the lines of a modified sunburst radiating outward. 

 In the center, within a wreath of laurel, are the letters 

 "u s" in Old English. Both the wreath and letters 

 are of silvered copper and are applied. The plate is 

 attached in' three broad hooks rather ihnn two slurls 

 and a hook. 



SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, OFFICERS, 1S39 



L'SNM 6U4330 (^S-K 4S6). Not illustrated. 



This plate is almost identical to the Capron speci- 

 men ai)ove except that the letters "u s," instead ol 

 beine in Old English, are formed of oak lea\-es. 



WAIST-BELT PLATE, CORPS OF TOPOCIRAPHICAL ENGI- 

 NEERS, 1839 



USNM 21701. Figure S7. 



The 1839 uniform regulations prescribed this plate 

 for the Corps of Topographical Engineers. The o\-al 

 inner plate, which contains the prescribed eagle. 



Figure 87 



shield, and the letters "u s" in Old English, is struck 

 in medium weight copper and gilded. This inner 

 plate is soldered to a cast-bronze and gilded tongue 

 which in turn is brazed to a cast-bronze belt attach- 

 ment, riie oval outer ring, bearing the prescribed 

 ■'CORPS OF TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS" in Roman 

 capitals, is cast in brass and gilded. To the inner 

 edge of this outer ring are brazed two curved seats 

 for the inner oval. The whole is brazed to the belt 

 attachment, also cast in brass and gilded. 



^ In view of the large and somewhat elaborate cap 

 plates as well as shoulder-belt plates adopted by ijoth 

 the Regulars and Militia early in the 19th century, it 

 is somewhat surprising that apparently neither 

 component had ornamentation on its cartridge boxes 

 until the Ordnance Regulations of 1834 prescribed 

 a very ornate design embossed on the leather flap. "^ 

 Certainly there was precedent for such, for both the 

 British and German mercenary troops of the Revo- 

 lution and the British and Canadian troops of the 

 War of 1812 wore metal ornaments on their cartridge 

 bo.xes. At least partial explanation for this omission 

 may lie in one of Callender Irvine's reasons for re- 

 jecting brass cartridge boxes in favor of leather 

 ones: "The leather . . . affords no mark for the 

 enemy to sight at. The brass . . . would afford a 

 central oi)ject, as regards the body of the Soldier, 

 and one which would be seen at a great distance to 

 fire at."'" Why Irvine did not object equally to the 

 large white and yellow metal cap and shoulder- 

 belt plates as targets is unknown. In any case — with 

 a possible few Militia exceptions such as a Militia 

 cartridge box with a plate bearing the likeness of 

 \Vashington in silver, i)oth ai)out 1835 — the 1839 

 model oval plates were the first to be worn. 



The ordnance regulations of 1839 and the 

 ordnance manual of 1841 brought in two distinctly 

 new types of plates, the familiar brass oval waist-belt 

 and cartridge-box plates with the letters "u. s." and 

 the round shoulder-belt plate with the eagle. The 

 oval plates fall into two general sizes, 3.5 inches by 

 2.2 inches (for plates on the infantry's cartridge box 

 and the cavalry's waist belts)'* and 2.8 inches by 1.6 

 inches (for plates on the infantry's waist belts and the 

 cavalry's carbine cartridge boxes and pistol cartridge 

 boxes). The use of each plate is determined by the 

 t\pe of fastener. These plates were struck in thin 

 lirass and the backs generally leaded, although some 

 were used without such backing, probably to save 

 both weight and material. Cartridge boxes were also 

 embossed with the outline of this oval plate in lieu of 

 the plate itself. It is interesting to note that the larger 

 plates with lead backs weighed about 5^2 ounces and 

 the smaller ones just over 2 ounces. 



"« .See Mtlitarv Collector ani HiHanan (June 1950), vol. 2, no. 

 2, pp. 29-30. 



" Letter dated June 29, 1813, from Irvine to Secretary of 

 War (Records AGO). 



9S The cavalry waist-belt plate is actually specified to be 

 3.6 inches by 2.2 inches. 



45 



