in the late 1850's.'*^ As a military symbol for officers, 

 the gorget passed its zenith in the late 18th century. 

 Gorgets were worn during the War of the Revolution 

 by both American and British officers, and the British 

 also gave them to Indian chiefs as marks of authority. 

 Officers in at least one regiment of the Regular 

 Establishment wore them as part of their regulation 

 dress about the turn of the 19th century, but they 

 were not a part of the prescribed uniform during or 

 after the War of 1812. 



GORGET, C. I82I (?) 



USNM 60311-M QS~K 67E). Figure 174. 



This gorget, of gilded brass, is of 2-piece construc- 

 tion. The eagle-on-clouds, very similar to cockade 



Figure 274 



'*^ In the national collections are a uniform jacket, chapeau, 

 and gorget once owned by Frederick Forsyth, a member of the 

 Portland Ritlc Corps in 1857. 



eagles worn in 1808-1821, is attached by four wire 

 fasteners rather than brazed. The engraved edging 

 on the gorget proper is rather crudely done. Al- 

 though composite insignia did not come into general 

 use until the mid-1 830's, it seems reasonable to assume 

 that this particular design of the eagle device applied 

 to the chapeau might equally have been applied to 

 a gorget. A similar specimen in the national collec- 

 tions has a silvcr-on-copper eagle instead of a brass 

 one. 



GORGET, C. 1 830-1 840 



USNM. 60310-M QS-K 67 A~). Figure 275. 



This gorget is of 3-piece construction, the specimen 

 proper being of brass and the wreath and eagle of 



-'^ 



K 



tt 



■^ 



Figure 275 



gilded brass applied with wire fasteners. Although 

 the eagle is of the early "on-clouds" design, the feel 

 of the piece is later, and this, together with the rather 

 wide crescent indicate that it belongs to the period 



of the 1830's and 1840"s. 



GORGET, STATE FENCIBLES, NEW YORK, C. I840-I850 



USNM 60309-M (S-K 66). Figure 276. 



This brass gorget, with wreath and letters in 

 applied sih-er, is an example of one of the later 



123 



