60254-M (S-K 12). Figure 130.

Figure 130

The horseman on this brass plate, designed with a rather crude, childlike simplicity, is garbed quite differently than the Regular dragoon on the 1812 pewter specimen. The plate is assigned to the general 1830 period to fit the era of the diamond-shaped plates, but its use doubtless continued on into the 1840's. By nature of its design it would have been a manufacturer's stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, ARTILLERY(?), C. 1830

USNM 60301-M (S-K 59). Figure 131.

Figure 131

The eagle on this brass plate is similar to the ones on the preceding shield plates, but the Federal shield on which he stands is ornamented with three star devices composed of smaller stars. An unusual feature of this plate is the addition of the flaming portion of a grenade rising from the eagle's head, a device not a part of any other known cap plate. This symbol suggests artillery, and the plate is of the proper color. Although an unusual over-all design, the lack of any components of state arms or crests indicate that it may have been a stock pattern. The reverse is fitted with two simple bent-wire fasteners.

CAP PLATE, MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, C. 1830

USNM 60355-M (S-K 111). Figure 132.

Figure 132

This silver-on-copper plate bears the familiar elements of the Massachusetts seal: Indian, in hunting shirt, with bow in right hand, arrow with point downward in left hand, and star above right shoulder. The crest—an arm grasping a broad sword on a wreath of the colors—is superimposed on a burst of sun rays above. The State's motto is written around the shield. The earlier plates containing elements of state arms were for the most part confined to the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. No large plates bearing Pennsylvania State symbols that can be dated prior to 1835 are known.

CAP PLATE, MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, C. 1835

USNM 60316-M (S-K 72). Figure 133.

Figure 133

This scalloped plate, which is struck in thin iron metal and silvered, bears elements of the Massachusetts seal, minus the motto, and the legend "Massachusetts Militia." Its silver color assigns it to the infantry. The form of the specimen indicates that it was probably designed prior to 1839. In consideration of its over-all design and the use of the word "Militia," it was probably made as a stock pattern and sold to several different organizations. A plume holder, which has been resoldered to the reverse, appears to be of the same metal as the plate proper. It is pierced at the sides for attachment.

Although discarded by the more elite volunteer corps, painted metal hat fronts in the "tombstone" shape similar to that of the Morris Rangers continued to be used, to some extent, by the common Militia. Easily attached to the ordinary civilian hat of the period, they provided the common Militia a quick and inexpensive transformation from civilian to military dress at their infrequent musters perhaps as late as 1840. There are several contemporary sketches of these musters and in one, dated 1829 (fig. 134), these "tombstone" plates can be identified.

Figure 134.—From Library of Congress print.

A total of perhaps a dozen of these hat fronts are known. Most are of Connecticut origin, although at least two containing New York State devices are extant. The most elaborate of these devices bears, oddly enough, elements of the Connecticut State seal, the motto Qui Trans. Sust., and the crest of the Massachusetts coat of arms—an arm grasping a broad-sword (fig. 135). The elaborate detail of this plate indicates that it was probably an officer's. The fact that unit designations on other such known hat fronts run as high as the "23d Regt." is definite proof that these were devices of the common Militia as opposed to the volunteer corps.

Figure 135.—Specimen in Campbell collection.

PAINTED CAP FRONT, CONNECTICUT, C. 1821

USNM 604764-M (S-K 909). Figure 136.

Figure 136

This painted front, of leather rather than metal, forms an integral part of the cap itself. Edged in gold, it has the unit designation "LIGHT INFANTRY: 2d COMP." in gold at the top; a shield in the center contains elements of the Connecticut State seal, and below it is the state motto "QUI TRANS SUST" ("He who brought us over here will sustains us").

CAP FRONT, C. 1830

USNM 60243-M (S-K 1). Figure 137.

Figure 137

A majority of these hat fronts are very similar in design, size, and shape, and are painted over a black background on thin precut sheets of tinned iron. This specimen carries a gold eagle with the Federal shield on its breast and a ribbon in its beak. The unit designation, "2d COMP^Y. 23d REG^T.", also in gold, is below. The artwork, although somewhat unartistically executed, has an attractive simplicity. Other such hat fronts in the national collections are of the 2d Company, 6th Regiment; 3d Company, 6th Regiment; and 1st Company, 8th Regiment. The plate shown here has metal loops soldered to the reverse close to the edge midway between top and bottom for attachment to a civilian type hat by means of a ribbon or strip of cloth. Other such plates have hole for attachment with string.

CAP PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, c. 1835-1850

USNM 60318-M (S-K 74). Figure 138.

Figure 138

CAP PLATE, WASHINGTON GRAYS, C. 1835

USNM 60251-M (S-K 9). Figure 139.

Figure 139

Many Militia units named themselves after prominent military personalities. There were Washington Guards, Washington Rifles, Jackson Artillerists, and so forth.

CAP PLATE, NATIONAL GREYS, C. 1835

USNM 60291-M (S-K 49). Figure 140.

Figure 140

CAP PLATE, ARTILLERY, C. 1840-1850

USNM 60333-M (S-K 89). Figure 141.

Figure 141

This plate is struck in very thin brass. The combination of devices in the design, especially of the cannon and cannon balls, indicates that it was probably made for Militia artillery. Its shape suggests that it may have been worn high on the cap front, with the sunburst serving an added function as a cockade of sorts. It was very probably a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, MOUNTED TROOPS, C. 1836

USNM 60319-M (S-K 75). Figure 142.

Figure 142

From the size of this brass plate it can be assumed that it was worn without other ornament on the front of the round leather cap associated with mounted troops. The upper portion of the shield bears 8-pointed stars, an unusual feature. The arrows in the eagle's left talon point inward, a characteristic of eagle representation between 1832 and 1836. The plate is known both in brass and with silver finish. It was probably a stock pattern issued to both cavalry and mounted artillery.

CAP EAGLE, C. 1836

USNM 60391-M (S-K 147). Figure 143.

Figure 143

This brass eagle was worn in combination with backgrounds of full-, half-, and three-quarter sunbursts and as a single ornament on the cap front. The inward-pointed arrows in the left talon place it in the 1832-1836 period. Known in both brass and silver-on-copper, it was a popular stock pattern sold to many units.

CAP PLATE, C. 1836

USNM 60381-M (S-K 137). Figure 144.

Figure 144

CHAPEAU ORNAMENT, C. 1836

USNM 60287-M (S-K 45). Figure 145.

Figure 145

This brass ornament is a die sample or unfinished badge. After the circular device was trimmed from the brass square, it would have been worn as an officer's chapeau ornament or as a side ornament on the round leather dragoon cap of the period. The four arrows in the eagle's left talon are unusual.

CHAPEAU COCKADE, GENERAL OFFICER, C. 1840

USNM 604962-M (S-K 1156). Figure 146.

Figure 146

CAP AND CAP PLATE, JACKSON ARTILLERISTS, C. 1836

USNM 604780 (S-K 925). Figure 147.

Figure 147

CAP PLATE, WASHINGTON GRAYS(?), C. 1836

USNM 604608-M (S-K 755). Figure 148.

Figure 148

The Washington Grays of Philadelphia wore a diamond-shaped plate with a likeness of George Washington in the center (see fig. 139), but this plate, for some other "Washington" unit, bears his likeness in silver metal on a brass sunburst background. This silver outline of the head of Washington is also known on cartridge-box flaps of the period.

CAP PLATE, ARTILLERY, DIE SAMPLE, C. 1836

USNM 60288-M (S-K 46). Figure 149.

