 For People With An Active Interest in the Civil War Today |
|
Use these links to navigate on CWN's web site Home/
Calendar/
News/ News
Archive/Opinion/ Book
Reviews/Living History
|
|
|
Book Reviews These are some reviews from a recent issue of
The Civil War News:
|
|
American Military Headgear Insignia
by J. Duncan Campbell and Michael J. O’Donnell.
Illustrated, bibliography, 311 pp., 2004. O’Donnell Publications, 7217 Popkins Farm Rd., Alexandria, VA 22306, $40 plus shipping.
To understand the scope of this work it is necessary to list the chapters since so many collectors and historians will be affected by the contents. Those sections are Painted Cap Fronts; Regular Army Cap Plates, 1800-1820; Cockades & Cockade Eagles; The 3-Inch 1821 Eagles; The 1832 Chapeaux Eagles; The 1833 Dragoon Eagles; Artillery Crossed Cannons; Infantry’s Open Horn; Infantry’s Loop Horn; 1839 Forage Cap Insignia; Company Letters; General Staff’s U.S.-In-Wreath; The Ordnance “Bomb”; Topographical Engineers; Engineers’ Turreted Castle; Cavalry Crossed Sabers; Rifleman’s Trumpet; The 1851 Pompon Eagle & 1858 Hat Eagle and Militia Cap Plates. There are over 700 photographs of insignia or insignia on the headgear and numerous other pictures of the soldier or Marine with his headgear. Each section is unique and is designed to present detailed information through text and photos on the headgear insignia of the Regular Army, Marines and militia. The authors have drawn from objects in private and public collections, primary ephemera and excavated material. The challenge of dealing with Regular Army headgear from 1799 to 1820 was duly met with impressive results documented in this book. Sections vary in length but their content remains thorough and complete. There are some sections with sub-sections such as “The Engineers’ Turreted Castle” which begins with the 1839 and 1851 patterns and later includes a sub-section on the 1858 pattern. Sections contain the background of the insignia, examples, related sketches, photos of headgear with the insignia or illustrations from Ogden, H. Charles McBarron Jr., Nesmith and Huddy and Duvall. Throughout the sections are insignia die blocks which have been attributed to Horstmann, Allen Leonard of Philadelphia, Jacobus and Armitage. There are also insignia examples from advertisements and official drawings. The section titled “Regular Army Cap Plates 1800-1821” is 37-pages of painstaking research and 58 individual figures of cap plates and cap letters. Many of these plates and letters have been excavated but still present fine examples. This section also shows two examples of U.S. Marine Corps plates from the 1804-1818 period. The descriptions of the insignia in this book are clear and informative. A time frame is noted and sizes are given. Background material may include the units wearing the insignia, designer and specific characteristics. The section on militia headgear insignia shows examples of shakos, czapkas and dragoon helmets. The initial text for the militia section presents a two-page history of the militia and their insignia that is extremely useful in understanding the material that follows. At the end of the book there are two pages of four sketches and text of proposed cap plates that were found in the National Archives. These deal with an Infantry cap plate 1816-1820, Light Artillery cap plate 1816-1820, Rifleman cap plate 1817-1820 and Militia Artillery 1819-1825. Those interested in the Civil War will not be disappointed as there are numerous pages of headgear insignia and photos of soldiers wearing that insignia. There are also some exceptional single photos of Civil War enlisted and officer caps and hats. American Military Headgear Insignia is an exceptional work which will be with us for many years. Authors Campbell and O’Donnell are to be commended for sharing their knowledge and time to give us this book. A well-written and researched text, wonderful photography and insignia organization are paramount. This book is in hardcover and the paper quality is excellent. This publication is a must for headgear insignia collectors, researchers, museum personnel, relic hunters and anyone who is interested in American military history within this time frame. Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore.
Dale E. Biever
Dale E. Biever received his M.Ed. in American history from Kutztown University. He is past vice president for administration and former member of the Board of Governors of the Company of Military Historians. A retired educa-tor, he was registrar at the Civil War Library and Museum in Philadelphia.
|
|
| Use these links to navigate on CWN's web site Home / Calendar / News
/ Opinion / Civil
War on the Internet |
|