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U.S. Civil War Hats
The headgear worn by soldiers during the Civil War presents a fascinating topic. Before the adoption of metal helmets for cranial protection, hats played a significant role in denoting rank, indicating branch of service, and serving as a means of personal expression, as exemplified by the distinctive plume worn by JEB Stuart.Lloyd W Klein explains.
Stonewall Jackson in a forage cap.Kepi & Forage CapThe kepi had been the most common headgear in the French Army. Its predecessor originally appeared during the 1830s, in the course of the initial stages of the occupation of Algeria, as a series of various lightweight cane-framed cloth undress caps called casquette d’Afrique. These were intended as alternatives to the heavier, cloth-covered leather French Army shako. As a light and comfortable headdress, it was adopted by the metropolitan (French mainland) infantry regiments for service and daily wear, with the less practical shako being relegated to parade use.Etymologically, the term is a loanword of French: képi, itself a re-spelled version of the Alemannic German: Käppi, a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning “cap”. Modern-day baseball caps are the direct descendant of kepis.In 1852, a new soft cloth cap was introduced for the campaign and off-duty. Called bonnet de police à visière, this was the first proper model of the kepi. The visor was generally squarish in shape and oversized and was referred to as bec de canard (duck bill). This kepi had no chinstrap (jugulaire). Subsequent designs reduced the size of the cap and introduced chinstraps and buttons.The kepi became well known outside France during the Crimean War and was subsequently adopted in various forms by many other armies (including the U.S. and Russia) during the 1860s and 1870s.The kepi emerged as the quintessential hat associated with Union soldiers, largely due to the superior options available to their Southern counterparts. Characterized by its flat circular crown and a prominent visor, the kepi featured a leather or cloth peak and a chinstrap made of either leather or cord.Among Union forces, a style often referred to as the McClellan cap, was prevalent, with officers frequently embellishing their caps in accordance with French fashion influences. This style had a flat top and squared visor.The forage cap, or bummer cap, called the McDowell cap, had a curved top based on the model 1858 forage cap This shapeless design was particularly favored by the eastern Union army, while troops in the West tended to opt for broad-brimmed felt hats. Some southern troops also wore a forage cap, most notably Stonewall Jackson.Regulations established by the U.S. Army mandated that insignia be affixed to the top of the cap, displaying the branch of service—whether infantry, cavalry, or artillery—at the center, with the company letter positioned above and the regimental number below. In 1863, the Army of the Potomac introduced the corps badge as a means to enhance troop morale, which was subsequently incorporated onto the cap. For infantry soldiers, a bugle horn was placed beneath the disk, featuring the regimental number inscribed within the horn, the company letter situated above it, and the corps badge positioned at the top. However, it was common for soldiers to lack this complete set of insignia, and at times, only the branch of service, company letter, or regimental number insignia was displayed. Additionally, some units opted for colored variations of these insignia.In the Confederate army, a color-coding system was employed to differentiate between various branches of service. The infantry was represented by blue, the cavalry by yellow, and the artillery by red.These were later changed to a thin band with the color of the branch wrapped around the base of the cap to identify the area of service. All uniforms regardless of being Union or Confederate had prominent markings on them which identified whether a soldier was an enlisted man or an officer. Slouch HatThe slouch hat is one of the most enduring icons of the Confederate soldier, ranking alongside his bedroll, shell jacket and pants cuffs tucked into his socks. Indeed, the slouch hat came to be the quintessential American military campaign headgear by the end of the Civil War. The Confederate slouch hat was adopted for numerous reasons: it was well-liked, practical and available (when caps were not). Despite the regulation prescribing the French kepi-style cap for wear by all soldiers and officers, many were not able to obtain the cap. They had to use the common citizen slouch hat. Moreover, the slouch hat was found to be more practical: it was comfortable and provided better protection against the elements.The slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat often, although not always, with a chinstrap. The name "slouch hat" refers to the fact that one side droops down as opposed to the other which is pinned against the side of the crown. The style is highly variable and personal, with various types of crowns and crown heights, brim widths and degrees of softness.This style of hat has been worn for many hundreds of years, especially during the English Civil War during the 17th century when it became associated with the forces of King Charles I, the Cavaliers, but it was also fashionable for the aristocracy throughout Europe.The slouch hat was introduced to this country by a spirited Hungarian patriot named Louis Kossuth. In 1852, Mr. Kossuth completed a speaking tour of our country where he sought and received a great deal of support for Hungarian liberties after his country had become dominated by the Czar of Russia. Louis Kossuth was described by William Cullen Bryant as a man who is “fearless, eloquent, large of heart and of mind, whose one thought is the salvation of oppressed Hungary, unfortunate, but undiscouraged, struck down in the battle of liberty, but great in defeat, and gathering strength for triumphs to come.” From a banquet in honor of Louis Kossuth with the Press of New York, December 9, 1851. Hardee HatThe Hardee hat, also known as the Model 1858 Dress Hat and nicknamed the "Jeff Davis", was the regulation dress hat for enlisted men in the Union Army. The Hardee hat was also worn by Confederate soldiers. However, most soldiers found the black felt hat to be too hot and heavy and preferred a forage cap or slouch hat. The Hardee hat was worn most often by western Union troops, but also by the Iron Brigade, which were popularly known as "The Black Hats".The hat was named after William J. Hardee, a career officer in the U.S. Army from 1838 until resigning his commission on January 31, 1861. Hardee was Commandant of Cadets at West Point from 1856 to 1860. Find that piece of interest? If so, join us for free by clicking here.Images
McClellan cap.
Different hats.
Regimental Lt Colonel kepi.
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