Figure 149

This uncut, brass cap plate may have been a manufacturer's die strike sent out as a sample, with others, so that a distant Militia organization could select a pattern. The finished plate is known on a bell-crown cap of the pattern of the 1820's, but its design indicates that it probably should be dated after 1834 when the Regular artillery first adopted the crossed-cannon device. The eagle is distinctly similar to the one adopted by the Regulars in lieu of cap plates in 1821, and the modified sunburst background probably was taken from the 1833 dragoon device.

CAP PLATE, C. 1836

USNM 60292-M (S-K 50) Figure 150.

Figure 150

This cap plate is a somewhat wider variation of the 1833 dragoon device than most of the Militia plates of that type popular in the late 1830's and the 1840's. While the brass sunburst has the usual 8-pointed form, the eagle, applied to the center, is unusually small (1-3/8 by 1 in.) and gives every indication of having been originally designed as a cockade eagle at a somewhat earlier period.

CAP PLATE, C. 1836

USNM 60274-M (S-K 32). Figure 151.

Figure 151

CAP PLATE, REPUBLICAN BLUES, C. 1836

USNM 604606 (S-K 753). Figure 152.

Figure 152

CAP PLATE, IRISH DRAGOONS, C. 1840

USNM 604605 (S-K 752). Figure 153.

Figure 153

This three-quarter-sunburst plate with the monogram "I D" applied in silver is identical to one on a brass-bound dragoon cap in the national collections carrying in its crown the label "Irish Dragoons, Brooklyn, N.Y." (USNM 604691, S-K 837). It is typical of the two-piece sunburst-type plates and was probably worn until the 1850's. The plate was attached by means of two looped-wire fasteners that were run through holes in the helmet and secured by leather thongs.

CAP AND PLATE, LANCER TYPE, C. 1840

USNM 604688-M (S-K 834). Figure 154.

Figure 154

With no regulations but their own to restrain them, Militia organizations designed their uniforms to suit their fancies, although generally following the regulations for the Regulars. This often led to odd and unusual cap shapes and trimmings and bindings on clothing, and to somewhat garish horse furniture in in some mounted units.

COCKADE EAGLE, INFANTRY, C. 1836

USNM 60377-M (S-K 133). Figure 155.

Figure 155

As an example of more than a dozen known variants of the eagle, this silver-on-copper specimen is illustrated to show the general form and size of Militia cockade eagles that became distinct types in the 1830's and continued until about 1851. All such eagles were obviously stock patterns.

COCKADE EAGLE, C. 1836

USNM 604960-M (S-K 1104). Figure 156.

Figure 156

This gold-embroidered cockade eagle with a wreath of silver lamé about its breast appears to have been patterned directly after the eagle on the 1833 Regular dragoon cap plate (see fig. 38). It possibly is one of a type worn by general officers of Militia. On this specimen, both the eye and mouth of the eagle are indicated with red thread.

COCKADE EAGLE, C. 1836

USNM 604959-M (S-K 1103). Figure 157.

Figure 157

This gold-embroidered eagle, with wings and tail of gold embroidery and gold sequins, was worn by staff and field officers, and possibly general officers, of Militia. A duplicate on an original chapeau is in the collections of the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, Maryland. Eagle ornaments such as this were generally centered on a round cloth cockade about 6 inches in diameter. The eagle's mouth is indicated by embroidery with red thread. Similar eagles of a smaller size are known on epaulets of the same period.

CAP PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 60451l-M (S-K 658). Figure 158.

Figure 158

The flaming grenade, adopted by the Regulars in 1832 after long usage by the British and other foreign armies, was quickly adopted by the Militia. This specimen, of silver-on-copper, was worn as a cap plate either in conjunction with another device below it on the cap front or as a lone distinctive ornament. It cannot precisely be identified as an artillery plate, but since some Militia artillery units are definitely known to have worn silver buttons of the artillery pattern, such is highly probable. Also known in brass and in smaller sizes, it is a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604526 (S-K 673). Figure 159.

Figure 159

Although this plate appears to be of possible French or British origin, close examination indicates that it is probably an American Militia device of the 1840's. Its looped-wire fasteners indicate that it is a cap plate. The design of the modified Napoleonic-type eagle is almost exactly that used in the 1833 Regular dragoon cap plate and other Militia plates; and the period of apparent manufacture coincides with the early use of the flaming grenade as an American device. Incorporating two devices common to the period, it would have been a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, ARTILLERY, C. 1840

USNM 60432-M (S-K 188). Figure 160.

Figure 160

The 1840 button for the Ordnance Corps bears a flaming grenade over crossed cannon, devices that date from 1832 and 1834 respectively. Consequently, it seems likely that this combination emerged as a stock pattern for Militia artillery early in the 1840's. This specimen, struck from a single piece of brass, is a copy of the French artillery device of the same period, and, while it is believed to be American, it may be a foreign insignia. Confusion arises in the case of foreign designs, for die sinkers often used as a model either an actual imported badge or a scale drawing of one.

CAP PLATE, ARTILLERY, C. 1840

USNM 604548-M (S-K 695). Figure 161.

Figure 161

This is a variation of the pattern of the preceding specimen in which silver-metal devices have been placed on a small, gilt, half-sunburst plate. This was probably a stock pattern available to any Militia organization beginning about 1840 and worn for the next 20 or 30 years.

CAP PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1840

USNM 604533-M (S-K 680). Figure 162.

Figure 162

The palmetto was adopted as the principal heraldic device of South Carolina in commemoration of the defeat of Admiral Sir Peter Parker's fleet by the garrison of Sullivan's Island under Col. William Moultrie in June 1776. The defenses of the island were constructed primarily of palmetto logs. The devices comprising this brass plate are all taken from the state seal, including the mottos Animis Opibusque Parati and Dum Spiro Spero Spes. The date "1776" alludes to the year of Moultrie's victory and not to the organization date of any particular unit.

CAP PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1840

USNM 604532-M (S-K 679). Figure 163.

Figure 163

Struck from a different die, with broader fronds and a wider base, this brass plate is of the same period as the preceding one.

CAP PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 60295-M (S-K 53). Figure 164.

Figure 164

This grenadier-type plate, struck in brass, is one of the most beautiful examples of the die maker's art in the national collections. On a sunburst-over-clouds background is an eagle grasping the top of the Federal shield superimposed on panoply of arms and colors. The national motto is on a ribbon below. Certainly not from a stock pattern, this plate obviously was made for a specific Militia unit of considerable affluence. Three simple wire fasteners soldered to the reverse provide means of attachment.

This specimen is one of the scarce examples of military plates bearing the maker's name "BALE," which may be seen just above the raised lower edge and below the "UNUM." This was probably Thomas Bale of New York who is first listed in New York directories, in 1832, as an engraver at 68 Nassau Street. The 1842 directory lists him as a die sinker at the same address in partnership with a Frederick B. Smith. He is last listed in 1851.

CAP AND CAP PLATE, 1ST ARTILLERY, PENNSYLVANIA, C. 1840

USNM 604672 (S-K 819). Figure 165.

Figure 165

The plate on this cap uses only the shield of the Pennsylvania seal without crest or supporters. It is surrounded at the sides and bottom with a wreath carrying a ribbon with the unit designation "first artily." Equally interesting and unusual is the small separate insignia at the pompon socket. It is based on the 1840 flaming grenade ordnance device with crossed cannon superimposed.

COCKADE EAGLE, C. 1840

USNM 60394-M (S-K 150). Figure 166.

