American Military Insignia 1800-1851 Part 4

c.o.c.kADE EAGLE, GENERAL OFFICER, 1800-1812

_USNM 12813. Figure 4._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 4]

Unusually refined in design, the eagle is of gold, with head to right, federal s.h.i.+eld on breast, and olive branch in right talon. Three arrows, with points outward, are held in left talon.

This c.o.c.kade eagle is on a _chapeau de bras_ formerly belonging to Peter Gansevoort, brigadier general of the New York State Militia and brigadier general, U.S. Army, 1809-1812. Although Gansevoort wore this _chapeau_ while serving as a Militia officer, as evidenced by a New York State b.u.t.ton attached to it, this eagle is included with Regular Army devices because it is typical of those probably worn by high-ranking officers of both components.

c.o.c.kADE EAGLE, C. 1800-1821

_USNM 60362-M (S-K 118). Figure 5._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 5]

Cast in pewter and gold-finished, this eagle looks to the right, stands on clouds, and holds three arrows (facing inward) in the right talon and an upright olive branch in the left.

The eagle-on-clouds design is first seen on coins on the 1795 silver dollar.[43] It was popular during the War of 1812 period, and was not used in new designs by the Regular Army after 1821. Eagles of identical design and size are also known in pewter without finish.

Such an eagle could have been worn by Militia as well as Regulars.

Similar specimens have been excavated at Regular Army cantonment sites of the period.

[Footnote 43: Engraved by Robert Scott after a design by Gilbert Stuart.]

c.o.c.kADE EAGLE, OFFICERS, 1800-1821

_USNM 66352-M. Figure 6._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 6]

This c.o.c.kade eagle, which is struck in thin bra.s.s and silvered, was excavated on the site of a War of 1812 cantonment. Comparison with similar specimens in other collections indicates that the missing head was turned to the right. This eagle is cla.s.sed as an officer's device because of its silvered bra.s.s composition. The elements comprising the arc on which the eagle stands cannot be identified because of the lightness of the strike.

-- When the dragoons were disbanded in the 1802 reduction following the dissipation of the French scare, distinctive hat devices other than c.o.c.kades disappeared from the service. In 1808, when the Army was increased, the newly const.i.tuted regiments of light dragoons, light artillery, and riflemen were authorized to wear leather caps. The cap devices for these units were prescribed as Roman letters, "U.S.L.D.,"

"U.S.L.A.," and "U.S.R.R.," rather than plates. The letters were to be of bra.s.s, 1-1/2 inches "in length."[44]

[Footnote 44: TODD, "Notes on the Dress," p. 10. Also, receipts from George Green and Son, and letter dated August 6, 1808, from J. Smith (Commissary General at Was.h.i.+ngton) to Tench c.o.xe requesting "bra.s.s letters U.S.R.R." (Records AGO). George Green is listed in Philadelphia directories of the period as a "bra.s.s founder and gilder."]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 7.--Specimens in Campbell collection.]

Ill.u.s.trated in figure 7 are the letters "U" and "L", of bra.s.s, slightly more than 1 inch "in length" and a letter D, of pewter, 1 inch "in length." The latter was excavated at Sackets Harbor, New York, where elements of the light artillery dragoons and riflemen are known to have served during 1813 and 1814. It seems obvious that pewter letters were worn by the dragoons as consonant with their other tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, for in July 1812 Col. James Burn of the 2d Light Dragoons requested official permission to issue such.[45]

[Footnote 45: Letter dated July 8, 1812, from J. Burn to William Eustis (Secretary of War) and letter dated July 9, 1812, from B.

Mifflin (Deputy Commissary General of Purchases). Both letters are in Records AGO.]

With the large increase in the Army in 1812 came a change in the headgear of some corps and also a change in insignia. The light artillery was to wear a yoeman-crowned (i.e., wider at the crown than at the base) black cap with "gilt plate in front," and the infantry platoon officers and enlisted men were finally to have the black cylindrical caps (first prescribed in 1810) with "an oblong silver plate in front of the cap bearing the name of the corps and number of the regiment."[46] The rifle platoon officers and enlisted men were also to wear infantry caps, but with yellow tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs.[47] The dragoons were authorized "helmets" with "plates" in 1812, and the foot artillery regiments in the fall of the same year were ordered to wear caps like the light artillery instead of the _chapeaux de bras_ previously worn, which would have necessitated the use of plates.

[Footnote 46: General Orders, January 24, 1813 (Records AGO).]

[Footnote 47: Letter dated March 30, 1812, from c.o.xe to Eustis (Records AGO); McBarron, "Regiment of Riflemen," p. 100.]

The foot units received their new insignia almost immediately, the cap plates having been designed, contracted for, and delivered by late February 1812 for the 5th, 6th, 12th, and 15th Infantry Regiments[48]

(the latter two were new units). This rapid action in regard to the infantry plates appears to be strong witness to the emphasis placed on distinctive insignia as morale factors and aids to enlistment, for active recruiting for the 10 new regiments did not begin until several months later. There were three different patterns of this infantry plate manufactured and issued, two of which are described below.

[Footnote 48: Bill dated February 24, 1812, from William Crumpton (Records AGO).]

