¶ Militia organizations generally modeled their uniforms rather closely on those of the Regular Establishment; of course, there were certain exceptions, notably the flamboyant Zouave units. However, the Militia often added additional trimmings that gave the "gay and gaudy" touch for which they were noted. Following the example of the Regulars, the Militia adopted coat-skirt ornaments almost immediately after their appearance in 1832. They used the regulation flaming grenades, open and looped horns, and 5-and 6-pointed stars, but in both gold and silver on varicolored backgrounds and in a wide variety of sizes. They also used a number of peculiarly Militia forms, such as crossed-cannon, elements of state seals, and devices peculiar to specific units. COAT-SKIRT ORNAMENT, ARTILLERY, C. 1836 _USNM 604961-M (S-K 1105). Figure 193._ [Illustration: FIGURE 193] Typical of Militia coat-skirt ornaments is this pair of crossed cannon devices for Militia artillery. They are of gold embroidery on a background of black velvet. Similar pairs in the national collections are embroidered in silver. The Regular artillery never wore the crossed cannon device on the skirt of the coat; so used, it was exclusively a Militia ornament. COAT-SKIRT ORNAMENT, SOUTH CAROLINA, C. 1836 _USNM 604963 (S-K 1107). Figure 194._ [Illustration: FIGURE 194] Another coat-skirt ornament with an even more distinctly Militia touch is this small palmetto tree of gold embroidery, with sequins, on black wool cloth. As the palmetto tree is the basic device of the South Carolina seal (see pp. 81 and 83), this specimen must be attributed to the Militia of that state. ¶ Most Militia cartridge-box plates made in the decade after 1841 were oval, following the pattern of the Regulars. While a few of these varied from the prescribed sizes, most were almost identical in both size and shape to those of the Regular Establishment, but with strictly Militia ornamentation. The exact years in which these plates were produced cannot be determined, but it is reasonably sure that they were supplied to Militia for some years prior to the opening of the Civil War. Not included here are similar types known to have been made for units born of the war as the Pennsylvania Fire Zouaves, Pennsylvania Home Guard, Pennsylvania Reserve Brigade, and the Ohio Volunteer Militia. Cartridge-box and waist-belt plates often are identical except for the methods of attachment. The plates for cartridge boxes have two wire loops imbedded in the backing (see fig. 90), while those for waist belts have one or two round, or sometimes arrowheaded, prongs on one side of the reverse, and with a narrow tongue on the opposite side bent parallel to the plane of the plate (see fig. 91). CARTRIDGE-BOX PLATE, C. 1841 _USNM 60400-M (S-K 156). Figure 195._ [Illustration: FIGURE 195]