Figure 166

This eagle is of a rather odd design, and the five arrows in its left talon is an even more unusual variation. It is believed to be a cockade eagle because of its form and size, but it may well have been used elsewhere on the person as a piece of uniform insignia.

CHAPEAU COCKADE, STATE FENCIBLES (PENNSYLVANIA), C. 1840

USNM 60259-M (S-K 17). Figure 167.

Figure 167

The State Fencibles of Philadelphia were originally organized as "Sea Fencibles" in 1812 for duty at the port of Philadelphia. This cockade, with brass eagle, was first worn about 1840 and it continued in use for many years thereafter. Dates incorporated as parts of devices are generally the original organizational dates of the units concerned—as is the case in this instance—and bear no necessary relation to the age of the badges. Some Militia cap plates bear the date "1776," and there are waist-belt plates bearing organization dates of 100 years earlier than the dates at which the plates were made.

CAP PLATE, 1845-1850

USNM 604559-M (S-K 706). Figure 168.

Figure 168

The first of the stock patterns, with basic wreath and 8-pointed starlike sunburst, has the numeral "1" on black leather as a center device. Other specimens in the national collections have single numerals, single letters, branch of service devices, and state coats of arms. This plate, and those following, were worn through the 1850's on the dress cap copied after the pattern adopted for the Regular Establishment in 1851. It is struck in brass.

CAP PLATE, 1845-1850

USNM 604617-M (S-K 764). Figure 169.

Figure 169

This stock pattern, in brass, is very definitely military in composition, employing cannon and flag-staff spearheads radiating from a beaded center and superimposed on a sunburst background. The metal letter "1" is backed with black leather.

CAP AND CAP PLATE, ALBANY BURGESSES CORPS, C. 1851

USNM 604681-M (S-K 827). Figure 170.

Figure 170

This unusually ornate and distinctive plate is that of the Albany [New York] Burgesses Corps that was founded, as stated on the plate itself, October 8, 1833. The arms and the motto "ASSIDUITY", appearing above the ribbon with the letters "A B C," are those of the city of Albany.

CAP AND CAP PLATE, RIFLES, C. 1851

USNM 604666-M (S-K 813). Figure 171.

Figure 171

The original buttons on the sides of this cap have the eagle with the letter "R" (used by both Regulars and Militia) on the shield. The brass plate proper, however, includes no device indicative of any particular branch of service; combining flags and a Federal shield surmounted by an eagle, it may well have been a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, C. 1850(?)

USNM 604551 (S-K 698). Figure 172.

Figure 172

The type and form of this eagle plate give no clue to its age, or to the identity of the unit that wore it other than the numeral "1" in the eagle's beak and the letter "E" in the shield. It is a type more apt to have been made about 1850 than later. The eagle is struck in brass, and the stippled inner portion of the shield, product of a separate strike, is soldered in place; thus, the plate proper must be considered a stock pattern.

CAP PLATE, C. 1850(?)

USNM 604552-M (S-K 699). Figure 173.

Figure 173

A companion piece to the preceding plate, this specimen differs in that the letters "R G" and their stippled background are struck integrally with the plate proper—indicating that two dies were combined for a single strike—and in that the shield, ribbon, and numeral "1" have been silvered.

CAP PLATE, 10TH REGIMENT, MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER MILITIA, C. 1850

USNM 60358-M (S-K 114). Figure 174.

Figure 174

This plate is of a type form worn on Militia dress caps prior to the Civil War. There is little doubt that plates such as this continued in use for several decades after their initial appearance. This brass specimen, surmounted by elements of the Massachusetts seal, is struck as a stock pattern for Massachusetts troops with the center left blank. The numeral "10" is applied to a black-painted metal disk affixed with simple wire fasteners.

CAP PLATE, GEORGIA, C. 1850

USNM 604545-M (S-K 692). Figure 175.

Figure 175

This plate and the one following are of Militia types worn on caps in the 1850's and perhaps earlier. Such plates are known to have been in use with little or no change almost to the present day on military school dress shakos and dress caps worn by some National Guard units. The plate proper, which is of brass, is the well-known half-sunburst device so popular in the 1830's and 1840's. The Georgia state seal, also in brass, is applied with wire fasteners. The plate is dated later than a similar one of the Republican Blues (fig. 152) because of the "feel" of the piece and the fact that it cannot be ascribed to a particular unit whose existence can be dated.

CAP PLATE, VIRGINIA, C. 1850

USNM 604547-M (S-K 694). Figure 176.

Figure 176

This plate differs from the preceding one only in that it substitutes the coat of arms of Virginia for that of Georgia. The backgrounds, although very similar, are products of different dies.

Shoulder-Belt and Waist-Belt Plates

WAIST-BELT PLATE, 1ST MARINE ARTILLERY, 1813

USNM 60323-M (S-K 79). Figure 177.

Figure 177

The First Marine Artillery of the Union, an association of the masters and mates of vessels in Baltimore, about 170 strong all told, assembled on Sunday last and proceeded to the Rev. Mr. Glendy's church in full uniform, where they received an address suited to the occasion; which, as usual, done honor to the head and heart to the reverend orator. We cannot pass over this pleasant incident without observing that the members of this invaluable corps are they who, of all other classes of society, feel the burthens and privations of the war.

¶ An example of Militia officers' shoulder-belt plates of the period 1812-1816 is a solid silver oval plate (fig. 178) engraved with an eagle and elements of the arms of Massachusetts within a shield suspended from the eagle's neck. Being silver, the plate probably was worn by infantry or possibly dragoons. Many such plates were locally made, as was this one, and examination of a number of specimens gives reason to believe that many were made by rolling out large silver coins into thin ovals, which were then engraved and fitted with fasteners on the reverse. The fasteners on all pieces studied indicate that the plates were intended to be ornamental rather than functional.

Figure 178.—Specimen in Campbell collection.

In the Pennsylvania State Museum there is a similar oval plate that was worn by Col. Philip Spengler of that State's Militia in 1812-1816. Ornamented with an eagle, with the initials "PS" within an oval below, it generally follows the construction of the illustrated plate, differing only slightly in size. Since plates of this general type were made locally by hand, each is unique in itself. Identification must depend upon an interpretation of the devices engraved on the face. The initials of the officer for whom the plate was made are often included.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1812

USNM 604310-M (S-K 466). Figure 179.

Figure 179

A second example of a Militia officer's plate is this engraved brass specimen with the design placed along the longer axis of the oval. Since there probably were many "Volunteer Rifle Companies," it is impossible to determine precisely which one wore this plate. The initials of the officer may be read either "I. B." or "J. B.," for many of the early-19th-century engravers used the forms of the letters "I" and "J" interchangeably. The two small hooks on the reverse indicate that the plate was for a shoulder belt rather than for a waist belt, and that it was ornamental rather than functional.

SHOULDER-BELT BUCKLE, C. 1812(?)

USNM 60325-M (S-K 81). Figure 180.

Figure 180

This brass buckle, obviously made for a sword hanger, has an eagle in flight above, a 13-star flag below, and four 5-pointed stars on either side. The spearhead on the pike of the flag is definitely of military design, and, in the absence of nautical devices in the engraving, the buckle must be considered an army item.

ORNAMENTED WAIST-BELT PLATE, 1812-1825(?)

USNM 604121-M (S-K 278). Figure 181.

Figure 181

WAIST-BELT PLATE, INFANTRY, 1814-1825(?)

USNM 60449-M (S-K 205). Figure 182.