All arms were wearing cap plates by the middle of 1813, for there is record of such issue to the dragoons as well as record of rejection of ill-struck specimens for infantry, artillery, and rifles.[49] These plates were made variously by William Crumpton and George Armitage of Philadelphia, and Aaron M. Peasley of Boston.[50] Philadelphia directories list Crumpton as a b.u.t.ton maker and silversmith between 1811 and 1822. Armitage is first listed in Philadelphia directories, in 1800, as a "silver plate worker"; in 1801 he is listed as "silverplater," and in 1820 as a "silverplater and military ornament maker." Peasley was an ornament and insignia maker in Boston during the same period.[51]

[Footnote 49: Letter dated August 31, 1812, from Eustis to Irvine; General Order of January 24, 1813, Southern Department; letter dated March 31, 1813, from Irvine to Amasa Stetson (Deputy Commissary General of Purchases, Boston); and letter dated July 13, 1813, from Irvine to M. T. Wickham. This material is in Records AGO.]

[Footnote 50: Letter from Irvine to Wickham dated July 13, 1813, and bill from William Crumpton dated February 24, 1812 (both in Records AGO).]

[Footnote 51: Statement of purchases for September 1813, by Stetson (Records AGO).]

-- The three types of infantry cap plates issued between 1812 and 1814 are somewhat similar, and all carry the prescribed "name of the corps and number of the regiment." All three specimens of these types are ground finds, two having been excavated after this work was in draft.

The first pictured specimen (fig. 8, left) is believed to be the earliest pattern issued. Infantry plates as specified in the regulations were contracted for with William Crumpton late in 1811 or early 1812 by Tench c.o.xe, Purveyor of Public Supplies, and issued to troop units not later than the early summer.[52] They had been in use but a few months when their generally poor quality of composition forced several regimental commanders to complain to the new Commissary General of Purchases, Callendar Irvine, who had just superseded c.o.xe, and to request something better. Irvine approved, and he let a contract for new plates with George Armitage of Philadelphia.[53]

Irvine's reaction to the matter of the plates is an example of his opinion of his predecessor, c.o.xe, and c.o.xe's work in general, which he had observed while serving as Superintendent of Military Stores in Philadelphia. In replying to the complaint of Colonel Simonds, commanding officer of the 6th Infantry, Irvine wrote: "The plates are mere tin, in some respects like the man who designed and contracted for them, differing to him only as to durability ... I am contracting for a plate of decent composition to issue with your next year's clothing."[54]

[Footnote 52: Bill dated February 24, 1812, from William Crumpton (Records AGO).]

[Footnote 53: Letter dated November 8, 1812, from Irvine to Colonel Simonds (Commanding Officer, 6th Infantry); letter dated November 3, 1812, from Irvine to Colonel Pike (Commanding Officer, 15th Infantry); and letter dated November 23, 1812, from Irvine to Armitage. These letters are in Records AGO.]

[Footnote 54: Letter from Irvine to Simonds cited in preceding note.]

The first pattern carries the "name of the corps and the number of the regiment," the 15th Infantry, commanded by Col. Zebulon Pike who was one of the officers who complained to Irvine about the poor quality of cap plates. The specimen is of tinned iron and the letters and numerals have been struck with individual hand dies.

The two Armitage plates, very similar in over-all design (figures 8, right, and 9), have been designated the second and third patterns. At least one of these--perhaps both--apparently was designed by, and its die sunk by, Moritz Furst, well-known die sinker and designer of Philadelphia. On March 6, 1813, Irvine wrote the Secretary of War: "Mr. Furst executed a die for this office for striking infantry cap plates, designed by him, which has been admitted by judges to be equal, if not superior, to anything of the kind ever produced in this country."[55] Furst was Hungarian by birth. He studied design and die sinking at the mint in Vienna and came to the United States in 1807 with the expectation of becoming Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint, an appointment which he did not receive. He sank the dies for many of the medals voted to War of 1812 leaders, did the obverse die work for a number of Indian peace medals, and is believed to have designed the swords given by the State of New York to Generals Brown, Scott, Gaines, and Macomb.[56]

[Footnote 55: Letter in Records AGO.]

[Footnote 56: "A Bit of U.S. Mint History," pp. 45-50; and Chamberlain, pp. 588-592.]

CAP PLATE, INFANTRY, 1812

_USNM 66456-M. Figure 8, right._

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 8, left.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 8, right.]

This is the second pattern of the infantry cap plate described in the 1812 regulations as an "oblong silver plate ... bearing the name of the corps and the number of the regiment." The specimen was excavated on the site of Smith's Cantonment at Sackets Harbor, New York, known to have been occupied by Regular infantry during the 1812-1815 period.

The piece is struck in "white metal" and tinned [the term "silver" in the regulation referred only to color]. It is rectangular, with clipped corners, and is dominated by an eagle, with wings outspread, grasping lightning bolts in the right talon and an olive branch in the left talon. Below is a panoply of stacked arms, flags with 6-pointed stars, two drums, and a cartridge box marked "U.S." The corps designation "U.S. INFANTRY" is above; the unit designation is blank with the letters "REGT." on the left. The plate is pierced with four pairs of holes on each side for attachment.

Another example of this second pattern is known; it is attached to an original cap and bears the unit designation "12 REGT."