i^BELL CROWN CAP, 1821-1832 



iJ URIXG THE WAR OF 1812, whilc thc infantry' was 

 wearing the "stovepipe" and thc "Wellington"" or 

 "tombstone" caps, the light and foot artillery and thc 

 rifle regiments were wearing the Continental "yeoman 

 crown" cap, with the top wider than the base,*^" au- 

 thorized in 1813. The "bell crown" — like the yeoman 

 crown with the top wider than the base but with dis- 

 tinctly concave sides — prescribed in the 1821 uniform 

 regulations was a direct reflection of European modes, 

 first the Russians, then the Prussians, and by 1830 

 almost every European army except the French having 

 adopted it." First authorized in April 1820,"' the 1821 

 Uniform Regulations describe the "bell crown" as 

 follows : 



Caps of company officers will be of leather: bell crown; 

 gilt scales: yellow eagle, in front, three inches between 

 the tips of the wings, with thc number of the regiment 

 cut in the shield ; black leather cockade, one and a half 

 inch in diameter, having a small yellow button in the 

 centre, with an eagle impressed on it. Those of the en- 

 listed men will be of leather, and of the same form as 

 those prescribed for officers : brass scales. 



Chapeau de bras \\ill be worn by all officers in uni- 

 form, whether of the line or the staff, except company 

 officers. Caps will be worn by all company officers when 

 on duty \vith their companies, and by all enlisted men. 



The company officers of artillery will wear yellow- 

 pompons five inches in lensjth ; those of the light ar- 

 tillery to be white, with red tops. The officers of in- 

 fantry will wear similar pompons, except in colour, 

 which shall be white ; those of the light infantry com- 

 panies to be yellow. Thc officers of rifle companies will 

 wear like pompons, excejjt in colour, which shall be 

 green. 



Yellow worsted pompons, five inches in length, will 

 be worn by the enlisted men of the artiller)-; those of 

 the light artillery to be \vhite, with red tops. The en- 



listed men of thc infantry will wear similar pompons, 

 except in colour, which shall be white: those of the 

 light infantry companies to be yellow. The enlisted 

 men of the rifle companies will wear like pompons, 

 except in colour, which shall be green. 



Pompons will be worn in front of the cap. 



[Tassels] of the officers of the artillery- and rifle com- 

 panies will be of gold cord and bullion. Those of the 

 officers of infantry will be of silver cord and bullion. 



Those of the enlisted men of artillery will be of 

 vellow worsted; those of the enlisted men of infantry 

 will be of white worsted; and those of the enlisted men 

 of the rifle corps will be of green worsted."" 



Although these regulations prescribed brass rather 

 than the traditional "white metal" for the .scales and 

 plate on the infantry cap, the latter was adopted be- 

 fore the new pattern was issued. Ir\ine, in recommend- 

 ing the change to the Secretary of War .several months 

 after the regulations were issued, stated that at the 

 time of the adoption of the new pattern no suitable 

 white metal was available, but it could now be obtained 

 in a form both cheap and durable and capable of tak- 

 ing a high polish."' The suggestion was approved in 

 January 1822 and instructions issued that thereafter 

 all infantry cap trimmings were to be of white metal.'' 

 Despite this order, the change, oddly enough, was not 

 included in thc regulations issued in 1825. Still, there 

 is no doubt that it was made, for cost of clothing lists 

 for se\eral years during the 1820s list artillery and 

 infantry cap scales separately and at slightly difTerent 

 prices, and in 1830 Robert Dingec, a New York sup- 

 plier, writes to Irvine of making white cap scales. This 

 is further substantiated by thc excavation of .scales of 

 pewter, or "white metal," at Fort Atkinson, Nebraska, 

 where the regular infantry ser\cd from 1819 to 1827, 

 and where militia units are not known to ha\e been 

 stationed.''' 



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