There were four battalions of Brunswick infantry in America during the Revolution. The grenadiers of each battalion wore caps whose front plates were of an identical design. For Specht and von Rhetz, the metal was plain brass. For Riedesel and Prinz Friedrich, the brass was silvered.

The best-known design of all Hessian caps worn during the American Revolution. In addition to being worn by grenadiers & fusiliers of von Knyphausen, sources suggest that a silvered version was worn by grenadiers of Garde-Regiment zu Fuss, the 2nd & 3rd battalions (the lion painted white with 4 red bars), von Huyne, von Mirbach, and von Stein. Fusiliers of the Regiment von Lossberg were issued caps of this design in brass prior to 1785, perhaps after the unit was re-constituted in 1777.

This is a reconstruction based on the 1785 Darmstadter Handschrift. The cap was worn by all companies of the regiment until 1786, when bearskin caps were issued to the flank companies of the first and second battalion.

This is based on a conjectural rendering by Wolf von Hagen, which in turn is based on a description in the Buchsweiler Inventar.

Based on 3 sources cited in an article by Dr. Hans Bleckwenn. Positions and proportions of major design elements are taken from a photograph of a cap of the regiment c. 1751, when the Landgraf of Hessen-Kassel was also King of Sweden. To update for use in the American Revolution, crowns & heraldry have been made exclusively Hessian. Smaller details, especially architectural elements & borders, are based on a late 18th century designer's proposal or prototype for a similar cap for Hessen-Darmstadt. Brass plate & silver escutcheon are used for von Donop; silvered plate & gold escutcheon for Leibregiment.

Front: 23.3 cm. Back: 10.6 cm. "(Buchsweiler Inv. 46) The bag is Peachblossom (Pfirsischblueth), the three seams covered with diced white tape. The headband is white, bordered with the same tape; at the rear is a silvered plate in the shape of a burning grenade; at each side is a flame. The front shield is silvered; in the middle a large Prussian crowned eagle with armatures of war, below which on both sides are lying two shields; on the right one is the FR cypher; on the left one is the star of an order; in both corners are two burning grenades. The Puschel is peachblossom red. (47) The same, but with striped tape, rather than diced. (400) Prototype cap "von Bevern". Colours as (46). White tape. The backplate is a flaming granade on a background of scales; each side plate is a flame. The front plate of white metal; at the right side, "FR" cypher, at the left the star of an order, in the middle an open helm, above which is a crowned eagle and armatures of war. The Puschel is peachblossom." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p.18)

Front: 26 cm. Side: 8 cm. There do not appear to be any surviving specimens or photographs of the back plate(s), so the drawing by Menzel, on which Gay based his work, will also be the basis for this reconstruction, using Bleckwenn's approximate height measurement (8 cm., of the side plate only) as a guide. The coloured oval disk on the front plate appears to be an insert: it is described as "enamelled". The leonine figures at the bottom corners, the cartouche with cypher and surrounding elements are similar, if not identical on the caps of IR 40. "(11/13) The bag is white: the three seams covered by diced red tape. The headband is of white metal: at the rear is a crowned FR cypher, below which and on both sides are armatures of war. The front shield is of white metal; in the centre is an enamelled blue shield with the black Prussian eagle, crowned gold, in whose right talon a sword, and in the left thunderbolts, with the motto PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA. Above this is a crown. Below it is the star of a Prussian order, surmounted by a crown, flanked by two reclining lions. At the four sides of the enamel are the crowned "FR" cyphers. The Puschel is white and black" (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 23.

Front: 23.2. Back: 9.8. "(179) The bag is white, the seams covered by white tape with a red zig-zag. THe rear plate, yellow metal, is a grenade with a single flame. There are flame badges on both sides. The front plate is yellow metal; below on the right side is the star of an order, above which is an open helm; on the left side a crowned "FR" cypher; above this a crowned eagle in holding a sward in his right talon a sword and thunderbolts in his left, all surrounded by PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA, among armtaures of war. The Puschel is Saxon green, red and white in the middle." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 39)

Front: 23.7 cm. Back: 10.6 cm. "(61) The bag is blue. The tape along its three seams is white, then green, with a central red stripe. The headband is red and bordered with the same tape . . . (363. 364) Colours as for 61. The front plate is yellow metal; at the bottom a crowned eagle, in the middle a shield with the initials "FR", above which is a grotesque mask; above this are two eagles, surmounted by a crown, surrounded by armatures of war. The Puschel is red, in the middle white and green crossed." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 44)

