Secretary Woodbury directed a board of revenue officers to design a distinctive uniform without epaulettes. Failing to dissuade them from these shoulder decorations, the secretary retaliated by changing the color to gray. This uniform was apparently unanimously disliked in the Revenue Service. Their argument was the same as that used in the Civil War Confederate Navy: whoever heard of a sailor in a gray uniform?
The description of the new uniform began with a dark gray cloth coat with the nine button lapels and four on the cuffs and pocket flaps, one on the hip and three on the skirts. A band of black braid was worn above the cuffs and the braid was also to be on the outer seam of either gray or white pants.
A black silk cravat and buff vest with nine buttons were worn, with a black belt for the sword. The undress uniform was single-breasted with a standing braided collar. The dress uniform had a more modern looking rolling collar. Rank was distinguished by epaulettes and a descending number of buttons. Third lieutenants also omitted the braid on the cuff. The regulations authorized a plain cocked hat.
Under these regulations, petty officers and seamen wore jackets with five buttons. Under this was a white frock with blue facings on the collar and on the breast with a blue star in each corner of the collar as well as on the breast. The men wore white or blue trousers, depending on the season, along with a blue belt. Considering the officer's uniform controversy, it is curious that the enlisted men were given blue jackets. The button prescribed was no longer the national eagle or shield. It was impressed with the shield of the Treasury Department, with its balance motif, on a fouled anchor.
Such was the unpopularity of this gray uniform that within two years it succumbed to its critics and blue returned. However,replica chanel j12, the black braid and other details remained.
The cocked hat however,rolex stainless steel, went from plain to ornate with gold tassels, four rows of gold bullion diagonally from top to bottom and a rosette on the left side. The two-piece sword belt clasp was to have the Treasury arms and anchor design in the center, surrounded by a burnished gold rim. For undress, a Navy regulation cloth cap was designated with two gold bands a half-inch wide. Two years subsequent to these regulations shoulder straps were authorized.
The next major uniform change would come in the Civil War years, although minor changes were introduced in the 1840s and 1850s. In 1843, regulations described the earliest known Revenue service sword. This was a straight sword with Roman hilt and spring guard with elaborate engraving on the blade. Decorated with the spread eagle,Men Rolex Datejust, the national shield, and a blue and gold bullion and silk sword knot, this was called the most handsome the service ever authorized. Prior to this regulation, swords were apparently either Navy type or left to the individual's preference.
In 1844, further means were sought to distinguish the revenue uniform from the Navy's. To accomplish this, the epaulettes, which were described as plain in the earlier regulations, were to be decorated with an anchor surmounting the Treasury shield. The same device was to be on the cap band. With typical service cost consciousness, the same die was to be used for both cap and epaulette devices, with the latter in silver and the cap ornament in gold. Captain Fraser, senior officer of the service at the time, wrote that if all the officers cooperated and had these fabricated at the same place, the cost could be kept down to $5 each.
New vessel technology resulted in additions to the uniform regulations in 1845. Three years earlier, the first steam vessels were authorized for the Revenue Service. The first to go in commission were the Spencer and Legare, in 1844. At first, steam-engineering personnel were appointed on a temporary basis. Later, they were commissioned as officers: chief engineers or assistant engineers. The higher rank wore the first lieutenants uniform without the epaulette or strap, but wore the Treasury arms embroidered on the collar in gold. The third lieutenant's uniform was to be the assistant engineer's dress with the collar embroidery in silver.
Changes in shoulder decorations came in 1853. Secretary James Guthrie ordered that lieutenants of all grades wear both epaulettes in their full dress uniforms. The shoulder strap was officially authorized at this time, although some unofficial straps may have appeared as early as 1838. Originally, the strap on the shoulder was simply a device to attach an epaulette. The number of epaulettes and their position showed rank, thus rank could still be determined by these straps, even when the epaulettes were not being worn.
In the Navy, narrow lace shoulder straps were authorized in 1830 and rank distinguishing devices were added to wider straps in 1840. In the Revenue Marine regulations of 1853, captains were designated by a fouled anchor, Treasury shield and a star above and below, plus the time honored bars at each end. Lieutenants lost one of the twin bars and second lieutenants lost stars as well. Third lieutenants wore a strap without devices on the field.
