United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 - Libreria Militare Ares

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72SMITHSONIAN STUDIES IN HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGYFIGURE 50.—Helmet for mounted enlistedFIGURE 51.—The Kilpatrick helmet.FIGURE 52.—Altered model 1872 helmet.(Courtesy of Gordon Chappelle Collection.)
NUMBER 3073The adoption of the white (and sometimesbrown or khaki) summer helmet for use in especiallyhot climates together with the change in colorof the general issue campaign hat from black todrab was a continuation of the long struggle bycertain elements of the Army for better protectionfrom the heat in both uniforms and headgear.True, the Army had worn white cotton dress inthe 1830s and 1840s, dropped in the 1851 uniformchange, but it had never had a true hot-weatherissue headpiece. The Woodhull Report of 1868had recommended a "casque or light brimmed hat"similar to the "Malay hat" with the head sittingin a ring and an air space between the ring andthe hat, but there is nothing in the record to indicatethat any consideration was ever given therecommendation or that it had any influence onthe helmet when it was adopted."'The immediate impetus for the adoption of asummer helmet for trial stemmed directly from thecontroversy over the failure of the 1872 campaignhat.'^' During the latter stages of the little crisis,the Quartermaster General, motivated by a picturein the Illustrated London News showing Britishtroops in India wearing a hot weather helmet,asked the help of Sir Edward Thornton, the BritishMinister in Washington, in obtaining a specimen.'"Before receiving a reply, Meigs broached the subjectof summer helmets with the Secretary of War,sending him a sample and recommending that 200similar to it be authorized for purchase and issuefor trial in the Southwest."' The recommendationwas turned down on the grounds of lack of funds.'"Some weeks later Meigs received through MinisterThornton a sample of the helmet, with puggaree,then in use by the British Army in the tropicswith the promise of a further sample of a patternjust adopted.'^ When this letter was received,Meigs forwarded it to the Secretary with a coveringletter in which he recommended that "in view ofthe failure of the campaign hat . . . they should betried as a substitute therefor." He further recommendedthat the British pattern be submitted tothe Medical Department for its views and askedthat he be permitted to purchase a number fortrial in Texas and Arizona, adding that funds wereavailable under the current appropriation.'^' Whenthe Surgeon General concurred in the concept ofTHE CORK OR SUMMER HELMETsuch a trial, the Secretary directed that 100 withpuggaree be procured and sent to the Southwestfor trial and report."' The purchase was at a unitcost of $3.00 per helmet plus an additional $.50 forthe puggaree, the entire group being sent throughSan Francisco to units in Southern California andthe Arizona Territory.""Reaction to the helmet was, for the most part,somewhat negative. While the general pattern wasfound suitable for the climate, most reports complainedthat the model was too heavy and had insufficientspace between the head and the body ofthe helmet for proper ventilation.'"In January 1878 the commanding officer of CompanyE, 9th Cavalry, requested that his unit beissued the " 'India Helmet' of a light dust coloreddrab, nearly white, similar to that adopted forCadets in GO No. 121, of 1877" for wear in thesummer heat of the Southwest.'" When referred toMeigs for comment, he replied that while he personallywould prefer such a helmet in hot climate,reports on the first test indicated that it was a failure.He said that he felt, however, that such radicalchanges were seldom liked at first and that themodel would eventually win approval in theranks."' The Secretary of War approved the issueof 100 of the cadet helmets for trial.'" The PhiladelphiaDepot obtained a sample of the helmet,which originally had been furnished the Academyby Henry V. Allien of New York, and drew upspecifications.'" These Meigs approved and directedto Philadelphia to have 100 manufacturedand forwarded to Santa Fe."'^ The exact appearanceof the cadet model is unknown as there is noauthenticated specimen of it in the National Collectionsor at the West Point Museum and nonehas come to the attention of the author.Several months later the commanding officer ofthe Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Virginia, requestedthe adoption of a summer helmet for warmweather wear at the school, "a modified shape fromthat prescribed . . for the Corps of Cadets," andenclosed a description of it prepared by Allien &Co. of New York. The modifications mentionedwere minor, the cloth covering the crown to be infour sections as opposed to six in the cadet mod;land the visor being longer in the rear than in tl:efront. The description also called for a gilt chain
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ABSTRACTHowell, Edgar M. United Sta
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ContentsPagePrefaceiiiThe 1855 Cava
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United States Army Headgear 1855-19
Page 11 and 12:
NUMBER 30report, stated: "The hat p
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NUMBER 30acorns %g inches long and
Page 15 and 16:
NUMBER 30the pattern." The rate of
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NUMBER 30FIGURE 3.—1858 Army hat.
