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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

BULLETIN 235

WASHINGTON, D.C.

1963

_Publications of the United States National Museum_

The scholarly publications of the United States National Museum include two series, _Proceedings of the United States National Museum_ and _United States National Museum Bulletin_.

In these series are published original articles and monographs dealing with the collections and work of the Museum and setting forth newly acquired facts in the fields of Anthropology, Biology, History, Geology, and Technology. Copies of each publication are distributed to libraries and scientific organizations and to specialists and others interested in the different subjects.

The _Proceedings_, begun in 1878, are intended for the publication, in separate form, of shorter papers. These are gathered in volumes, octavo in size, with the publication date of each paper recorded in the table of contents in the volume.

In the _Bulletin_ series, the first of which was issued in 1875, appear longer, separate publications consisting of monographs (occasionally in several parts) and volumes in which are collected works on related subjects. _Bulletins_ are either octavo or quarto in size, depending on the needs of the presentation. Since 1902 papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum have been published in the _Bulletin_ series under the heading _Contributions from the United States National Herbarium_.

This work is number 235 of the _Bulletin_ series.

FRANK A. TAYLOR _Director, United States National Museum_

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C.--Price $2

MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY

American Military Insignia

1800-1851

J. Duncan Campbell and Edgar M. Howell

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, D.C.

1963

Contents

_Page_

Preface ix

Bibliography xiv

Introduction 3 Organization of the Regular Army 3 Organization of the Militia 6

Insignia of the Regular Army 7 Cap and Helmet Devices 7 Shoulder-Belt and Waist-Belt Plates 31

Insignia of the Uniformed Militia 51 Cap and Helmet Devices 51 Shoulder-Belt and Waist-Belt Plates 88

Preface

This catalog is a descriptive and interpretive listing of the insignia of the Army of the United States--other than buttons, epaulets, and horse furniture--in the National Collections that were prescribed or worn during the period 1800-1851. The subject of early American military buttons has been covered by L. F. Emilio in _The Emilio Collection of Military Buttons_ (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1911), W. L. Calver and R. P. Bolton in _History Written with Pick and Shovel_ (New York: New York Historical Society, 1950), and David F. Johnson in _Uniform Buttons, American Armed Forces_, 1784-1948. (Watkins Glen, New York: Century House, 1948, 2 vols.). For epaulets, see Mendel L. Peterson, "American Army Epaulets, 1814-1872," _Military Collector and Historian_ (March 1961, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-14).

Most of the specimens described here are from the huge W. Stokes Kirk Collection acquired in 1959, supplemented by the War Department Collection and the numerous biographical collections of the United States National Museum; in addition, a few insignia in the collections of J. Duncan Campbell and others are included.

The unique W. Stokes Kirk Collection, unmatched in scope, volume, and rarity, is worthy of special note. It was begun in 1878 by W. Stokes Kirk, Sr., of Philadelphia, a dealer in U.S. Government surplus. Struck by the beautiful design and delicate art work in some of the early insignia, Mr. Kirk put aside all old and unusual devices for his personal collection. As his business expanded, so did his interest in military rarities and curios. After each bulk purchase from government sources, he would have all the odd and unusual items sorted out for his examination. The best of such items went into his personal collection, which included rare firearms, powder flasks, insignia, epaulets, military caps, and the like. W. Stokes Kirk, Jr., who succeeded his father and expanded the business nationally until it became almost as well known as Bannerman's Military Store in New York City, maintained and enlarged the collection. After his death, in 1946, the collection was continued by his widow, Mrs. Linnie A. Kirk Mosler. Items in this catalog from the W. Stokes Kirk Collection are indicated by the letters "S-K" in parentheses following the United States National Museum number.

Although this catalog is, in more than one sense, a developmental history of American military insignia, it is not, and is not intended to be, a definitive study. The picture is far too incomplete. Whereas the record of Regular Army devices after 1821 is fairly clear--despite the fact that the uniform regulations continued sometimes to use the tantalizing phrase "according to pattern"--there remain serious gaps in the pre-1821 period when regulations were exceedingly vague and fragmentary at best; for example, the badges of the Regiment of Light Artillery (1812-1821). These gaps will be filled only by excavating at sites known to have been occupied by specific Regular units during particular periods. Indeed, since this study was begun, four unique and significant insignia were excavated at the site of a War of 1812 cantonment, and these greatly enrich our knowledge of the period.

