lP-'L^ry\'^ ^iT<^ ^V'*^ •'•5v' •^-: v^^i-r .- -' Li-. ''^M^y^- tP-T- United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 . 4^ , <* eP, *T ' * i.'2^-='*".//v; Catalog of United States Army Uniforms in the Collections of the Smithsonian Institution, II 9 3t i^ ;-X- '?^*. '^^^ «y>. .'"'-li. £^^^r M Howell ^mit^nian Iqjtitution United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 Catalog of United States Army Uniforms in the Collections of the Smithsonian Institution, II Edgar M. Howell ^C ; •"• ' I ' h ABSTRACT Howell, Edgar M. United States Army Headgear 1855-1902: Catalog of United States Army Uniforms in the Collections of the Smithsonian Institution, II. Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, number 30, 109 pages, 63 fig­ ures, 1975.—This volume brings the story of the evolution of headgear in the United States Regular Army from just prior to the Civil War to the opening of the modern era. Strongly influenced by French, British, and German styles, the U.S. Army tried and found wanting in numerous ways a number of models, and it was not until the adoption of the "drab" campaign hat in the early 1880s that a truly American pattern evolved. The European influence carried on until the 1902 uniform change, and, in the case of the "overseas" cap and chapeau, even beyond. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is re­ corded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SI PRESS NUMBER 5226. COVER DESIGN: "New Regulation Uniform of the United States Artillery" by A. R. Waud (from Harper's Weekly, 8 June 1867). Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data. National Museum of History and Technology. United States Army headgear 1855-1902. (Catalog of United States Army uniforms in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution: 2) (Smithsonian studies in history and technology: no. 30) Supt. of Docs, no.: SI 1.28:30 1. United States. Army—Uniforms—Catalogs. 2. Head-gear—Catalogs. 3. Smithsonian Institution. I. Howell, Edgar M. II. Title. III. Series. IV. Series: Smithsonian Insti­ tution. Smithsonian studies in history and technology; no. 30. UC483.C37 vol. 2 [UC503] 355.1'4'0973s [355.1'4] 75-619152 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402—Price $5.90 (cloth cover) Stock Number 4701-00120 Preface This volume is the second* in a projected series on Regular Army dress based on the collections of the National Museum of History and Technology of the Smithsonian Institution. Specifically it is a descriptive, critical, and docu­ mentary catalog of the headgear of the Regular Establishment from 1855 through 1902. Succeeding volumes will cover headgear from 1902 to the present and uniforms and footwear from the period of the French and Indian War to the modern era. The rich collections of the Smithsonian Institution contain examples of most of the patterns of enlisted and officers' headgear mentioned in regulations. While this volume was not designed as a definitive history of military headgear for the period, it is essentially just that, as it illustrates, describes, and docu­ ments the specimens, furnishes official descriptions where available, and provides pertinent correspondence on specific items, contemporary criticism both official and unofficial, excerpts from uniform board proceedings, and reasons for adop­ tion of new models. With two exceptions all the specimens discussed in detail are from the National Collections, most of them from the comprehensive War Department Collection, supplemented by the numerous biogiaphical collections of the museum. Unmatched in scope and rarity, the War Department Collection is discussed at length in volume 1 of this series. The year 1902 has not been arbitrarily selected as a cut-off date; it is in fact the end of an era in headgear concept and styling. The forage cap as such dis­ appears and, in somewhat altered form, becomes the dress/service cap in very nearly the modern style; the service or campaign hat takes over the forage or field service function to undergo only a modification of the crown. Other head­ gear to be added, including the protective helmets, would be completely new and essentially modern and functional. During the months this study was in preparation, many people and insti­ tutions gave generously of their time and facilities. Foremost were the personnel of the Old Military Records Division of the National Archives, particularly Mr. Elmer Parker, Mrs. Sara Jackson, and Miss Anna Medley. Their enthusiastic and continuing interest, and their sound advice based on years of experience with archival collections made this work possible. The help and advice of my colleague here in the Division of Military History, Don