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NUMBER 3011model, number 60 in the
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NUMBER 30 13"the desired modificati
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NUMBER 30 15the sun in the top. The
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NUMBER 30 17FIGURE 8.—1858 forage
Page 27 and 28:
NUMBER 30 19Hardtack and Coffee, ca
Page 29 and 30: NUMBER 3021FIGURE 11.—a, Brigadie
Page 31 and 32: NUMBER 30 23short "shell" jacket "f
Page 33 and 34: NUMBER 30 26broad, securely soldere
Page 35 and 36: NUMBER 30 27worn in the picture wer
Page 37 and 38: NUMBER 30 29This communication elic
Page 39 and 40: NUMBER 30 31FIGURE 17.—"The [Scot
Page 41 and 42: NUMBER 30 33time for issue in the c
Page 43 and 44: NUMBER 30 35be at too great a dista
Page 45 and 46: NUMBER 3037half (5/2) part of washb
Page 47 and 48: NUMBER 30 39trimmings for all enlis
Page 49 and 50: NUMBER 30 41ing the upper space for
Page 51 and 52: NUMBER 30rear one to a correspondin
Page 53 and 54: NUMBER 30 46FIGURE 29.—1872 enlis
Page 55 and 56: NUMBER 3047FIGURE 32.—^The Bent &
Page 57 and 58: NUMBER 3049of strong split-leather
Page 59 and 60: NUMBER 30 51''""MttfenFIGURE 35.—
Page 61 and 62: NUMBER 30 53(which he thought might
Page 63 and 64: NUMBER 30 55FIGURE 38.—Captain Be
Page 65 and 66: NUMBER 30 57campaign hat for the Ar
Page 67 and 68: NUMBER 30 59salvage something from
Page 69 and 70: NUMBER 30 61hat. In June 1899 the P
Page 71 and 72: NUMBER 3063the left side, pass diag
Page 73 and 74: NUMBER 30 65.LJU^.."*^..FIGURE 44.
Page 75 and 76: NUMBER 30 67to be sent to Washingto
Page 77 and 78: NUMBER 30 69with brass sliding-buck
Page 79: NUMBER 30 71FIGURE 48.—Officers'
Page 83 and 84: NUMBER 3075i >•^\Wiii I ifiiiniim
Page 85 and 86: NUMBER 30this last model made no pr
Page 87 and 88: NUMBER 30 79WAR DEPARTMENT,QUARTERM
Page 89 and 90: NUMBER 3081FIGURE 58.—1864 chapea
Page 91 and 92: NUMBER 30geon 1880 and Surgeon Gene
Page 93 and 94: NUMBER 3085FIGURE 63.—1895 forage
Page 95 and 96: NUMBER 30 87of not less than 9.24 g
Page 97 and 98: AppendixMAKERS OF HEADGEARThe chron
Page 99 and 100: List of AbbreviationsAAGAAQMAGAGOAQ
Page 101 and 102: NUMBER 3093all OQMG, LS, Clothing,
Page 103 and 104: NUMBER 30 95"Jesup to Thomas, 8 Dec
Page 105 and 106: NUMBER 3097OQMG, Reg. LR, Clothing,
Page 107 and 108: NUMBER 30 99October of 1870. See Me
Page 109 and 110: NUMBER 30 101'"* See above, pp. 35-
Page 111 and 112: NUMBER 30 103Monroe, Va., in 1878.
Page 113 and 114: NUMBER 30 105""Endorsement, 24 May
Page 115 and 116: ReferencesThe bulk of the source ma
Page 117: M MBIiR 30 10910, No. 355-10, 19 Se
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United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 - Libreria Militare Ares

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