United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 - Libreria Militare Ares

NUMBER 30report, stated: "The hat proposed is in the opinionof the Board equally suitable for troops of all armsof the service and it is accordingly recommendedfor the whole Army, except for the Cavalry, as nonecessity appears to exist for changing the hat ofthis Corps." The board then supplied detailedmeasurements for the model and two identical patternhats made on request by Warnock and Co. ofNew York, one trimmed and one untrimmed."' InDecember 1858, Jesup, in answer to a query froman officer of the 1st Cavalry, wrote that the cost ofthe "Cavalry Hat complete, pattern of 1855 is11.46" and that "the cost of the Army Hat complete,pattern of 1858, is |3.37."" In 1859, one cavalryofficer, in submitting his requisition for hats,stated that he "would prefer those of the new pattern,""'while another officer of the same regimentin asking for chin straps for use with the hats issuedhim stated that such "were issued with the old patternhats."''The size, shape, and appearance of this hat waslong unknown, and no authenticated specimen ofit was known to exist. The first hint came whenthis chapter was in draft with the discovery of apurported illustration of a "U.S. Cavalry Hat(Felt) " on what appeared to be an advertisingbroadside for military headgear found pasted tothe inside cover of a copy of Horstmann's 1851 uniformcatalog'^ (Figure 1). Although, as can beseen, the hat is black, or certainly dark, has a flatcrown, and carries the side eagle, plumes, hat cordwith acorns, and the chin strap as prescribed, theabsence of citation made its authenticity questionable.A stronger hint regarding the hat was found ina block of the Quartermaster General's correspondencein the National Archives. Early in 1858 (itmust be remembered that the first contract for the1858 Army hat was not let until 30 July 1858) theSecretary of War authorized the exchange of anumber of items of arms, uniforms, and equipmentwith the Danish government. Among theuniforms listed was one "Cavalry Hat, with Eagleand plume" with the "letter A fixed on the Hat.'""In the summer of 1970, a member of the Smithsonianmuseum staff located the exchanged articlesin the Tojhusmuseet (Royal Arsenal Museum) inCopenhagen. Among the items was the "CavalryHat" with the "letter A" affixed, identical to thatpictured in the advertizing broadside."'Figure 1—"U.S. Cavalry Hat (Felt)."(See text and note 25 for source.)The hat (Figure 2) is black, of a fur or woolfelted material artificially stiffened with shellac. Sixand one-half inches in height, the hat measures51/2 inches across the crown with a 3-inch-widebrim, tightly bound with a i^-inch black tape. Theleather sweat band of a near-maroon color measures23/8 inches. The crown is reinforced at thetop and down the sides with a dish-like insert 13^inches deep of an i/^-inch-thick hard cardboard-likematerial with a painted finish, apparently gluedin. The i^/^-inch-wide two-piece black leather chinstrap, I814 inches long overall, is stitched to theinside of the hat 3i/^ inches above the brim. (Theother end had been similarly stitched but has comeloose.) The brass chin strap buckle is Y^ by 3/^inches with rounded corners. The brim is loopedup on the right side with a small general servicebutton sewed to the brim at the point of juncture.This button apparently was intended to hold inplace the side eagle, which is missing with no signof it ever having been affixed. The cords drapedabout the crown are of yellow worsted, two strandstwisted, 'i/g inches in diameter, basted to the crown1 inch from the top in rear and draping 37/^ inchesin front. The cord about the base of the hat, whichis completely separate from the cords above, is ofthe same size and material and terminates in two