■V. - A 









Figure 8, left. 



CAP PLATE, INFANTRY, I8I2 



USNM 66456-M. F;g»re S, right. 



This is the second pattern of the infantry cap plate 

 described in the 1812 regulations as an "oblong sih-er 

 plate . . . bearing the name of the corps and the 

 number of the regiment." The specimen was exca- 

 vated 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 domi- 

 nated 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, 

 Hags with 6-pointed stars, two drums, and a car- 

 tridge 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 witii 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 

 desisfnation " 12 regt." 



CAP PLATE, INFANTRY, I8I2 (REPRODUCTION) 



USNM 60249 (i"-K 7). Figure 9. 



This is the third pattern of the infantry cap plate 

 prescribed in the 1812 regulations. Like the pre- 

 ceding plate, of the second pattern, the original plate 

 from which this reproduction was made was excavated 

 on the site of Smith's Cantonment at Sackets Harbor, 

 New York. Made of tin-alloy, as is the original, and 

 rectangular with clipped corners, the piece is domi- 

 nated by an unusually fierce looking eagle that 

 first appeared on one of the 1807 half-dollars struck 



13 



