Historical Context
Editorially reviewedThe Army adopted horn ornaments for infantry uniforms by 1832, and the device remained visible during the Civil War. Officer embroidery, enlisted brass insignia, cap devices and regimental-number arrangements varied. War Department General Order No. 96 of 19 November 1875 introduced crossed rifles for infantry, marking the horn’s replacement as the principal branch emblem.
Provenance: The entry is supported by the U.S. Army Center of Military History’s depiction of Civil War infantry branch insignia and by the Smithsonian-derived study American Military Insignia, 1800–1851, which catalogues paired silver horn ornaments for infantry officers in 1832. The broad 1832–1875 range describes a period of use, not one unchanged manufactured pattern.
Research status: reviewed · reviewed 23/08/2026
Sources
3 referencesNoncommissioned Officer: Images of an Army in Action
U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Noncommissioned Officer: Images of an Army in Action.” (U.S. Army Center of Military History)
Supports: Identifies the light-infantry horn as the infantry branch device on a Civil War uniform.
American Military Insignia, 1800–1851
Edgar M. Howell, American Military Insignia, 1800–1851, Smithsonian Institution Bulletin 235, 1963. (Smithsonian Institution)
Supports: Catalogues 1832 infantry officer coat-skirt horn ornaments in the United States National Museum collection and notes variation among examples.
Infantry Branch — crossed-rifle introduction
War Department General Order No. 96, 19 November 1875, as summarized in the U.S. Army infantry branch history. (War Department / secondary transcription)
Supports: Provides the order date for replacing the earlier infantry device with crossed rifles, effective by 1 June 1876.
How to cite this page
Infantry Hunting-Horn Insignia — United States Army, 1832–1875. 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-infantry-hunting-horn-insignia-united-states-army-1832-1875
https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-infantry-hunting-horn-insignia-united-states-army-1832-1875Branch Device
Infantry Hunting-Horn Insignia — United States Army, 1832–1875
A looped hunting horn served as a United States infantry branch device on uniforms before the Army introduced crossed rifles in 1875.
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