American Military Insignia 1800-1851 Part 8

These were the first enlisted men authorized the Corps of Engineers since the period of the War of 1812. The headgear for these men was prescribed as "Schako--same pattern as that of the artillery, bearing a yellow eagle over a castle like that worn by the Cadets."[76]

[Footnote 76: _General Regulations for the Army of the United States, 1847_, pp. 192-193.]

Struck in thin to medium bra.s.s, this plate is the familiar turreted castle of the Corps of Engineers so well known today. It was worn below the eagle.

-- To complete the branches of the Regular Establishment during the Mexican War period, the Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen must be mentioned, although they were apparently without any distinctive branch insignia.

The regiment was const.i.tuted on February 11, 1847, and its uniform[77]

was prescribed 9 days later in the War Department's General Order No. 7. However, the regiment was issued infantry woolen jackets and trousers and never received what little gray issue clothing was sent to them in Mexico almost a year later. Uniform tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs were to be as for the infantry, with the subst.i.tution of the letter "v" where appropriate. So far as presently known, this subst.i.tution affected only the b.u.t.ton pattern--an appropriate letter "v" on the shield centered on the eagle's breast.

[Footnote 77: A detailed description is given in _Military Collector and Historian_ (June 1952), vol. 4, no. 2, p. 44.]

The 1851 uniform regulations radically changed almost every item of the Army's dress. Most of the distinctive devices were also altered, although more in size and composition than general design. Some devices were completely eliminated. While officers retained insignia of their arm or branch on their hats, enlisted personnel, with the exception of those of engineers and ordnance, had only the letter of their company, their particular arm being designated by the color of collars, cuffs, bands on hats, pompons, epaulets, chevrons, and the like. A newly designed sword or waist-belt plate was prescribed for all personnel. All items of uniform and insignia authorized in 1851 were included in an ill.u.s.trated edition of the Regulations for the Uniform and Dress of the Army of the United States, June 1851, published by William H. Horstmann and Sons, well-known uniform and insignia dealers in Philadelphia.[78]

[Footnote 78: A partial republication of this work appears in _Military Collector and Historian_, vol. 10, no. 1 (spring 1958), pp.

16, 17; no. 2 (summer 1958), pp. 43-45.]

POMPON EAGLE, 1851

_USNM 604853 (S-K 998). Figure 43._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 43]

Worn attached to the base of the pompon by all enlisted personnel, this bra.s.s eagle, similar in general design to that worn on the shako in the 1830's, stands with wings upraised, olive branch in right talon, three arrows in left talon, and a scroll, with national motto, in beak. Above are stars, clouds, and bursts of sun rays. Officers wore an eagle of similar design of gold embroidery on cloth.

CAP INSIGNIA, GENERAL AND STAFF OFFICERS, 1851

_USNM 604862 (S-K 1007). Figure 44._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 44]

This specimen, in accord with regulations, is on dark blue cloth and consists of a gold-embroidered wreath encircling Old English letters "U.S." in silver bullion. Embroidered insignia of this period were all made by hand, and they varied considerably in both detail and size.

During the 1861-1865 period the same design was made about half this size for wear on officers' forage caps, and the device appeared in variant forms. One example is known where the numeral "15" is embroidered over the letters "U.S.";[79] and Miller's _Photographic History of the Civil War_ includes several photos of general officers whose wreath insignia on the forage cap subst.i.tute small rank insignia stars for the letters.

[Footnote 79: LEWIS, p. 64.]

CAP INSIGNIA, OFFICER, ENGINEERS, 1851

_USNM 300720. Figure 45._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 45]

On dark blue cloth, this device comprises a gold-embroidered wreath of laurel and palm encircling a turreted castle in silver metal as prescribed in regulations. Other examples are known with the castle embroidered.

HAT INSIGNIA, OFFICER, ARTILLERY, 1851

_USNM 604872 (S-K 1017). Figure 46._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 46]

This specimen adheres almost exactly to the 1851 regulations, but it lacks the number of the regiment as called for. The number was a separate insignia embroidered above the cannon. The cannon are of gold embroidery. The device was also made in gold metal imitation-embroidery in several variant designs.

CAP INSIGNIA, OFFICER, INFANTRY, 1851

_USNM 604888 (S-K 1033). Figure 47._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 47]

On dark blue cloth, this device is the well-known looped horn in gold embroidery with three cords and ta.s.sels. The regimental number "4," in silver bullion, lies within the loop of the horn. This insignia is also common in metal imitation-embroidery.

CAP AND COLLAR INSIGNIA, ENLISTED ORDNANCE, 1851

_USNM 604520 (S-K 667). Figure 48._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 48]

Struck in bra.s.s, this device was worn on the caps and coat collars of ordnance enlisted personnel. Although the sh.e.l.l and flame insignia appears in a number of variations of design, this specimen conforms exactly to the regulations of 1851 as published by Horstmann.

CAP AND COLLAR INSIGNIA, ENGINEER SOLDIERS, 1851

_USNM 61618. Figure 49._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 49]

The 1851 uniform regulations called for a "castle of yellow metal one and five-eighths inches by one and one-fourth inches high" on both the coat collar and the hat of "Engineer Soldiers." This specimen, struck in bra.s.s, conforms exactly to the descriptions and drawing in the Horstmann publication of the regulations.

CAP INSIGNIA, DRAGOON OFFICERS, 1851

_USNM 604879 (S-K 1024). Figure 50._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 50]

Comprising crossed sabers of gold, with edges upward, this insignia is similar to the well-known device worn by the Regular cavalry as late as 1953.

-- In 1846 the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen was organized to consolidate the northern route to the Pacific by establishing and manning a series of posts along the Oregon Trail.[80] The outbreak of the War with Mexico postponed this mission and the unit was diverted to the theater of operations. Shortly after the regiment was const.i.tuted it was authorized to wear a forage cap device prescribed as "a gold embroidered spread eagle, with the letter R in silver, on the shield."[81] No surviving specimen of this insignia is known, and there seems some doubt that it was ever actually manufactured.[82]

[Footnote 80: Act of May 19, 1846 (_Military Laws_, pp. 371-372).]

[Footnote 81: General Order No. 18, June 4, 1846, War Department (photostatic copy in files of division of military history, Smithsonian Inst.i.tution).]