Front: 24.2 cm. Back: 9.5 cm. "(81) The bag is orange, the three seams covered with a white and red tape. The back plate is yellow metal with armatures of war surmounted by a flaming grenade. At each side is a flame badge. The front plate is of yellow metal, in the middle a flying eagle holding a sword in his right talon and thunderbolts in his left, with the inscription PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA, over which is a seashell and above that a crown. At the base is the cypher FR. The Puschel is white and orange, with a red centre." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 64)

Front: 24.2 cm. Side: 7.6 cm. Back: 11.4 cm. The bottom portion of this front plate, consisting of the trapezoidal pediment common to many designs, is identical to the same element of the Hessian fusilier cap (von Knyphausen) with the only differences being the Prussian crown and cypher instead of the Hessian crown and cypher. The border design of five parallel ridges is also identical. "(74) The bag is blue, the three seams covered wiuth white tape. The headband is of white metal. At the rear are armatures of war surmounted by a flaming grenade. The front plate is silvered, with a large crowned eagle, bearing in his right talon a scepter and in his left an orb, on his breat the crowned cypher FR. Below this is a shield with the cypher FR, surmounted by a crown, flanked by armatures of war. The Puschel is white, blue, white, with a red centre" (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 65.

Front: 23.3 cm. Back: 9.1 cm. To date, this is the best "documented" of the Prussian line infantry plates. There are originals at Rastatt and at the Zeughaus. Merta shows photos of the fusilier, grenadier, and grenadier NCO variants from several angles. The design is extremely similar to that of the grenadier and fusilier caps of IR41, and the fusilier cap of IR 48, with the eagle and cypher trading places. "(72) The bag is yellow, with the three seams covered by white tape, striped red. The headband is yellow, bordered by the same tape. The rear badge is white metal, the design pierced, consisting of the FR cypher on an eagle amidst armatures of war. A flame badge at each side. The front plate consists of the cypher FR in the centre, above which is an eagle under a baldachin, surmounted by a crown. Below this is a Prussian eagle, grasping a sword in his right talon and thunderbolts in his left, with the inscription PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA, amidst armatures of war. The Puschel is red, white, red." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p.66)

Front: 23.3 cm. Back: 8.6 cm. "(107) The bag and headband are peachblossom red. The border and trimming tape is white with peach dots. The back badge is silvered, consisting of a crowned eagle on whose breast is FR. On each side, a flame badge. The front plate is silvered, in the centre a crowned eagle holding a sword in his right talon and thunderbolts in his left. Above this is a crown. Below it is a crowned FR cypher flanked by armatures of war, and at the base in each corner is a reclining lion. The Puschel is white and peachblossom." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 69)

Grenadier cap. Front: 23.5 cm. Back: 10.2 Fusilier cap. Side: 8.1 cm. "(373) The bag is crimson. The three seams are covered with white tape having a crimson central stripe. The headband is crimson, trimmed with the same tape. The brass rear badge is the star of an order flanked by perched eagles over armatures of war. There is a flame badge on each side. The brass front plate has at the bottom an FR cypher and in the middle a crowned eagle holding a sword in his right talon and lightning bolts in his left, with the inscription PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA. There is a crown at the top, with armatures of war surrounding all. The Puschel is crimson; later it will become white with a crimson centre." (Bleckwen, "Urkunden", p. 70)

Grenadier cap. Front: 23.6 cm. Back: 9.5 cm. Fusilier cap. Side: 8.1 cm. The front, back and side plates of IR42 and G VIII appear to be identical, with the regimental caps distinguished from each other only in the colour of the bag, tape, and Puschel. For Infanterie-Regiment 42: "(35.) The bag is orange. The three seams are covered with white tape, having two yellow stripes between which runs a wavey strip, also yellow. The headband is orange, bordered with the same tape. The brass back badge is a flaming grenade with the FR cypher surrounded by armatures of war. There is a flame badge at each side. The front plate is brass. In the middle is a crowned Prussian eagle with the inscription PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA. Above this is a crown and below it is a crowned FR cypher. The Puschel is white, yellow, with a white centre." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p.71) Bleckwenn suggests that the stripes woven into the tape should be described as orange rather than yellow, and Gay has in fact depicted them as orange. For Stehendes-Grenadier-Bataillon VIII: "(116.) The bag and headband are black. The three seams of the former and the edge of the latter are trimmed with white diced tape...The Puschel is peachblossom red." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 79)