Figure 182

This plate is typical of the early waist-belt plates, which generally were more square than rectangular. It bears the over-all design of the 1814-1821 series of "common" cap plates. Struck in copper and silvered, it would have been appropriate for either infantry or dragoons, as both wore "white metal" trimmings during this period. There are as many die variations known for this type belt plate as for the matching cap plates.

The wide latitude allowed officers in selecting their own insignia makes it quite possible that this design was worn by some officers of the Regular Establishment, particularly those in the high-numbered regiments, which were organized during the course of the War of 1812. A third use of this basic design is indicated by a museum specimen at Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y.: cut into its outline form, it was worn on the side of Militia dragoon caps.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, INFANTRY, 1814-1825(?)

USNM 60451-M (S-K 207). Figure 183.

Figure 183

WAIST-BELT PLATE, MILITIA ARTILLERY, C. 1821-1840(?)

USNM 60453-M (S-K 209). Figure 184.

Figure 184

The whole is cast in brass, the inner ring rather crudely so. The outer ring is embossed with zig-zag fretwork enclosing a circle of 5-pointed stars; the rectangular belt attachments have a floral design.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, MAINE, C. 1821

USNM 604123 (S-K 279). Figure 185.

Figure 185

This plate, struck in copper, contains the basic devices of the State of Maine seal enclosed by a curled ribbon border embellished with 5-pointed stars. The specimen is more square than rectangular, a characteristic of waist-belt plates of the early 1800's. It was probably worn by Maine Militia no later than the 1820's, possibly a few years earlier. The method of attachment also is indicative of this early period: the heavy vertical wire is brazed to one end of the reverse, and the L-shaped tongue to the other. This plate obviously was a stock pattern.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1830

USNM 60329-M (S-K 85). Figure 186.

Figure 186

This plate, cast in brass, is typical of the small plates, both round and rectangular, that were worn with light-weight, full-dress staff swords. It is an example of the early, hand-made, bench-assembled types. The outer ring carries the wreath typical of the period, while the inner ring carries the eagle with its head to the right, shield on breast, arrows in left talon, and olive branch in right talon. The whole lies within a ring of 13 5-pointed stars; the uppermost five stars are mixed with a sunburst rising from the eagle's wings.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1821(?)-1830

USNM 60466-M (S-K 222). Figure 187.

Figure 187

This brass, bench-assembled plate is similar to the Regular artillery belt plate of 1816 (fig. 56) in that the design on the inner ring is struck with a series of separate hand-held dies on a piece of blank round stock. The floral design on the belt attachments is cast. In many of the early bench-made plates, the final assemblyman marked the matching pairs so that they could readily be re-paired after buffing and plating. In this specimen, each ring bears the numeral XXVIII.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1830

USNM 60467-M (S-K 223). Figure 188.

Figure 188

This plate, with the center ring struck in medium brass and the belt attachment cast, was worn by Militia of New York State, as indicated by the eagle-on-half-globe device taken from that state's seal. Of brass, it is assigned to the artillery. The quality of the belt to which it is attached and the ornateness of the plate itself indicate that it was made for an officer. The left-hand belt attachment is missing.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1830

USNM 60470-M (S-K 226). Figure 189.

Figure 189

This small, cast-brass plate is another example of the plates made for social or full-dress wear with the light-weight staff sword. The design on the inner ring is unusual in that the eagle, with upraised wings, is standing on the Federal shield. The plate is a bench-made product, with the inner and outer rings bearing the numeral VII. It was very probably a stock pattern for officers.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1836

USNM 60414-M (S-K 300). Figure 190.

Figure 190

Rather unusual in construction, this small silver-on-copper rectangular plate was struck in thin metal. Two broad tongues, for attachment to a belt, are inserted in the rear; and the reverse is filled with lead to imbed the fasteners. The eagle design is very similar to the one prescribed for the caps of the Regular Establishment in 1821, although somewhat reduced in size. The general lack of finish and polish in construction indicates that the specimen was probably the product of an inexperienced and small-scale manufacturer.

OFFICER'S WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1837

USNM 60326-M (S-K 82). Figure 191.

Figure 191

This unusually large plate, which is struck in medium brass and with the edges crimped over a heavier piece of brass backing, is believed to be an officer's plate because of its size, gilt finish, and over-all ornate design. Within a floral and star pattern border, the specimen is dominated by an eagle, on a sunburst background, that holds in its left talon five arrows with points inward; above are 25 stars and an edge of clouds above. Arrows held with points inward are usually considered indicative of the general period 1832-1836. If the number of stars is of any significance, such dating would be correct, as the canton of the National Colors contained 25 stars from 1836 to 1837. The central design used without the border is also known in smaller, more standard sized plates. The design is a stock pattern. This type plate is also known in both brass and silver.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, WASHINGTON GRAYS, C. 1835

USNM 604348-M (S-K 504). Figure 192.

Figure 192

¶ Militia organizations generally modeled their uniforms rather closely on those of the Regular Establishment; of course, there were certain exceptions, notably the flamboyant Zouave units. However, the Militia often added additional trimmings that gave the "gay and gaudy" touch for which they were noted. Following the example of the Regulars, the Militia adopted coat-skirt ornaments almost immediately after their appearance in 1832. They used the regulation flaming grenades, open and looped horns, and 5-and 6-pointed stars, but in both gold and silver on varicolored backgrounds and in a wide variety of sizes. They also used a number of peculiarly Militia forms, such as crossed-cannon, elements of state seals, and devices peculiar to specific units.

COAT-SKIRT ORNAMENT, ARTILLERY, C. 1836

USNM 604961-M (S-K 1105). Figure 193.

Figure 193

Typical of Militia coat-skirt ornaments is this pair of crossed cannon devices for Militia artillery. They are of gold embroidery on a background of black velvet. Similar pairs in the national collections are embroidered in silver. The Regular artillery never wore the crossed cannon device on the skirt of the coat; so used, it was exclusively a Militia ornament.

COAT-SKIRT ORNAMENT, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1836

USNM 604963 (S-K 1107). Figure 194.

Figure 194

Another coat-skirt ornament with an even more distinctly Militia touch is this small palmetto tree of gold embroidery, with sequins, on black wool cloth. As the palmetto tree is the basic device of the South Carolina seal (see pp. 81 and 83), this specimen must be attributed to the Militia of that state.

¶ Most Militia cartridge-box plates made in the decade after 1841 were oval, following the pattern of the Regulars. While a few of these varied from the prescribed sizes, most were almost identical in both size and shape to those of the Regular Establishment, but with strictly Militia ornamentation. The exact years in which these plates were produced cannot be determined, but it is reasonably sure that they were supplied to Militia for some years prior to the opening of the Civil War. Not included here are similar types known to have been made for units born of the war as the Pennsylvania Fire Zouaves, Pennsylvania Home Guard, Pennsylvania Reserve Brigade, and the Ohio Volunteer Militia. Cartridge-box and waist-belt plates often are identical except for the methods of attachment. The plates for cartridge boxes have two wire loops imbedded in the backing (see fig. 90), while those for waist belts have one or two round, or sometimes arrowheaded, prongs on one side of the reverse, and with a narrow tongue on the opposite side bent parallel to the plane of the plate (see fig. 91).

CARTRIDGE-BOX PLATE, C. 1841

USNM 60400-M (S-K 156). Figure 195.

Figure 195

CARTRIDGE-BOX PLATE, C. 1841

USNM 60401-M (S-K 157). Figure 196.