Kloster, who is prepar­ ing the volumes on uniforms in this series, has been immeasurable. Thanks are also owing to the Royal Arsenal Museum (Tojhusmuseet) in Copenhagen, Den­ mark. And last but not least, my deep thanks are due to Mrs. Helen Finley and Mrs. Diana McGeorge for their skill and patience in typing a messy and difficult manuscript. *Volume 1, "United States Army Headgear to 1854: Catalog of United States Army Uniforms in the Collections of the Smithsonian Institution," by Edgar M. Howell and Donald E. Kloster was published as United States National Museum Bulletin 269 by the Smithsonian Institution Press in 1969. iii Contents Page Preface iii The 1855 Cavalry Hat 1 The 1858 Army Hat 5 The 1858 Forage Cap 12 Cap Covers and Havelocks 18 The "McClellan" or "Chasseur" Cap 19 The 1864 Light Artillery Cap 22 The 1872 Regulation Headgear 28 The "Woodhull Report" 28 The Marcy Board 33 The 1872 Board 33 The Full Dress Cap 35 The Light Artillery-Cavalry Helmet 41 The Forage Cap 48 The Fatigue or Campaign Hat, 1872-1902 52 The 1881 Helmet 62 The Cork or Summer Helmet 73 The Winter Cap 76 The Indian Scout Campaign Hat 79 The Chapeau, 1859-1936 80 The 1895 Forage Cap 83 Appendix: Makers of Headgear 89 List of Abbreviations 91 Notes 92 References 107 ILLUSTRATIONS 1. "U. S. Cavalry Hat (Felt) " 3 2. 1855 cavalry hat 4 3. 1858 Army hat 9 4. 1858 officer's Army hat 10 5. The "Burnside" pattern 10 6. General Sherman's hat 11 7. 1858 forage cap 16 8. 1858 forage cap with flat visor 17 9. Gosline's Zouaves forage cap 17 10. General McClellan's cap 19 11. Brigadier General James H. Wilson, c. 1863, and Lieutenant Howard B. Gushing, c. 1869, wearing "McClellan" caps 21 12. Light artillery cap, 1864 25 13. "New Regulation Uniform of the United States Artillery" 26 14. "Stiff Dress Hat" 30 15. "Cloth Fatigue Cap" 30 16. "Scotch Cap with Visor" 30 Page 17. "The [Scotch] cap with an additional piece of cloth" 31 18. "The cloth detached from the [Scotch] cap" 31 19. "External view of the Ventilated or Eastern Hat" 31 «20. "Sectional views of the Ventilated Hat" 31 21. "The Three-Cocked Hat" 32 22. "The Cocked Hat, held under the arm" 32 23. The Andrews hat 32 24. 1872 regulation uniforms 34 25. 1872 enlisted man's dress cap 38 26. Enlisted personnel in 1872 dress coat and cap 39 27. 1872 officer's dress cap 40 28. Sketch of 1872 officer's helmet 42 29. 1872 enlisted man's helmet 45 30. The Custer helmet 46 31. The Horstmann helmet 46 32. The Bent 8c Bush helmet 47 33. Paiute Chief Winnemucca in "Chief Coat" and 1858 Army hat with 1872 helmet front eagle 47 34. 1872 enlisted man's forage cap, with 1876 insignia 50 35. General Hancock's cap and 1872 officer s forage cap 51 36. Sketch of 1872 campaign hat 53 37. 1872 campaign hats . 54 38. Captain Benteen's campaign hat 55 39. Army personnel wearing 1872 campaign hat 56 40. 1876 campaign hat 58 41. Drab campaign hat, c. 1883 60 42. Drab campaign hat, model 1889 61 43. Dress helmets for line officers of foot and mounted troops 64 44. Summer helmets for officers and enlisted men 65 45. Dress helmets for foot soldiers and enlisted men of mounted troops ... 65 46. Helmet for officers of foot troops, helmet with spike for field officers, and officer's summer helmet 67 47. Helmet for enlisted men 68 48. Helmets for field, mounted, and foot officers 71 49. Helmet for enlisted men 71 50. Helmet for mounted enlisted men 72 51. The Kilpatrick helmet 72 52. Altered model 1872 helmet 72 53. Sketch of cork helmet, model 1880 74 54. The Gordon helmet .... 75 55. Muskrat fur cap, model 1876 77 56. Canvas winter cap, model 1884 78 57. Indian scout campaign hat 80 58. The 1864 Schuyler, Hartley, & Graham chapeau 81 59. The 1877 Horstmann Bros, chapeau 81 60. 1881 regulation chapeau 82 61. The McClellan chapeau 82 62. The Gorgas chapeau 83 63. 1895 forage caps for officers and enlisted men 85 VI United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 Catalog of United States Army Uniforms in the Collections of the Smithsonian Institution, II Edgar M. Howell THE 18 55 CAVALRY HAT The settlement of the Oregon boundary question tions to be noticed. The hat to be looped up on the right and the victory over Mexico added a wide stretch side and fastened with an eagle, the eagle to be attached of territory to the Union and vastly increased the to the side of the hat. The letter of each company to be in front for the enlisted & the number of the regt. for officers. responsibilities of the Army. Following the conclu­ The chin strap to be fastened on the sides. sion of the War with Mexico, however, the Regu­ The hat for officers to be the same as for enlisted men lar Establishment was reduced to a peacetime with the exception mentioned.