Normally, brass or "yellow metal" plates were 

 authorized for the artillery and silvered or "white 

 rretal" for the infantry and dragoons, as consonant 

 with the rest of their trimmings. In actuality, how- 

 ever, white-metal shoulder-belt plates do not seem to 

 have been issued to the infantry prior to 1814, and 

 brass ones were still being issued in 1815.*^ Most of 

 these plates were plain oval, although a few are known 

 that were struck with devices similar to those on cap 

 plates; and at least one rectangular cap plate, fitted 

 with the two studs and hook on the reverse normal to 

 shoulder-belt plates, has been found. It seems 

 probable that these were officers' plates. Oval brass 

 plates have been found that are identical in size and 

 construction to the plain ones but with the letters 

 "U.S." em_bossed on them; however, these are difficult 

 to date. 



It is extremely doubtful that waist-belt plates were 

 issued to enlisted personnel oi foot units during this 

 period. In 1808 enlisted dragoons were authorized 



** Letters from Irvine in Records AGO: To Colonel Bogar- 

 dus (Commanding Officer, 41st Infantry), February 16, 1814; 

 to James Calhoun, January 14, 1815; and to General Scott, 

 January 31, 1815. 



Figure 54. — Portrait in collection of The 

 Filson Club, Louisville, Kentucky. 



a waist-belt plate of tinned brass and, as far as known, 

 perfectly plain.*'" 



The 1812 regulations prescribed for the light dra- 

 goons a "buff leather waist belt, white plate in front 

 with eagle in relief," and there is the possibility that 

 the light artillery had such. In actuality, there was 

 no call for a waist belt where a shoulder belt was 

 authorized. Neither civilian trou.sers nor the few 

 surviving military "pantaloons" of the period are 

 fitted with belt loops, trousers being held up either 

 by suspenders or by being buttoned directly to the 

 shirt or waistcoat. No example of the dragoon plate 

 has been found. However, a rather tantalizing pos- 

 sibility exists — a fragment of a pewter belt plate 

 (fig. 55) was excavated at Sackets Harbor, New York, 

 where the light dragoons are known to have served. 

 The 1816 regulations specified for artillerymen 

 "waist belts of white leather two inches wide, yel- 

 low oval plate of the same width." It is not made 

 clear, however, whether this belt and plate was for 



'6 Letter to the Purveyor of Public Supplies in If 



32 