The record of insignia of the veritable multitude of independent uniformed Militia companies in existence during the period under consideration may never be complete. The selection presented here, however, is an excellent representative chronological cross section of typical designs and variations of insignia worn by the uniformed or "volunteer" Militia, as opposed to the "common" or "standing" Militia.

The best sources of documentation and dating for Regular Army devices are the uniform regulations and ordnance regulations; these are supplemented by pertinent records in the National Archives, notably the letter files of the Purveyor of Public Supplies and of the Commissary General of Purchases. The letter files are voluminous, but in some cases badly mixed and in many cases incomplete. We have conjectured a reason for this incompleteness. The two prime contractors for military insignia during the period 1812-1821 were George Armitage and William Crumpton, both of whom had their small factories in Philadelphia within a mile of the office of Callendar Irvine, Commissary General of Purchases. The paucity of written transactions in the records in the National Archives between these gentlemen and Irvine tends to bear out our assumption that most of their dealings were conducted verbally in Irvine's office. This would account for the lack of sketches and drawings of cap plates and belt plates in files of the National Archives. In cases where no specific documentary evidence is available, dating has been based on a careful evaluation of design development and comparison with biographical specimens that can be more fairly dated through knowledge of the former owner's career. Excavated insignia from datable sites have also reduced the problem considerably.

For Militia insignia worn about 1835, the best documentation is to be found in _U.S. Military Magazine_, published between 1839 and 1842 by Huddy and Duval of Philadelphia, and in _New York Military Magazine_, published by Labree and Stockton of New York during 1841. In 1939, Frederick P. Todd described the Huddy and Duval prints in detail (_Journal of the American Military Institute_, 1939, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 166-176). However, evaluation and consideration of over-all design development and comparison with dated biographical specimens of the earlier period, before 1835, are difficult and must be done cautiously, as there is no orderly pattern. One generalization does seem clear: during the decade after 1821, when the Regulars discarded large cap plates, the Militia almost universally adopted them and continued to wear them well into the 1840's. Very few insignia include the maker's name or initials, but when they do, bracketing within a definite period is relatively easy. Similarly, when a cap plate appears to be original to a cap, the design of the cap and its maker's label, if included, are of great help. Finally, when there is nothing else to rely on, the "feel" of the specimen, gained through the experience of studying several thousand, has been used, although with reluctance.

The year 1800 was selected as the opening date of the study because it was in that year that the first metal ornament was prescribed to designate a particular branch of service. The closing date of 1851 was chosen because Regular Army devices for that year and thereafter are well documented in uniform regulations, manuals, and catalogs of manufacturers such as William Horstmann and Sons. Militia dress after that general date becomes so increasingly complex that it should be attempted only as a separate study.

Most of the specimens described in this study were struck from steel dies; however--despite the relative wealth of knowledge on the striking of coins--little is known of the exact process, especially prior to the appearance of the punch press in the 1830's. Several insignia dies dating as early as the War of 1812 period and a number dating in the 1840's do exist, however. All of these examined were found to be female dies, with the design in intaglio rather than in relief. The design was worked into the die--the art generally termed "die-sinking"--in the same basic manner as in coin dies. The die sinker first softened the steel to suit his particular taste and then incised the design, using a succession of small chisels. The steel was then retempered to withstand high impact pressures. Although there is no documentation on the subject, manufacturing techniques of the period indicate that the following process was probably employed: the die was locked in place at the base of a drop press, similar to a guillotine, so that it could be struck accurately from above; a piece of pure lead was then affixed to the bottom of the weighted drop and allowed to strike the die a sufficient number of times to completely receive the impression of the die and become, in effect, a male counterpart; lastly, a thin sheet of brass, copper, or pewter was placed on the female die and struck with the weighted lead male, receiving the desired impression but without the excessive stretching and resultant cracking that a steel-on-steel strike might have produced. Examination of finished products in the national collections bears out this theory of production; few if any of the specimens show evidence of having been struck with a steel male die.

With only a few exceptions, all specimens have been photographed on a 1-inch grid. All references to right and left are made according to heraldic usage; the heraldic right is always on the left as viewed.

During the months this work has been in progress, many people and institutions have generously assisted in many ways. It is a pleasure to thank them for their help.

Mr. Detmar Finke of the Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, reviewed the Regular Army portions of the manuscript and made many valuable suggestions. Mr. Frederick P. Todd, director of The West Point Museum, graciously answered many questions relative to both Regular Army and Militia insignia. Through the courtesy of Mr. James Koping and Miss Elizabeth Ulrich of the Pennsylvania State Library, The _U.S. Military Magazine_ of Huddy and Duval was made available for unlimited use.

