United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 - Libreria Militare Ares

NUMBER 3011model, number 60 in the Schuyler, Hartley, ScGraham catalog"" is represented by a specimen wornby Lt. Nathan Levy of the 10th Michigan Infantry(Figure 5). In poor condition, it carries no maker'slabel, but there is evidence that the brim waslooped up on the right. The 3-inch brim is nearregulation, but the 5i/2-inch high crown is roundedrather than flat. It is interesting to note that thecatalog calls this the "Burnside Pattern" indicatingthat it was so called as early as 1864. Anotherextremely popular model, to judge by photographicevidence, is that worn by Maj. Gen. William TecumsehSherman (Figure 6). With a 3-inch brimand a QYg-inch rounded crown, this hat shows noevidence of having had the brim looped on eitherside. Rather, the wear fore and aft on the crownindicates that it was most probably worn with arather deep crease. In rather poor condition, thespecimen carries no maker's label. The prescribedall-gold general officers' hat cord is missing.Although the general order authorizing the hatprescribed the insignia to be worn by both officersand enlisted men, it gave no sizes. A reasonableassumption, however, is that the badges were tofollow those illustrated in full size in the 1851uniform regulations.'"Of the enlisted insignia, the sizes of only thenumber of the regiment, 5/^-inch long, and the letterof the company, 1 inch high, are given in the1861 uniform regulations. Each was to be fixed tothe hat with two wires run through the fabric andbent over. A complete description of all the insignia,including measurements, is given in the1865 Quartermaster Manual, however. The hat"eagle" was to be 2i/2 inches high by 2 inches wideand fixed to the hat with two wire loops runthrough the felt and pegged on the inside; the engineercastle was to be 1^ inches wide by li^inches high fixed with two wire loops; the ordnanceshell and flame was to be 23/^ inches high by13^ inches wide, again fixed with two wire loops;the crossed sabers of the Cavalry were to be 33^inches long each, with the width from the back ofthe hilt to the point of the other 1^ inches, thewhole fixed with four wire loops. The infantrybugle, or "looped horn" as it is often called, was tobe 31/2 inches long and li/^ inches wide at the loop,fixed with two wire loops; the crossed cannon wereto be 31/2 inches long each, crossing at the trunnions,with the breech 5/^ inch wide and the muzzle1/2 inch wide, the whole fixed with four wire loops.The enlisted insignia examined all conform closelyto these specifications. The "trumpet, perpendicular"prescribed in 1850 for both officers and enlistedmen and in 1851 for officers only of the Regimentof Mounted Riflemen " was revived with the hatand was worn until the redesignation of the unit ascavalry in 1861." Quite naturally this insignia wasFIGURE 6.—General Sherman's hat.