Figure 196

Slightly smaller than the preceding specimen, this brass plate bears the eagle design popular from 1821 to 1851. Fitted with looped-wire fasteners, it would have been a stock pattern for cartridge boxes.

CARTRIDGE-BOX PLATE, MAINE, C. 1850

USNM 60354-M (S-K 606). Figure 197.

Figure 197

A frequently misidentified plate is this brass-struck, lead-filled oval with the raised letters "VMM" for Volunteer Maine Militia. It is also known in a smaller size. The reverse is fitted with the two looped-wire fasteners normal to such plates.

Other prewar oval plates bearing raised letters are known for the Alabama Volunteer Corps (AVC), North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), State of New York (SNY), and New Hampshire State Militia (NHSM). Many such plates recently have been reproduced for sale, and more probably will be made if a market is created. Thus, all plates of this general type should be cautiously considered.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, DIE SAMPLE, C. 1840

USNM 60354-M (S-K 110). Figure 198.

Figure 198

One of the more unusual forms of the militant eagle used on ornaments is shown on this brass die sample for a waist-belt plate. The eagle, with fierce mien and wings outspread, stands high on a craggy ledge. An example of an untold number of odd and unusual pieces of insignia, this specimen is unidentified as to unit or area of intended use. It may well have been designed for use as a stock pattern.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, RIFLEMEN, C. 1840

USNM 604103-M (S-K 259). Figure 199.

Figure 199

A stock pattern, this plate is struck in brass with the open-horn device of riflemen, which has been previously discussed. Wire fasteners are on the reverse. Although the outer ring of the plate is missing, it was probably decorated with a wreath, a common form in the 1830's and 1840's.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, CHARLESTOWN ARTILLERY, C. 1840

USNM 604385-M (S-K 532). Figure 200.

Figure 200

This 2-piece, brass-cast plate was worn by members of a Charlestown, Massachusetts, unit. The date "1786," as on nearly all dated pieces of insignia, refers to the date of original organization of the unit. The design of the plate is typical of early- to mid-Victorian taste.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, MASSACHUSETTS, C. 1840

USNM 60497-M (S-K 253). Figure 201.

Figure 201

Bearing elements of the seal of the State of Massachusetts, this plate likely was a stock pattern sold to many officers. In construction, it is a composite piece similar to the plate for officers of the Corps of Topographical Engineers (see fig. 87 and p. 45) with the device applied to the inner oval. Because of its unusually striking appearance, it would have been a most appropriate type for staff and field officers, and possibly general officers.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1840

USNM 604126-M (S-K 282). Figure 202.

Figure 202

This plate, struck in poor-quality, medium-weight brass, is of a stock pattern bearing the eagle-on-half-globe device and the motto "Excelsior" from the New York State seal superimposed on a panoply of arms and colors. This type of belt plate, with the device on the inner panel and a wreath between the inner and outer borders, is most characteristic of the 1840's. More than ten different plates are known that vary only as to the design of the inner panel; some contain New York State heraldic devices, and others contain variants of the usual eagle design of the period.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, PHILADELPHIA, C. 1840

USNM 604390 (S-K 537). Figure 203.

Figure 203

The devices on this cast-brass plate comprise the arms of the City of Philadelphia, and its form and pattern, especially the floral design of the outer ring, place it in the 1840's. The piece is bench-made and carries on the reverse many marks of the file used in its final assembly. It must be considered a stock pattern.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1840

USNM 604241-M (S-K 397). Figure 204.

Figure 204

Somewhat larger than many plates of the period, this brass specimen carries the South Carolina palmetto device. Such plates also were struck in copper and silver plated. It obviously was a stock pattern sold to several different units. The rectangular plate with the vine-patterned border was a stock pattern in itself, with many different devices being added in the center as ordered. This is one of the many pieces of insignia too often called Confederate but which ante-date the Civil War by almost two decades.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604388-M (S-K 535). Figure 205.

Figure 205

The eagle device on this silver-on-copper specimen closely resembles that on the cap plate of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry (USNM 604964-M) and may possibly be the matching belt-plate worn by that organization. Such an eagle, however, would have been a stock pattern of the manufacturer, and sold to many different units. A very unusual aspect of this particular eagle are the three arrows held in the left talon: two of them point inward, the third outward.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, ARTILLERY, C. 1840

USNM 604106-M (S-K 262). Figure 206.

Figure 206

Although members of the artillery of the Regular Establishment wore the crossed-cannon device on their shakos, they never wore it on waist- or shoulder-belt plates. Thus, this cast-brass plate must have been a stock pattern sold to many Militia units. The outer ring is missing.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604107-M (S-K 263). Figure 207.

Figure 207

This specimen, roughly cast in brass and gilded, is unusual because the Militia rarely used the letters "U S" on any of its equipment. The pattern does not conform to anything prescribed for Regulars and the quality does not come up to standards required by the Regular Establishment; hence it must have been worn by Militia. It would have been a stock pattern. There is the possibility that it might have been worn by diplomatic personnel, but its poor quality makes this unlikely.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604387-M (S-K 534). Figure 208.

Figure 208

The over-all design of this plate, which is cast roughly in brass and gilded, reflects the growing ornateness of the Victorian era. Obviously a stock pattern, it would have suited the fancy of several units and cannot be identified further than "for Militia." The design of the eagle is unusual in that three arrows are carried in the right talon—although it is possible that this is intended to reflect the belligerency inherent in the period of the War with Mexico—and there is a single large star in the canton of the Federal shield.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604458-M (S-K 605). Figure 209.

Figure 209

The generalities that apply to all "stock pattern" insignia are equally valid in referring to this brass-struck plate with a 5-pointed star as its sole ornament. Dating its period of design poses no difficulty, for it contains the panel with wreath inside an edging border characteristic of the 1840's. The star device would have been appropriate for Militia units of Maine ("North Star"), Texas ("Lone Star"), or for dragoon units that took the star as a distinctive insignia. Although it may have been worn by Texans, it is doubtful that it was made originally for them. The design enjoyed a long life, and plates of this general pattern were struck well into the 1880's. The major difference between earlier and later specimens is that the early ones were struck on rather heavy sheets of copper-colored brass, with fasteners consisting of a tongue and heavy wire loops brazed to the reverse. The later plates have a bright brassy color, are struck on thin brass, and have the loop and tongue soldered rather than brazed.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604108-M (S-K 264). Figure 210.

Figure 210

The lack of a mane on the beast on this plate marks it as a tiger. The best known and most affluent Militia organization with the nickname "Tigers" was the Boston Light Infantry, although a number of others also were so-called. The craftsmanship and general elegance of this gold-plated brass specimen suggests that it was worn by an officer, though an occasional volunteer company was so richly endowed that all its members, officers and enlisted men alike, wore expensive devices. The bench-assembled manufacturing technique, gaudy embellishment, and lack of a distinct Victorian touch date the piece about 1840. The tiger's head is applied.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604104-M (S-K 260). Figure 211.

Figure 211

The full-flowing mane on the beast on this plate identifies it as a lion. The device would have been appropriate for wear by the Albany Burgesses Corps, which, when founded in 1833, almost immediately adopted the lion's head as its distinctive insignia. The unit continued to wear this plate for about half a century. While that unit's cap plate (fig. 170) is much more formal and is without a lion's head, its buttons contain the lion—with head turned to half-right—as a principal ornament. While it is probable that the original die for this cast-brass plate was sunk for the Albany organization, the manufacturer would not have hesitated to offer it for sale to any interested Militia unit.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 60479-M (S-K 235). Figure 212.

