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MODEL 1881 SIGNAL CORPS
ENLISTED MAN’S DRESS HELMET – A RARE SPECIMEN IN
EXCELLENT COMPLETE CONDITION:
The Signal Corps was one of the smaller branches of the
Indian War era Army, resulting in a low survival rate of
their distinctive Model 1881 Dress Helmets. Due to most
of the soldiers and officers of the corps being assigned
individually or in small detachments in support of the
Artillery, Cavalry and Infantry regiments, much of their
contribution throughout the American West during the
Indian Wars has passed unnoticed, albeit unfairly.
In addition to
communicating on the battlefield via the use of the
semaphore flags that are featured in their 19th
Century insignia, the Signal Corps also staffed
telegraph stations and telephone exchanges in some of
the larger metropolitan areas. In 1870,
through an act of
Congress, the Signal Corps then under the command of
General Myers, was tasked with recording meteorological
observations at the military posts throughout the nation
and its territories, and via telegraph providing alerts
of the approach and force of developing storms. This
assignment was the birth of the U.S. Weather Bureau, and
in 1873 while attending the International Meteorological
Congress of Vienna, General Myers proposed a resolution
establishing a world wide network of weather stations
and providing for a daily exchange of weather
observations – effectively the genesis of the World
Meteorological Organization.
Arguably, the most renowned performance of the Indian
Wars-era Signal Corps was the successful use of the
heliographs which were employed against the Apaches
during the campaigns in the Arizona Territory. Having
established a chain of heliograph stations posted on
prominent mountain peaks throughout the area of
operations, observers were able to rapidly communicate
the position, numbers, and activities of the renegade
Apaches and by using this timely information, the field
commanders could deploy their troops to contain and
intercept the raiding parties.
US Army Signal Corps
soldiers manned these lonely stations to great effect
and one such soldier, Sergeant Will Croft Barnes, became
one of only five Signal soldiers to have received the
nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor, for his
actions at Fort Apache, Arizona Territory. On August
29, 1881 the Fort Apache commander, Colonel Eugene A.
Carr, set out with a column to arrest a medicine man at
a village on Cibecue Creek. Barnes remained behind at
the fort with about 70 other soldiers and civilians who
were isolated due to the Apaches having cut the
telegraph lines. Uncertain about the status of Carr's
expedition which was rumored to have been destroyed,
Barnes volunteered to climb a nearby 2,000 foot mesa
alone and use his signal flags to alert the post to any
threatening Indian activity. Instead of Indian movements
Barnes was able to signal the return of Carr's column.
During further operations, Barnes found himself involved
in several skirmishes while continuing to get messages
through via mounted courier. Barnes’ abilities as a
soldier and signalman impressed his superiors who
described him in the recommendation for the Medal of
Honor as being “prompt and unhesitating in the discharge
of all duties assigned to him, more than once being
exposed to great danger.”
Sgt. Barnes is captured in
the image below wearing his dress uniform. The sleeve
of his dress coat bears the Signal Corps brassard
comprised of the two crossed signal flags. He holds his
plumed Model 1881 Signal Corps Dress Helmet with the
helmet cords arranged properly around the collar of his
coat and secured to the epaulet button with the waffles
and tassels hanging down over his chest. Note that the
orange plume and cords, like the Cavalry yellow plumes
and cords, appear black in these period images – a
function of the photography process of that era.
This specimen of the Model
1881 Enlisted Man’s Signal Corps Dress Helmet is in
excellent condition. Complete with all of the original
correct trimmings and insignia, to include the plume,
plume holder, side buttons, rings, the proper staff
eagle plate with the German silver Signal Corps insignia
overlay, and of course a very nice helmet body.
The Signal Corps overlay on
the eagle plate and the insignia on the side buttons are
the early version featuring only the crossed signal
flags. The torch surmounting the crossed flags was
added to the corps’ insignia in 1885.
The helmet body is full
form with no crushing, breakage, loss of finish or other
damage. The inside surface of the sweat band retains
the legible US Quartermaster Department ink stamp and
maker’s contract stamp – “C. J. Heller”. The original
size sticker is still present at the back of the sweat
band and there is also the Hat Maker’s Union paper tag
between the sweat band and the body of the helmet.
The original plume and set
of cords on this helmet are in excellent condition and
both retain a bright, clean color. The plume falls
gracefully over the helmet with no tangles. The cords
are complete with all the trimmings and both sets of
waffles and tassels.
This is an outstanding
example of the relatively rare Signal Corps Dress Helmet
of a quality seldom encountered on today’s market and it
is one that would deserve to be displayed as a
centerpiece in your collection.
SOLD
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