Thanks are also given to the following, who furnished photographs of specimens in their collections: Mr. Waverly P. Lewis, Devon, Connecticut; Mr. William E. Codd, Monkton, Maryland; The Filson Club, Louisville, Kentucky; The West Point Museum; The Fort Sill Museum; Old Fort Erie Museum, Ontario, Canada; The Niagara Historical Society Museum, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada; The Washington County Historical Society Museum, Fort Calhoun, Nebraska; the Valley Forge Chapel Museum, and Dr. John Lattimer, New York City.

Mr. Michael Arpad of Washington, D.C., was especially helpful in matters pertaining to the techniques of chasing and die sinking.

J. DUNCAN CAMPBELL EDGAR M. HOWELL

_March 1, 1963._

Bibliography

The following works have been used in gathering the material for this book. They are frequently referred to in the text in shortened form.

_American military history, 1607-1953._ (ROTC Manual 145-20, Department of the Army.) Washington, 1956.

_American state papers, class V, military affairs._ Vol. 1. Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1832.

ANSELL, S. T. Legal and historical aspects of the Militia. _Yale Law Journal_ (April 1917), vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 471-480.

BARNES, R. M. _Military uniforms of Britain and the Empire._ London: Seeley Service and Co., 1960.

BELOTE, THEODORE T. _American and European swords in the historical collections of the United States National Museum._ (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 163.) Washington, 1932.

A bit of U.S. Mint history. _American Journal of Numismatics_ (1908), vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 45-50.

CALVER, W. L., and BOLTON, R. P. _History written with pick and shovel._ New York: New York Historical Society, 1950.

CHAMBERLAIN, GEORGIA S. Moritz Furst, die-sinker and artist. _The Numismatist._ (June 1954), vol. 67, no. 6, pp. 588-592.

DAVIS, GHERARDI. _The colors of the United States Army, 1789-1912._ New York: Privately printed, 1912.

EMILIO, L. F. _The Emilio collection of military buttons._ Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1911.

FINKE, DETMAR H. Insignia of rank in the Continental Army, 1775-1783. _Military Collector and Historian_ (fall 1956), vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 71-73.

_General regulations for the Army._ Philadelphia: M. Carey and Sons, 1821.

_General regulations for the Army of the United States._ Washington: Department of the Army, 1835.

_General regulations for the Army of the United States, 1847._ Washington: J. and G. S. Gideon, 1847.

GRONERT, T. G. The first national pastime in the Middle West. _Indiana Magazine of History_ (September 1933), vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 171-186.

History of the organization of the United States cavalry. MS, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.

HOPKINS, ALFRED F. Volunteer corps hat of 1814. _Military Affairs_ (winter 1941), vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 271-272.

JOHNSON, DAVID F. _Uniform buttons, American armed forces, 1784-1948._ 2 vols. Watkins Glen, New York: Century House, 1948.

JONES, WILLARD L. History of the organization of the United States Field Artillery. MS, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.

_Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789._ Edit. Worthington Chauncey Ford and others. 34 vols. Washington: Carnegie Foundation, 1904-1937.

KIVETT, MARVIN F. Excavations at Fort Atkinson, Nebraska, a preliminary report. _Nebraska History_ (March 1959), vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 39-66.

Knox papers. MSS Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

KUHN, EDWARD C. U.S. Army colors and standards of 1808. _Military Affairs_ (winter 1941), vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 263-267.

LEFFERTS, CHARLES W. _Uniforms of the American, British, French, and German Armies in the War of the American Revolution._ New York: New York Historical Society, 1926.

LEWIS, WAVERLY P. _U.S. military headgear, 1770-1880._ Devon, Connecticut: Privately printed, 1960.

LUNDEBERG, PHILIP K. A history of the North Carolina Militia, 1784-1848. Master's dissertation, Duke University, 1947.

MAHON, JOHN K. The citizen soldier in national defense, 1789-1815. Doctor's dissertation, University of California at Los Angeles, 1950.

----. History of the organization of the United States Infantry. (Pp. 1-61 in vol. 2 of _The Army lineage book_, Washington: Department of the Army, 1953.)

MCBARRON, H. CHARLES. Regiment of Riflemen, winter uniform, 1812-1815. Military Collector and Historian (December 1954), vol. 6, no. 4, p. 100.

