issue to Militia before the CUvil ^VaI^ but it is known 

 to have been continued almost to the end of the 

 century for use by groups such as secondary school 

 cadet corps. 



^ The shoulder-belt plates worn in the 1850's were 

 little changed from those of the preceding decade. 

 In the Regular Establishment the shoulder belt and 

 plate for officers had been discarded in favor of the 

 waist belt for carrying the sword, but Militia officers — 

 bound by no regulations — continued to wear the 

 shoulder belt. Enlisted personnel wore at least one 

 shoulder belt, and in many cases used two belts, 

 which crossed, one belt carrying the cartridge box 

 and the other the bayonet and scabbard. Mounted 

 Militia sometimes wore the saber on a waist belt and 

 the carbine cartridge box on a shoulder belt. It is 

 interesting to note that the custom of using elements 

 of state seals on waist-belt plates was not followed to 

 any great extent in the embellishment of shoulder- 

 belt plates except in the Southern States. 



CARTRIDGE-BOX-BELT PLATE, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 

 1845 (?) 



USNM 60445 1-M QS-K 598') . Figure 259 . 



In size and pattern this plate is exactly like that 

 prescribed for the Regular Establishment in 1841, 

 substituting the arms of South Carolina for the eagle. 

 It possibly may date as early as 1845. Made for 

 South Carolina Militia, plates similar to this were 

 worn during the Civil War and se\'eral hav-e been re- 



covered from battlefield sites. The specimen is struck 

 in brass and the reverse filled with lead. It has three 

 l)ent-wire fasteners imbedded in the rever.se, which 

 indicates that it was decorative rather than functional. 

 A similar plate with elements of the Virginia State 

 seal is known. Modern reproductions of both are 

 being sold. 



SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850 



USNM 604446-M (_S-K 593). Figure 260. 



A popular stock pattern of the 1850's, this design 

 with the silver numeral "1" on a rectangle of rolled 

 brass was worn for at least half a century after it 

 first appeared. Similar plates are known with all 

 numerals through 9 and a few higher numbers. 

 Other plates of the same general type are known with 

 company letters "a" through "m." The plate proper 

 is fitted with two brass wire hooks and a medium 

 width tongue, indicating a functional use. The nu- 

 meral is attached by means of two staples with 

 leather thongs reeved through on the reverse of the 

 plate. 



Figure 259 



SHOULDER-BELT PLATE, C. 1850 



USNM 604360-M QS-K 516). Figure 261 . 



This rolled-brass plate with its silver "tc" mono- 

 gram is presently unidentified. In the national 



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