Figure 212

The raised letters "W G" on this cast-brass and gilded plate would have been suitable for many Militia units of the period. We can only suggest that it may have been worn by members of a "Washington Greys" or "Washington Guard" from Pennsylvania or New York. A round plate with an outer wreath would have been more appropriate for officers than for enlisted personnel.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, WASHINGTON GREYS, C. 1850

USNM 604137-M (S-K 293). Figure 213.

Figure 213

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604294-M (S-K 450). Figure 214.

Figure 214

This oval, convex, brass plate, with two studs and a hook soldered to the reverse for attachment, very probably was originally a shoulder-belt plate. The letters "W L G" incised on the obverse are very patently the added work of an engraver of no great talent. The letters doubtless stand for Washington Light Guard, and, since there were several Militia units of that designation, it seems possible that one of the less affluent units bought the plates and had them engraved locally.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, CITY GUARDS, C. 1840

USNM 604386-M (S-K 533). Figure 215.

Figure 215

There were City Guards in Charleston, South Carolina, New York City, Philadelphia, and possibly in other places. Thus it is impossible to determine just which of these units wore this cast-brass plate. The ornamented outer oval is typical of the 1840's.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, NATIONAL GUARD, C. 1850

USNM 60206-M. Figure 216.

Figure 216

A number of Militia units carried the designation "National Guard." The unit that used this particular plate was from New Jersey, for scratched on the reverse is "Sergeant O. Clinton, October 9th, 1851, 1st Reg Hudson Brigade, NJSM"; However, the adjutant general, State of New Jersey, was unable to give any information on such an organization. The specimen is cut from rolled brass with sunken letters filled with black enamel.

¶ Shoulder-belt plates underwent the same transition as cap plates did beginning about 1837-1838, with the single die strike plate yielding to the composite plate, and applied devices being attached to oval, rectangular, or rectangular "clipped corner" plates. While some single die plates were made and worn after 1840, no composite types that predate 1835 are known. The following group of shoulder-belt plates are typical of those that first appeared about 1840. Of these, several continued unchanged through the Civil War and into the 1870's and 1880's.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604341-M (S-K 497). Figure 217.

Figure 217

This unusually large, oval, brass plate with the letters "C G" in silver applied with wire fasteners is another of that sizable group of lettered insignia that cannot be attributed definitely to a particular organization. The "C G" may stand variously for City Guard, Cleveland Greys, Charleston Guard, or some other organization. With a stock of oval and rectangular blanks and a set of lettering and number-cutting dies, an almost limitless combination of plates could be turned out by a single manufacturer.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1840

USNM 604470-M (S-K 617). Figure 218.

Figure 218

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604331-M (S-K 487). Figure 219.

Figure 219

This composite plate, struck in brass, has a bevelled, rectangular base almost identical to the base of the 1839 regulation plate (see fig. 86). The design consists of a silvered center ornament comprising a trophy of flags, a sword, and a liberty pole surmounted by a wreath of laurel inclosing fasces and a Federal shield with 26 stars in its canton. This silver ornament is applied with four simple wire fasteners rather than soldered. Since the sun rays in the background radiate outward not from the center but from the edge of a circle about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, almost any desired center ornament could have been added to the basic strike, or the plate could be struck a second time to add a device integral to it. Thus the background portion of the specimen must be considered a stock pattern. A print of the National Guards of Philadelphia in U.S. Military Magazine for October 1841 shows an officer wearing a similar plate. If the stars are significant, the plate can be dated between 1837 and 1845.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604471-M (S-K 618). Figure 220.

Figure 220

In this plate, the center ornament used in the preceding specimen has been struck directly in a rectangular, bevelled background. However, the background of this plate has a stippled surface rather than a sunburst. An interesting feature is that there are four slots punched through the plate for the attachment of an additional device over the wreath and shield. This is another of the many examples of how a unit might have an insignia distinctive to itself at little extra cost. This plate is obviously of a stock pattern. The national collections also contain a die sample of this particular plate.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604472-M (S-K 619). Figure 221.

Figure 221

Another example of the rectangular, bevelled-edged, shoulder-belt plate for officers is this brass-cast copy of the 1839 Regular Army pattern with the wire-fastened letters "S V G" substituted for "U. S." The specimen bears a touchmark "W. Pinchin Philad" on the reverse (see p. 33). The unit for which this plate was made is unidentified.

SHOULDER-BELT(?) PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604394-M (S-K 541). Figure 222.

Figure 222

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, BOSTON LIGHT INFANTRY, C. 1840

USNM 604339-M (S-K 495). Figure 223.

Figure 223

This unusually large silver-on-copper plate with its brass letters "B L I", "1798", and brass tiger's head is attributed to the Boston Light Infantry. The applied devices are attached with simple wire fasteners. The date 1798 is believed to be the year of the original organization of the unit, but the adjutant general of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was unable to verify this.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK LIGHT GUARD, C. 1840

USNM. 604351-M (S-K 507). Figure 224.

Figure 224

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, DRAGOONS, C. 1840

USNM 604352-M (S-K 508). Figure 225.

Figure 225

An unusual manufacturing technique was used in making this plate. It was struck in very heavy brass about 1/16 inch thick and the whole tinned; then, all the tin on the obverse, except that on the crested helmet device, was buffed away, giving the center ornament the appearance of having been silvered. The specimen obviously was made for a particular mounted unit, designation unknown. An interesting detail is the letter "A" on the half-sunburst plate of the dragoon helmet device.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604350-M (S-K 506). Figure 226.

Figure 226

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604337-M (S-K 493). Figure 227.

Figure 227

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1840

USNM 604340 (S-K 496). Figure 228.

Figure 228

This plain brass plate, having wire-applied pewter letters "S L I" is believed to have been worn by the Salem Light Infantry of Massachusetts.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, NEW ENGLAND GUARDS, C. 1840

USNM 604343-M (S-K 499). Figure 229.

Figure 229

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, MASSACHUSETTS, C. 1840

USNM 604342-M (S-K 498). Figure 230.

Figure 230

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1840

USNM 604454-M (S-K 601). Figure 231.

Figure 231

The silver palmetto tree identifies this as a South Carolina plate. The letters "L" and "A" are subject to several interpretations, the more probable being "Light Artillery." The devices are attached with simple wire fasteners, and the basic brass plate can be considered to have been a stock item adaptable to any number of units.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1845

USNM 60357-M (S-K 113). Figure 232.

Figure 232

This brass, lead-backed badge bears no devices that would assist in identifying it as to unit, and its general composition would have made it appealing to more than one Militia organization. It is considered a stock pattern. The stars-on-belt motif, forming the border of the oval, is very unusual, as are the 14 arrows in the eagle's left talon and the star beneath its beak. The center eagle device is applied with simple wire fasteners.

¶ Following the War with Mexico, many State Militia, especially those in the south, began using their state coats of arms as the principal devices on their waist-belt plates. The plates for officers followed the earlier pattern for Regulars, a round device clasped within an outer ring. Plates of enlisted personnel more often were rectangular, but there were many exceptions. The following series includes examples of both types.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, ALABAMA C. 1850

USNM 604221-M (S-K 377). Figure 233.

