to wear a foias;e cap device prescribed as "a gold 

 embroidered spread eagle, with the letter r in silver, 

 on the shield. "*' No surviving specimen of this 

 insignia is known, and there seems som.e doubt that 

 it was e\er actualK manufactured. *- 



CAP INSIGNIA, OFFICER, REGIMENT OF MOUNTED 

 RIFLEMEN, 1850 



USNM 604854 (SK 999). Figure 51. 



In 1850 the regim.ent was given a "trump^'t"" hat 

 device. Officers were to wear "a trumpet, perpen- 

 dicular, embroidered in gold, with the number of 

 the regiment, in silver, within the bend."'^ This 

 trumpet is also known in metal imitation-embroidery. 

 The prescribed regimental number, which is illus- 

 trated in the Horstmann publication of the regulations 

 (pi. 15), is not included on the device, probably 

 because there was but one such unit in the Regular 

 Establishment. 



CAP INSIGNIA, ENLISTED, REGIMENT OF MOUNTED 

 RIFLEMEN, 1850 

 USNM 62053-M (_SK-1806'). Figure 52. 



The same general order that gave rifle officers a 

 gold-embroidered trumpet prescribed for enlisted men 

 a similar device to be of "yellow metal." This 

 insignia lasted but one year for the men in the ranks, 

 being unmentioned in the 1851 regulations. 



Shoulder-Beit and Wuist-Belt Plates 



Oval shoulder-belt plates were worn by American 

 officers during the War of the Revolution, but no 

 extant specimens are known. Highly ornamented or 

 engraved officers' plates for the period after 1790 are 

 in several collections (fig. 53) and others are illustrated 

 in contemporary portraits (fig. 54). Just what year 

 shoulder-belt plates were issued to enlisted personnel 

 is unknown, but their use appears to ha\e been well 

 established b\- 1812. Tiie uniform regulations for 



" General Order No. 18, June 4, 1846, War Department 

 (photostatic copy in files of division of military history, Smith- 

 sonian Institution). 



«* Insignia of the riflemen are discussed by Tovvnsend and 

 Todd, pp. 2-3. 



'^ General Order No. 2, February 13, 1850, War Department 

 (photostatic copy in files of division of military history, Smith- 

 sonian Institution). 



Figure 51 



Figure 52 



that year specified swords for sergeants of infantry to 

 be "worn with a white cross belt Vi inches wide," 

 but nothing was said about a device on the belt.*** 



** General Order, Southern Department U.S. .^irmy, Jan- 

 uary 24, 1813 (photostatic copy in files of division of military 

 historv, Smithsonian Institution!. 



31 