The straps themselves were of blue cloth with raised gold edgings. On the caps, the double gold bands were replaced by a single band of gold lace, one and one-half inches wide. In 1862, the major change was the elimination of the body coat (equivalent to today's cutaway coat). The officer's full dress was now a frock coat similar to the single-breasted undress coat, but double-breasted with the standard nine buttons per row. This uniform was, as far as a cut was concerned, identical to the standard undress Navy uniform of the Civil War era. In contrast to earlier uniforms, the Civil War uniforms were loose in cut, and, as evident in photos, more often than not showed a harvest of wrinkles. The dress and undress uniform coat was the same but epaulettes were designated for full dress and shoulder straps for undress wear. Two one-half inch gold lace stripes above each cuff identified a captain and lieutenants wore single stripes. The coats could be worn with single breasted buff, white, or blue vests, and either white or blue pants. White was authorized for warm climates.
While epaulettes were to be plain, both shoulder straps and cap ornaments designated rank. Oddly enough, the cap and strap ornaments did not necessarily match. The captain's wreath on his cap enclosed a Treasury shield but his shoulder straps had crossed anchors. The chief engineer's wreath enclosed a typical ship's paddle wheel motif and a star but on the strap there was a wheel with an anchor. All lieutenants had the shield and anchor on both cap and straps, but twin bars were authorized for first lieutenants, single bars for second lieutenants and no bars for third lieutenants. Assistant engineers had either a paddle wheel or omitted the wheel on both cap and straps. These regulations called for a navy regulation sword: a curved hilt weapon with typical oval hand guard. However, the earlier type, mentioned previously, remained in use. A straw hat with black band was allowed for summer wear.
Petty officers were authorized a double-breasted blue jacket with nine buttons on the lapels and blue pantaloons. All other enlisted men (seamen, firemen, coal passers, stewards, cooks and boys) wore white or blue frocks with opposite color facings. Blue or white trousers could be worn with blue cloth cap or a low crowned, wide-brimmed straw hat. The latter was common 19th century naval attire and usually was worn for summer or tropical duty.
New uniform regulations issued in 1864 mainly changed the rank designations. Now four one-half inch sleeve stripes marked the Revenue Marine captain. A space of one-half inch separated the upper stripe from the other three, which were separated by only the one-quarter inch.
Additionally, a small embroidered national shield was placed above the stripes on the sleeve. Cap and shoulder strap devices were again changed. Captains now had crossed anchors on both headgear and shoulders, as well as gold leaves at each end of the straps. Lieutenants now had a national shield, stripes and three stars, in place of the Treasury shield. The paddle wheel cap ornament for engineers remained, but twin bars were added to the straps for chief engineers, single bars for first assistants, and no bars for second assistants. Chief engineers had three sleeve stripes, assistants two and one for first and second engineers, respectively.
At this time there were few distinguishing features for revenue officer uniforms, compared to the Navy. Shoulder strap devices were gold rather than silver, engineers had a paddle wheel as opposed to a four leaf stylized ship's prop and Naval officers had no device above the cuff stripes, except for executive stars for line officers. Note also that both services abolished the cocked hat for full dress during the war.
After a couple of decades of general satisfaction with the uniform, 1871 brought another controversial set of regulations. These called for the reinstatement of the swallowtail coat, this time with seven buttons per lapel and four buttons on the cuffs. These buttons bore the treasury shield with U to the left and S to the right. The vest was also seven-buttoned and the blue or white pants had a black silk cord decorating the outside seam. The undress coat was a seven button double-breasted version of the popular civilian sack coat which was very similar to the modern suit coat.
However, the controversy over these new uniforms did not center on the cut or style, but on the ornaments and devices. Shoulder straps and lace were abandoned and the rolling collar was decorated with a horizontal foul anchor, with an oak leaf perpendicular to the anchor's shank and the letters U. S. R. M. in Old English forming an arc around the upper part of the leaf. Epaulettes displayed the fouled anchor with oak leaves which was patterned after the U. S. Naval lieutenant commanders device. The U.S.R.M. in Old English was also arched over a vertical anchor on the cap.