Figure 233

The old Alabama State seal with a representation of a map of the State hung from a tree trunk, as depicted on the inner ring of this cast-brass waist-belt plate, became obsolete after the Civil War when the "reconstruction" government changed the device to that of an eagle resting on a Federal shield. Some years later, however, the original seal, in somewhat modified form, was readopted. Although made in the early 1850's, plates of this type were worn by personnel of the Confederate States Army throughout the Civil War. Many plates of this same basic pattern were made in England and run through the blockade.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, CALIFORNIA, C. 1850

USNM 604389-M (S-K 536). Figure 234.

Figure 234

WAIST-BELT PLATE, FLORIDA, C. 1850

USNM 604224-M (S-K 380). Figure 235.

Figure 235

The palm tree, standing alone, although sometimes mistaken for the palmetto of South Carolina, is representative of the State of Florida. Thus, this plate is ascribed to Florida Militia, about 1850. The late Richard D. Steuart, of Baltimore, Maryland, an outstanding authority on Confederate equipment and accoutrements, was firm in asserting that this pattern should be ascribed to Florida.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, MASSACHUSETTS, C. 1850

USNM 604124-M (S-K 280). Figure 236.

Figure 236

While cast-brass plates of this type were first made in the early 1850's, their use continued for 20 years or more after that decade. The principal device on this specimen is taken from the arms of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The form of the plate is identical to the pattern of the eagle-wreath plate adopted by the Regulars in 1851.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1845

USNM 604244-M (S-K 400). Figure 237.

Figure 237

The star device was used by the Militia of both Texas and Maine, as well as by volunteer units located in other states; thus, this plate cannot be ascribed to any particular geographical area. Plates such as this, with the silver wreath of laurel and palm, are patterned directly after the basic plate prescribed for officers of the Corps of Engineers in 1841. They would have been stock items for general sale.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604242-M (S-K 398). Figure 238.

Figure 238

This cast-brass officer's plate, a pre-Civil War product of American manufacture, would have been appropriate for wear by Texas Militia. Obviously a stock pattern, it would also have been sold to Militia organizations in other parts of the country. As in the case of most round plates, the outer ring is of a standard design; variation in pattern would occur on the inner ring.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1850

USNM 604125-M (S-K 281). Figure 239.

Figure 239

WAIST-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK, C. 1850

USNM 60487-M (S-K 243). Figure 240.

Figure 240

This brass-cast plate with its letters "S N Y" for State of New York is copied directly from the 1836 plate for noncommissioned officers of the Regular Establishment. The example is the oldest known use of the letters "S N Y" for New York Militia. In later patterns, the letters "S N Y" and "N Y" were placed on rectangular plates and on oval plates worn on the waist belt and on cartridge boxes just prior to and during the Civil War. Small square plates with silver, Old English letters "NY" are included in the 1900 catalog of the Warnock Uniform Co. of New York as regulation pattern that year for National Guard officers.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, NEW YORK CITY, C. 1850

USNM. 604141-M (S-K 297). Figure 241.

Figure 241

This cast-brass plate bears the arms of the city of New York superimposed on an almost full sunburst. The surrounding wreath of laurel is taken directly from the plate authorized for general and staff officers of the Regular Establishment in 1832. While this is thought to be the plate for the New York City Guards, for whom a matching shoulder-belt plate is known, there is the possibility that it was also worn by uniformed police of the 1850's.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604393-M (S-K 340). Figure 242.

Figure 242

A stock pattern, this cast-brass and gilded plate would have been appropriate for any of the several organizations called "National Guards" or "National Greys" that existed in a number of states. The letters "N G" do not connote the National Guard as we know it today.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, OHIO, C. 1850

USNM 604136-M (S-K 292). Figure 243.

Figure 243

WAIST-BELT PLATE, OHIO, C. 1850

USNM 604130-M (S-K 286). Figure 244.

Figure 244

This plate bears another variation of the Ohio State arms. Here, the arms lie within a wreath as prescribed for Regular general and staff officers in 1832. The entire specimen is cast in brass; the wreath, sun, arrows, canal wall, and hull of keelboat are silvered.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, PENNSYLVANIA, C. 1850

USNM 60474-M (S-K 230). Figure 245.

Figure 245

Officers of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia wore plates of this type in the 1850's, although most were discarded in 1861 when Pennsylvania troops went into active Federal service. The outer ring, with floral wreath design, has been modified to give the appearance of a solid rectangle. Another plate in the national collections bears the letters "P V M" with the conventional outer ring.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 60480-M (S-K 236). Figure 246.

Figure 246

WAIST-BELT PLATE, PROVIDENCE MARINE CORPS ARTILLERY C. 1850

USNM 604147-M (S-K 303). Figure 247.

Figure 247

The letters and device on this rather unusual brass plate make its identification easy. The letters stand for the Providence [R.I.] Marine Corps Artillery; the date 1801 is the unit's original organization date. The crossed cannon indicate Militia artillery. The letters and numerals are of white metal and brazed to the plate. The brass crossed cannon are affixed with wire fasteners. The reverse is fitted with a broad tongue and two wire hooks for attachment.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1850

USNM 604455-M (S-K 602). Figure 248.

Figure 248

Although this specimen is not so old as the similar South Carolina plate described previously (fig. 162), it is believed to date about 1850. The plate proper is of rolled brass, and the applied device, which comprises well-known elements of the arms of South Carolina, is struck in brass and attached by means of two wire staples and leather thongs.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, VIRGINIA, C. 1850

USNM 604253-M (S-K 409). Figure 249.

Figure 249

This plate, carrying the Virginia seal, was made about 1850 for wear by officers. Similar plates made by British manufacturers during the Civil War to be run through the blockade are generally distinguishable by their unusually sharp, clean die work. The center device of this specimen is struck in brass and brazed in place; the remainder of the plate is brass-cast.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, GRAY GUARDS, C. 1850

USNM 60489-M (S-K 245). Figure 250.

Figure 250

The unit for which this plate was made cannot be precisely identified. It is reasonable to assume that there were several Militia organizations called "Gray Guards." The central "G" probably indicates "Company G." The whole is cast brass.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 60490-M (S-K 246). Figure 251.

Figure 251

This plain brass plate of unusually fine manufacture is very definitely a stock pattern which could have been sold without ornament or, as was more likely, with a center device added by soldering or brazing. The plate was cast in three pieces, with the round center brazed to the belt attachment. It was bench-fitted, as indicated by the numbers on the reverse of the inner and outer rings.

WASTE-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 60498-M (S-K 254). Figure 252.

Figure 252

This is a typical stock pattern with the company designation "E." Other specimens in the national collections have the letters "D," "F," "K," and "R." Although rather crudely cast in brass, this piece has been bench-fitted and then gilded.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 60492-M (S-K 248). Figure 253.

Figure 253

This is another stock pattern with company designation. In this case, the numeral "1" has been applied with wire fasteners rather than cast integrally with the two portions of the plate. The national collections also contain similar plates with the numerals "2," "26," and "36."

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 60468-M (S-K 224). Figure 254.

Figure 254

This is another typical stock pattern with the eagle-on-shield device surrounded by 13 5-pointed stars as the center ornament. It is cast in brass in two pieces. An example of this plate, on a belt, formed part of a cased Sharps rifle outfit displayed at the 1960 National Rifle Association meeting in Washington, D.C.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, MUSICIAN, C. 1850

USNM 60499-M (S-K 255). Figure 255.

Figure 255

The musician's lyre has never been strictly a military ornament, being widely worn by civilian bands; thus, this plate cannot precisely be identified as military or nonmilitary. Unlike most plates of this type and period, the entire piece is struck in brass rather than cast.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 60485-M (S-K 241). Figure 256.

