American Military Insignia 1800-1851 Part 24

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

_USNM 60466-M (S-K 222). Figure 187._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 187]

This bra.s.s, bench-a.s.sembled 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 a.s.semblyman 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._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 188]

This plate, with the center ring struck in medium bra.s.s 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 bra.s.s, it is a.s.signed 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._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 189]

This small, cast-bra.s.s 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._

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 191]

This unusually large plate, which is struck in medium bra.s.s and with the edges crimped over a heavier piece of bra.s.s 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 bra.s.s and silver.

SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, WASHINGTON GRAYS, C. 1835

_USNM 604348-M (S-K 504). Figure 192._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 192]

This may well be a companion piece to the diamond-shaped cap plate ascribed to the Washington Greys[130] of Philadelphia (see fig. 139).

In any case, the two appear to have been struck from the same die. It may also have been worn by the Washington Greys of Reading, Pennsylvania, or by another company of the same designation. The specimen is struck in thin bra.s.s with a tin backing applied before the strike and the edges crimped over the reverse. Three soldered copper-wire staples provide means of attachment.

[Footnote 130: The spelling of "Grays" may or may not be significant.

A Huddy and Duval print of the Washington Greys in _U.S. Military Magazine_ (April 1839, pl. 5) used "Greys" in the t.i.tle and "Grays" on an ammunition box in the same print.]

-- 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 tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs 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._

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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._

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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, p.r.o.ngs 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._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 195]

This bra.s.s, oval cartridge-box plate, with its eagle on a panoply of arms and colors, closely matches in size the 1841 Regular cavalry's plates for carbine cartridge boxes and the infantry's waist belts.

Although plates of this design were worn as waist-belt plates, the two looped-wire fasteners on the reverse of this specimen clearly indicate its use on a cartridge box. This was undoubtedly a stock pattern. An oil painting of Capt. George b.u.mm, Pennsylvania State Artillery, c.

1840, shows the subject wearing a waist-belt plate of this same design.[131]

[Footnote 131: _Old Print Shop Folio_, p. 216.]