The lieutenant's uniform substituted bars on the collar for the oak leaf. Engineers wore an embroidered four-bladed propeller. These devices, particularly the Old English letters, were described as the poorest and ugliest ever authorized - and, due to their small size, nearly un-decipherable from a distance. Many officers simply refused to comply with the new regulations.
In two years the objectionable features were discarded officially and shoulder straps were restored. At this time the cap ornament was standardized for all officers. This was the spread eagle with shield grasping a fouled anchor and a semi-circle of thirteen stars. The basic elements of this emblem have remained unchanged ever since, with only the elimination of the stars and re-configuration of the eagle's wings.
New regulations were promulgated in 1878, reverting to the nine button double-breasted frock coat for undress use. The tail coat was retained for full dress.
The sack coat was authorized for off duty and watchstanding. This was single-breasted with five buttons and was worn without lace or shoulder straps. The cap no longer had gold braid around it but instead had a black band of silk between upper and lower welts. It was now the same diameter on top as on the base. The sword was no longer the Navy type but was double-edged, with dagger hilt and white grip, 26 to 29 inches long.
Epaulettes continued in the 1871 pattern. The center device on the shoulder straps for line officers was a foul anchor with a perpendicular shield. Captains had oak leaves at each end and lieutenants the familiar bars. The obsolete paddle wheel on engineer's straps was replaced by a four-bladed propeller and the number of bars at the ends denoted the ranks. Rank devices on sack coats were similar to the shoulder straps. They were sewn on the collars and consisted of oak leaves and bars, accompanied by a shield for all except engineers.
No major changes were introduced in the Revenue service uniform until 1891, when fashion again changed the look of military dress in general. New to the Revenue Service was the military tunic. This item had been introduced into the Navy in the 1870s and its type can still be seen at military academies. It is a tight-fitting, single-breasted coat with low-standing collar. The most distinctive characteristic is the fly-front, concealing the buttons. The Revenue Cutter Service version of this was dark blue with a trim of black mohair braid, one and one-quarter inch wide. Inside this was narrow silk braid edging. Grade designators were the same in number and width as the dress uniforms but in black braid. For summer, a white duck version was authorized, trimmed with linen braid. This was designated the service coat and was standard until around WWI. (Note that early in the 1890s, the service discarded the title Revenue Marine and Revenue Cutter Service became the official designation.)
Also in 1891 an optional full dress uniform for social occasions was authorized. This was cut away as was the full dress but with a rolling collar and five buttons worn with a low cut waistcoat, single-breasted with four revenue buttons. Worn without epaulettes or shoulder straps, this was similar to the formal tuxedo of civilian dress but with cuff braid and shield device on the sleeves.
The headgear of the 1891 regulations included a cocked hat of black beaver, with a cockade on the right side. For service and undress, a helmet was authorized. This was made of cork or other suitable material with a high crown and narrow brim. It was covered with light tan linen duck. This tropical helmet was similar to British colonial uniform headgear.
Petty officers were allowed a double-breasted coat with rolling collar. Cooks and stewards wore a single-breasted coat, but with rubber-like buttons rather than the revenue buttons of the double-breasted coat. Other enlisted personnel still retained the sailor suit of traditional design, complete with flat hat with its black ribbon hanging behind. The name of the wearer's vessel was in gilt around the front of the ribbon.
Rating badges were worn on the right coat sleeve. A boatswain wore crossed anchors; a gunner wore crossed gun barrels; a master-at-arms wore crossed keys over an anchor; a quartermaster wore crossed flags below a ship's wheel; a coxswain wore an arrow crossing an anchor; and an oiler wore a propeller.
In 1902, probably as the result of the service's cooperation with the navy during the Spanish American War, Revenue Cutter Service officers were given relative rank with naval officers. Three years later, new sleeve insignia were prescribed. Three stripes now indicated a captain: a narrow center stripe, with a half-inch wide stripe above and below. First lieutenants wore two-half inch stripes; second lieutenants, one stripe of half-inch braid below a quarter-inch stripe; and third lieutenants, one narrow stripe.
No comments:
Post a Comment