Plate with a stamped brass eagle design from a cartridge box belt
date: label: Date
content: 1862-1865
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Warren H. Wilkinson, American
notes: label: Description
content: Depicted at the center of a circular brass plate is a spread eagle bearing
label: Description
content: three arrows in his proper right claw and an olive branch in his proper left claw. A pair of raised circles decorates the edge. A pair of eyehooks on the reverse indicates that the plate was attached to a leather cartridge box belt. Two holes would have been punched in the belt and a leather tie was threaded through the eyehooks to secure the plate. In 1862, the U.S. government contracted for the purchase of cartridge box belt plates at a cost of $.06 per item.
label: Description
content: The eagle plate, often referred to as a Dingee eagle plate for its first manufacturer, became part of military equipment for enlisted men and non-commissioned officers beginning in 1833. At first it was made in white metal but yellow metal was designated for use in 1839. In 1865, soldiers were ordered to remove the plates in the field, since they provided targets for enemy fire, but they continued to be worn on dress uniforms until 1873. The eagle plate was worn on the strap at the center front, as can seen in the ambrotype just described, although the eagle decoration is obscured by the musket in the ambrotype.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Military Uniforms
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.4.3
objectType: label: Type
content: medallions (medals)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: brass (alloy) , lead and iron
label: Dimensions
content: 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 5/8 in. (6.4 x 6.4 x 1.6 cm)