|
Hat Cockades and Badges |
|||
|
NEWSLETTER: The New Tropical Telegraph WEAPONS Back to agmohio Bill Combs online showroom
|
One of the most distinctive pieces of insignia worn by Spanish colonial troops, and thus one of the most popular souvenirs for American troops, was the red and yellow national colors cockade worn on the side of the straw hat. These are generally made of worsted wool over a pasteboard base with a cord loop in branch of service color and a unit button. The cockade normally had wires to attach it to the hat. Variations in silk and painted metal are also known. Shown here are some of the cockades from my collection with identifications. Many thanks to Fernando Camareno for his comments and additional information.
Photo detail courtesy of Agustin Garces Amo
A. Regular Infantry (Infantería de Linea): red cord with Infantry Button. The Artillery and Engineers should have the same cord color but with their respective buttons. B. Light Infantry (Cazadores): green cord with Infantry Button. Volunteer Infantry units would also wear green cord and may have buttons with numbered hunter's horn insignia. This cockade was the souvenir of Lt. Fred W. Green, Co. G, 31st. Michigan Infantry. C. Cavalry (Caballeriá): white cord and Cavalry button. Some references state that the cord should be red for Cavalry. Additional information is welcome. D. Volunteers of Puerto Rico: yellow cord with unit button.
Reverse of two of the cockades shown above (A and D) showing the pasteboard backing and the wire attachments.
E. Variation Infantry cockade made of silk, without colored cord. F. Officer's cockade with rank bar, in this case that of a 1st. Lieutenant. Silver braid indicates either Cavalry or Engineers. Infantry and Artillery officers would have worn gold braid.
Hat insignia for Volunteer units during the Ten Years War period (1868-1878). There is some evidence that suggests some Volunteer units may have continued to wear this pattern badge into the Spanish American War period. Much research is still needed in the field of the Volunteers' uniforms.
G. Havana Municipal Police. H. Civil Guards (Guardia Civil): Elite paramilitary police responsible for scouting and intelligence for the army as well as anti insurgent operations in rural areas.
I. Engineers (Ingenieros) Green cord with silver Engineer button. Although some period sources indicate that the cord should be red, all Engineer cockades that I have examined have had green cords.
J. Officer of Pioneer Troops (Gastadores), 2nd. Lieutenant rank indicated by the gold braid bar over a silver one. Every Infantry and Volunteer unit had a detachment of Pioneers that acted as combat engineers to their commands. They carried as their insignia the tools of their trade; the shovel, ax, maul and rope.
K. Infantry cockade of stamped sheet brass with painted finish. The center is pierced to mount the branch of service button, in this case a brass Infantry button. The reverse has a simple pin and "C" catch attachment. This particular cockade is still with its original "Jipijapa" straw hat brought home as a souvenir by an America soldier named J. B. Stantral. Click here to view this hat.
Pith helmets of white canvas cover cork were regulation headgear for many troops in Puerto Rico and the Philippines. These helmets carried bore stamped metal front plates in the design of their respective Corps.
Puerto Rican pattern Infantry plate of stamped brass with painted cockade. The reverse has a slider attachment roughly engraved with the owner's name "Ricardo Moreno". The mounted troops used a similar plate in silver colored metal.
Philippine pattern Engineers plate of nickel with four loop attachments. A cloth National cockade would have been worn behind the crown.
Philippine Volunteer plate for the Carabineros de Filipinas, with four loop attachments. A cloth National cockade would have been worn behind the crown.
|