Figure 256

The letters "T C B" on this brass-cast plate open wide the doors of conjecture as to interpretation. Possible combinations range from Trenton City Blues (if such a Militia organization ever existed) to Troy Cornet Band, a nonmilitary unit. Plates such as this can seldom be positively identified.

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 60478-M (S-K 234). Figure 257.

Figure 257

As in the case of the preceding plate, the letters "H R" on this specimen cannot be specifically identified. Similar unidentified plates in the national collections have the letters "S O I" and "P B."

WAIST-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604167-M (S-K 323). Figure 258.

Figure 258

This plate is known both in heavy metal stamping and in thin, cheap brass. Examples of the latter type appear to have been struck in the period of the 1890's from a die then 50 years old. A plate similar to this one has been excavated from a Civil War battlefield site. A stock pattern, the design was obsolete for issue to Militia before the Civil War, but it is known to have been continued almost to the end of the century for use by groups such as secondary school cadet corps.

¶ The shoulder-belt plates worn in the 1850's were little changed from those of the preceding decade. In the Regular Establishment the shoulder belt and plate for officers had been discarded in favor of the waist belt for carrying the sword, but Militia officers—bound by no regulations—continued to wear the shoulder belt. Enlisted personnel wore at least one shoulder belt, and in many cases used two belts, which crossed, one belt carrying the cartridge box and the other the bayonet and scabbard. Mounted Militia sometimes wore the saber on a waist belt and the carbine cartridge box on a shoulder belt. It is interesting to note that the custom of using elements of state seals on waist-belt plates was not followed to any great extent in the embellishment of shoulder-belt plates except in the Southern States.

CARTRIDGE-BOX-BELT PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1845(?)

USNM 604451-M (S-K 598). Figure 259.

Figure 259

In size and pattern this plate is exactly like that prescribed for the Regular Establishment in 1841, substituting the arms of South Carolina for the eagle. It possibly may date as early as 1845. Made for South Carolina Militia, plates similar to this were worn during the Civil War and several have been recovered from battlefield sites. The specimen is struck in brass and the reverse filled with lead. It has three bent-wire fasteners imbedded in the reverse, which indicates that it was decorative rather than functional. A similar plate with elements of the Virginia State seal is known. Modern reproductions of both are being sold.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604446-M (S-K 593). Figure 260.

Figure 260

A popular stock pattern of the 1850's, this design with the silver numeral "1" on a rectangle of rolled brass was worn for at least half a century after it first appeared. Similar plates are known with all numerals through 9 and a few higher numbers. Other plates of the same general type are known with company letters "A" through "M." The plate proper is fitted with two brass wire hooks and a medium width tongue, indicating a functional use. The numeral is attached by means of two staples with leather thongs reeved through on the reverse of the plate.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 654360-M (S-K 516). Figure 261.

Figure 261

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604361-M (S-K 517). Figure 262.

Figure 262

Several Militia organizations of the 1840's and 1850's were called "Republican Guards," and this silver "RG" monogram on a rolled-brass rectangle would have been appropriate on shoulder belts of so-named units. The monogram is affixed with wire fasteners, but the means of attachment for the plate proper are missing.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604362 (S-K 518). Figure 263.

Figure 263

The silver letters "GG" on this rolled-brass plate present several possibilities for identification. Among the uniformed Militia units of the 1840's and 1850's were Garibaldi Guards, German Guards, and Gray Guards. This piece could have been the device of any of the three. The letters are affixed with wire fasteners, and a safety pin is soldered to the rear of the plate proper for decorative attachment.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604363-M (S-K 519). Figure 264.

Figure 264

This oval brass plate with the wire-affixed silver-on-copper letters "AG" is unidentified, but it might well have been worn by the American Guards, or by a uniformed company from some city as Atlanta or Albany, with the letter "G" representing "Grays," "Guards," "Grenadiers," or the like. It was attached to the belt with three simple wire fasteners.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604335-M (S-K 491). Figure 265.

Figure 265

The white-metal device on this brass plate comprises elements of the arms of "New Amsterdam" topped by the crest of the arms of New York State with supporting figures representing the original Indian owner of Manhattan Island and the mariner who became the first white settler. The specimen is believed to have been worn by the New York City Guard. The device is affixed with three staples originally intended to be reeved through with leather thongs, although now bent over. The means of attachment of the plate proper are missing.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604364-M (S-K 520). Figure 266.

Figure 266

The letters "K L G" forming the white-metal monogram on this brass plate indicate that it could well have been worn by the Kentish Light Guard of Rhode Island. The monogram is attached by means of two staples with thongs reeved through, and the plate proper is fitted with four similar staples. The reverse bears the hallmark of William H. Horstmann and Sons, well-known military outfitters of Philadelphia.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604336-M (S-K 492). Figure 267.

Figure 267

The white-metal letters "SG" on this brass plate lend themselves to so many interpretations that no identification is attempted. The applied device has two staples for attachment, and the plate proper is fitted with a safety pin on the reverse.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604338-M (S-K 494). Figure 268.

Figure 268

Many volunteer companies used the designation "Rifle Guards," and this plate with the initials "C R G" probably falls into such a category. The "C," of course, cannot be identified. The monogram is of pewter and has three round lugs fitted through holes in the plate proper for attachment with pins. The plate itself has a safety pin soldered to the reverse for attachment.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, SCOTT LEGION(?), C. 1850

USNM 604347-M (S-K 503). Figure 269.

Figure 269

Although this plate bearing the profile of Gen. Winfield Scott is very similar in design and construction to several bearing the head of Washington and dated much earlier, it is believed to postdate the War with Mexico when Scott's popularity was at its zenith. There were several volunteer units called "Scott Legion" during this period. The piece was struck, with a tin backing applied, and the edges of the obverse were then crimped over. It is fitted with three wire staples for attachment.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850

USNM 604327-M (S-K 483). Figure 270.

Figure 270

This is a stock pattern in cast brass. It is oval with raised edges and has a white-metal "F" applied with simple wire fasteners. Although the piece has the appearance of a waist-belt plate or cartridge-box plate, the wire fasteners on the reverse indicate that it was intended for shoulder-belt wear. In the national collections is a similar plate with the letter "I," indicating that the letters designate companies of larger units rather than a unit itself.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, ARTILLERY, C. 1850

USNM 604356-M (S-K 512). Figure 271.

Figure 271

This rolled-brass plate with a wire-applied silvered "A" and pile of cannon balls topped by the hand die-struck motto "ALWAYS READY" is unidentified beyond the fact that it was worn by a member of Company A of a Militia unit using a popular motto. Similar specimens in the national collections have center letters "B," "D," and "E." The plate was attached to the shoulder belt by means of two flat brass fasteners soldered to the reverse. The fasteners are almost as wide as the plate itself.

BALDRIC DEVICE, C. 1850

USNM 60409-M (S-K 165). Figure 272.

Figure 272

The baldric is a highly ornamented wide sash normally worn by drum majors and sometimes by band leaders. During at least part of the Civil War, baldrics were worn by some aides-de-camp, and the 1902 uniform regulations specified them for Signal Corps officers. This specimen and the one that follows are the earlier of several examples in the national collections; they fall in the early 1850's. The shield, suspended from a lion's mouth by small chains, carries an eagle with a shield on its breast. The stars and edge of clouds, above, are somewhat similar to those on the 1851 regulation waist-belt plate. The whole is superimposed on a three-quarter sunburst. Both the lion's head and the shield are fitted with simple wire fasteners for attachment.