United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 - Libreria Militare Ares

NUMBER 3081FIGURE 58.—1864 chapeau. (From Schuyler, Hardey, & Graham, Illustrated Catalogue, 1864.)FIGURE 59.—1877 chapeau. (From Horstmann Bros. & Co., Illustrated Catalogue, 1877.)peau—U.S. Army—Staff" (Figure 59) with a somewhatlower fan than that in the Schuyler, Hartley,and Graham catalog and which closely approximatesthe chapeau in the illustrated 1881 regulations.(Figure 60) .'"* This lower fan form continuesin the illustrated 1888 regulations, in an 1897W. A. Raymold catalog, and in the illustrated 1907regulations. In these latter three, however, thereare two distinct changes from the earlier modelswhich carry on through: the loop (which carries theinsignia) becomes noticeably more narrow andshorter and the black silk cockade, which backs theloop changes from round to eliptical.'"The only official description came very late, in1912.13. CHAPEAU.—To be of black silk plush having a rosetteof black silk, elliptical in shape, about 5 inches long and 3inches wide on right side in center, slanting forward; in thecenter of this to be a strip of gold lace, the coat of armsof the United States in gold or gilt bullion embroidered onthe upper end; the lower end to have one large gilt coatbutton, all to be surrounded by gold or gilt embroidery Y^inch in width. To have over center of chapeau two blackostrich plumes extending down to end of chapeau in rear. Tohave in both front and back a tassel consisting of five each,large and small, gold or gilt bullions about 3 inches long,to have on each side a. IY2 inch black corded silk ribbonrunning diagonally from ball of tassel to center of chapeau,the ends fastened under sweat leather about 2/2 inchesapart.^""In the absence of precise descriptions and scaledillustrations of the pre-1912 models, we are fortunatein having at hand a number of biographicalspecimens, the use-dates of which can be accuratelybracketed. The 1859 model is best typifiedby that owned by Major General George B. Mc­Clellan who resigned from the Army in 1864. Thisparticular specimen (Figure 61) could hardly havebeen worn prior to 1859 since McClellan was anofficer in the Corps of Engineers in 1851 when thechapeau was discontinued and his model 1840