Brass Heart Breatplate...?

[Mike Ventura]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

Jerry:

Are you saying "military issue" when you might mean "military usage?" If you mean "military issue," please site your references that the article described was issued as military equipment.

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

If you're on Facebook look up Jerry Wilkins and go to photos.
Jerry Wilkins
Westmoreland, Tn

Jerry, I tried... there are 66 results for your name on facebook... could you be more specific? Thanks.

Mike, I obviously haven't seen the pictures yet... but could it possibly be from the Grimsley equipments? Hence the high price tag on the other? Hopefully someone wasn't suckered with an artifake... I'm not really up on what the Grimsley equipments deal was(and I don't have my note / references ... it seems that it was maybe regiment over company on their equipments, but I’m not sure... can anyone else shed some light?
Thanks, TEH

[jerryace]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

Try going to "civil war relic collectors" on facebook. The picture is on there. Either side of it is a Confederate cast I button and a Confederate staff officers button. You can find my facebook site by looking for my name and putting in Westmoreland, Tn as a search site.
Jerry Wilkins

[jerryace]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

Found out I can do it this way:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...00000474513787

Jerry Wilkins

[RCR001]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

This is usually the kind of thing I know about and likewise get in trouble for mentioning. I offer the following estimation in the spirit of friendship and fraternal brotherly love in hopes that it might help someone else discover the truth.

I have read a book or two and this is in my sweet spot of knowledge, but for the life of me, I cannot put my finger directly upon the source. I will say, the heart has long been a symbol of love and affection. Long before the American Civil War, a trooper's life depended upon his horse. He loved his horse and his horse loved him. The heart shaped breastplate was a sign of that love. If a horse had rendered some special type of service, i.e., hauled his arse out of the fire, a trooper, cavalier, knight of old, might've adorned his horse with a heart shaped breastplate.

That's why its on Bucephelus.

P.S. Here is a link to an image of John Hunt Morgan and his good horse Black Bess. She's wearing it.



It isn't just a southern thing either.

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

Jerry, Kick ass plate... It's cool the "US" matches the infantry belt and box plate...

John, With all due respect to our modern military color guards and the Old Guard, please, please, please do not expect modern soldiers to be accurate or authentic in their representation of historical horse gear. If you look up the USMC Color Guard or the Fort Carson Mounted Color Guard, they are not using historical horse gear... yet brass heart breast plates still prevail... The FCMCG represent circa 1874, but their leads are yellow just like their kerchiefs and coat trim...they really do look like something from the Fort Apache movie... Also we must consider the source of the equipments the current military is using... my $0.02. TEH

[Ken Knopp]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

Just back from another CW horse equipment "pilgrimage". I am re energized, pumped full of information and loaded with new artifact photos. Here is a sample of three breast plates I photographed.
The yellow heart is Dragoon off of an officer Grimsley. The brass Eagle heart is a Federal war time officers and the last one is another unknown. Anyway, variances but should not be confused with Federal enlisted men's which generally were NOT an issue item despite our oft-seen reenactorisms. In other words, these are simply eye-candy. Do not attempt this at home!

Look for these and a bunch more good stuff to be added to the web site soon!

Ken R Knopp

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

[Thom]

Re: Brass Heart Breatplate...?

In 1986 I acquired a collection of local artifacts with Confederate provenance, all from the Jacksonville, Florida area. Every item checked out; some flower buttons, confederate cartridge box and cap pouch finials, etc. Along with them was a rosette of a crude heart in a circle, stamped brass with an iron back. I have been told these were fairly common in Confederate Cavalry units, but I am not an authority on cavalry equipment, tack, etc. Anyone know anything about the "Heart in a circle" rosette?
-Thom Parham