Grenadier cap. Front: 24 cm. Back 10.3 cm. Fusilier cap. Side: 8.2 cm. Back: 9.6 cm. "(103) The bag is white. The tape trimming along the seams is yellow with a white centre. The headband is orange, trimmed with the same tape. The brass back badge is a grotesque mask. There is a flame badge on each side. The brass front plate has a crowned eagle in the centre, holding a sword in his right talon and thunderbolts in his left, arching over which is PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA, surmounted by a kettledrum and trumpets. There is a crown at the top. At the bottom is a crowned FR cypher flanked by armatures of war. The Puschel is orange with a white centre." (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 71)

Grenadier cap. Front: 24.4 cm. Back: 9.3 cm. Fusilier cap. Side: 8.3 cm. Back: 8.3 cm. "(375) The bag is white. The seams are covered with red tape, having two black stipes and a central stripe of green. The headband is blue, with an edging of the same tape. The brass back badge is a flaming grenade. There is a flame badge at each side. The brass front plate has the chain of an order at the base, with the star of an order in the centre, over which is a crown. Above this all is a crowned Prussian eagle, holding a sword in his right talon and thunderbolts in his left. Above this an inscription PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA, along with armatures of war. The Puschel is red, black, with a green centre" (Bleckwenn, "Urkunden", p. 74) In his illustration of the tape, Gay shows a central stripe of yellow, rather than green. Similarly, he show the Puschel as red, black, and yellow.

Eventually every known Prussian cap design will be reproduced. The order in which they will be made is determined by the quality of available documentation. Perhaps the best documented plate is from IR 35, so it is the first in this series. Front plates for the following regiments are currently on the drawing board: 11, 17, 20, 33, 34, 41, 42, G VIII, 43, and the Mineurs.

Europäische Helme aus der Sammlung des Museums für Deutsche Geschichte, by Heinrich Müller and Fritz Kunter (Militärverlag der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, Berlin. 1972)

Die Uniformierung, Das Heerwesen in Brandenburg und Preuβen von 1640 bis 1806, by Klaus-Peter Merta (Brandenburgisches Verlaghaus, Berlin. 1991)

Urkunden und Kommentare zur Entwicklung der altpreuβischen Uniform als Erscheinungsbild und gesellschaftliche Manifestation, by Dr. Hans Bleckwenn (Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück. 1971)

Grenadiermützen der Armee Friedrichs des Grossen by Alfred Gay, Geschicthe der Grenadiere Friedrichs des Grossen by Siegfried Fiedler (Schild-Verlag, München. 1981)

Das Heerwesen, Das Heerwesen in Brandenburg und Preuβen von 1640 bis 1806 by Olaf Groehler (Brandenburgisches Verlaghaus, Berlin. 2001)

Das Militär der Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel zwischen 1783 und 1789 by Georg Ortenburg (Deutschen Gesellschaft für Heereskunde e. V., Potsdam. 1999)

Military Fashion by John Mollo (G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. 1972)

Militaria, A Study of German Helmets and Uniforms 1729-1918 by Jan K. Kube (Schiffer, West Chester, Pennsylvania. 1990)

Altpreuβische Uniformfertigung als Vorstufe der Bekleidungsindustrie by Gisela Krause (Helmut Gerhard Schulz, Hamburg. 1965)

Description of the Hesse-Cassel Grenadier "Helmets" for the Period of the American Revolution by Wolf von Hagen (unpublished manuscript, 1971)

The Cut of Men's Clothes 1600-1800 by Norah Waugh (Theatre Arts Books, New York, 1964)

Heer und Tradition, Die historische Uniformierung, Ausrüstung, Bewaffnung und Feldzeichen in der geschichtlichen Entwicklung on Heer, Kriegsmarine und Luftwaffe der Welt (Die Ordens-Sammlung — Historia Antiquariat, Berlin)

Heere der Vergangenheit, Ihre Uniformierung, Bewaffnung, Ausrüstung und ihre Feldzeichen (Jürgen Olmes, Krefeld)