Historical Context
Editorially reviewedThe Artillery adopted crossed cannon in 1834 after briefly sharing the shell-and-flame device. Crossed cannon appeared on Civil War headgear and continued through late-19th-century dress regulations. By the First World War, collar devices and specialist artillery distinctions had changed their scale and surrounding elements, but the crossed tubes remained the branch’s central identifier.
Provenance: The Smithsonian’s Model 1858 Hardee hat and Civil War kepi provide surviving crossed-cannon examples. The Army’s 1888 uniform regulations specify two gold embroidered cannon crossed on dark-blue cloth with a silver regimental number at their intersection. U.S. Army historical artwork confirms bronzed crossed cannon on a First World War officer’s collar.
Research status: reviewed · reviewed 23/08/2026
Sources
4 referencesKepi worn by Henry S. Gansevoort, 5th U.S. Artillery
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, object nmah_446380. (Smithsonian Institution)
Supports: Documents metallic-thread crossed cannon on a kepi worn during the Civil War in 1862–63.
Regulations for the Uniform of the Army of the United States, May 1888
U.S. War Department, Regulations for the Uniform of the Army of the United States, May 1888. (U.S. War Department)
Supports: Specifies crossed embroidered cannon and the placement of a silver regimental number at their intersection.
U.S. Army Center of Military History, The American Soldier, Print Set 2. (U.S. Army Center of Military History)
Supports: Documents bronzed crossed cannon on a First World War artillery officer’s collar.
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, object nmah_445131. (Smithsonian Institution)
Supports: Documents a Model 1858 Army hat marked with crossed-cannon artillery insignia.
How to cite this page
Crossed Cannon Artillery Insignia — United States Army, 1830s–1918. Sanctum Hex Vault. Reviewed 23/08/2026. https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-crossed-cannon-artillery-insignia-united-states-army-1830s-1918
https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-crossed-cannon-artillery-insignia-united-states-army-1830s-1918Branch Device
Crossed Cannon Artillery Insignia — United States Army, 1830s–1918
Crossed gun tubes identified United States Army artillery from 1834, with regimental numbers, embroidery, metal finish and later specialist additions varying by pattern.
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