----. The 18th U.S. Infantry Regiment, 1814-1815. _Military Collector and Historian_ (summer 1955), vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 48-49.

MCCLELLAN, E. N. Uniforms of the American Marines, 1775 to 1827. Mimeographed in 1932 by Marine Corps Historical Section, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C.

_The military laws of the United States._ Edit. John F. Callan. Philadelphia: George W. Childes, 1863.

_New York Military Magazine_ (1841).

_Official Army register, corrected to October 31, 1848._ Washington, 1848.

Official drawings for the U.S. Army uniform regulations of 1851. _Military Collector and Historian_, vol. 10, no. 1 (spring 1958), pp. 17-19; vol. 10, no. 2 (summer 1958), pp. 43-45.

_Old Print Shop Portfolio_ (May 1961), vol. 20, no. 9.

PARKYN, MAJ. H. G. _Shoulder-belt plates and buttons._ Aldershot, Hants, England: Gale and Polden, Ltd., 1956.

PATTERSON, C. MEADE. The military rifle flasks of 1832 and 1837. _Military Collector and Historian_ (March 1953), vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 7-12.

PETERSON, HAROLD L. _The American sword_, New Hope, Pennsylvania: The River House, 1954.

PETERSON, MENDEL L. American Army epaulets, 1841-1872. _Military Collector and Historian_ (March 1951), vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-14.

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----. Notes on the organization and uniforms of South Carolina military forces, 1860-1861. _Military Collector and Historian_ (September 1951), vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 53-62.

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American

Military Insignia

1800-1851

Introduction

In almost all armies it long has been standard practice to use distinctive devices of cloth and metal to distinguish between arms and services, and between individual units of each arm, to enhance morale and develop esprit de corps. Colors of units of the British Army have had ancient badges emblazoned on them since before the establishment of the present standing army in 1661. By the end of the first half of the 18th century some of these badges had been authorized for placement on horse furniture or for wear on grenadier caps. This was especially true of the regiments of horse and a few of the older regiments of foot. The infantry regiments received numerical designations in 1751, and these numbers were worn on waist belts, shoulder belts, and cartridge-box plates. When the infantry units acquired county titles in 1782, these names often were added to the plates. In 1767 regimental numbers were ordered placed on the buttons of officers and other ranks; in practice these numbers were often combined with other devices.[1]

[Footnote 1: PARKYN'S _Shoulder-Belt Plates and Buttons_ contains a wealth of information on British regimental devices.]

In the American Army such devices have taken many forms, ranging from distinctive buttons, plumes, cockades, cap plates, shoulder-belt plates, and waist-belt and cartridge-box plates to the well-known shoulder sleeve insignia and distinctive unit insignia of the present day. The origin of much of this insignia and many of the changes in its design can be tied more or less directly to the organization of the Regular Army--its contractions and expansions and its changes in arm and service designations--and to the peculiar circumstances surrounding the origin and growth of the volunteer or uniformed Militia. Thus, a short discussion of the organization of each is in order.[2]

[Footnote 2: For history of the organization of the Army, see _American Military History, 1607-1953_; MAHON, "History of the Organization of the United States Infantry"; and JONES, "History of the Organization of the United States Field Artillery."

Unfortunately, there is no single, completely satisfactory source on the militia system of the United States. The following works, however, contain sound information and, when taken together, provide an excellent background on the subject: TODD, "Our National Guard"; MAHON, "Citizen Soldier"; LUNDEBERG, "History of the North Carolina Militia"; ANSELL, "Legal and Historical Aspects of the Militia"; GRONERT, "First National Pastime in the Middle West"; and RIKER, _Soldiers of the States_.]

Organization of the Regular Army

Two months after the War of the Revolution officially ended with the signing of a peace treaty on September 3, 1783, General Washington directed the Army to turn in its arms and disband.[3] Since the Continental Congress had made no provision for a permanent establishment, Washington retained in service one infantry regiment and a battalion of artillery to guard military stores and take over posts to be evacuated by the British.[4] Early in June 1784 Congress ordered these units disbanded except for detachments to guard stores at Fort Pitt and West Point; then, in order to secure the frontier against Indian unrest, it immediately authorized a regiment to be raised from the militia of four of the States to comprise eight companies of infantry and two of artillery.[5] This unit, called the First American Regiment, gradually turned into a regular organization.

[Footnote 3: _Writings of George Washington_, vol. 27, p. 222.]