Hardee Hats & Insignia

[Ian M.]

Were hardee hats typically issued with all the insignia, etc. already attached, or was all this "stuff" issued separately and applied by the enlisted man upon receipt? I know in most cases the hats weren't often worn with the feathers, pinned-up brim, and even the cords and branch of service insig, but wasn't sure if this stuff was typically removed, or conversely, typically not added.

[ajroscoe]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

Ian,
I believe this has been discussed already, but to answer your question the best I can:
Generally, most hats were issued "undressed," that is blank. Hardees were very popular in the Western Theater, were they were beaten into whatever shape fitted the soldier the most. There is plenty of photographic evidence of it, especially with the pictures taken from Lookout Mountain. In the Eastern Theater, there were far fewer Hardees worn in the field than out west. Notably, the Iron Brigade wore Hardees for most of the war. They seem to be the exception in that the initial four regiments were issued the dressing for their hats when they got their hats, including feathers. Col. Rufus Dawes (then Major of the 6th WI) wrote after Antietam that the brigade's feathers were drooping and their leggings were so soiled that they no longer served a decorative purpose, only a practical one. Yet, when the 24th Michigan, the brigade's reinforcement regiment, was issued its black hats in May, 1863, the only decoration that was given to them for the hats was the corps badge. I hope this helped some.

[Ian M.]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

Helps greatly and thanks. I did search Hardee and founds tons of info on this site, but not the specifically narrow question of whether hats were issued dressed or undressed. I'm trying to determine whether even an undressed hat in the field would typically have had the holes etc. where the eagle badge, BoS and regt. brass would have been pinned if issued as dressed (or subsequently dressed then undressed), even if the wearer opted for the undress look (snicker, snicker).

Reading your response would suggest that typically they were issued in an undressed state with whatever insignia that was also issued or purchased being added at some point (or discarded or saved) along the line.

[HangarFlying]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

On the flip side, the 1st Nebraska was issued uniform hats with all adornments. Thomas Keen, Co. H was issued his in mid/late 1861. Agust Schernakau (sp), also Co. H, enlisted in late 1861 and was also issued had with full adornments. The Thomas Keen letters can be found in the Nebraska History Magazine (Winter 2000, Vol. 81, No. 4). Schernakau's accounts are found in the book "Marching With the First Nebraska" translated by Edith Robbins, edited by James Potter, University of Oklahoma Press.

Interestingly enough the men of the regiment hated the tall hats, and at one point proceeded to cut down, and remold, the hats to their liking. Unfortunately, the command didn't appreciate that and alot of the men got into trouble for doing it. I can't remember where I read this point of information. I'll try to scrounge it up and post the details. It would be an interesting counter-point to the "assumption" that most troops remolded their hats.

[Court Micker]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

http://www.lazyjacks.org.uk/shell014.JPG

There's a photo a found in which you can clearly see a few dress hats. You can have a look for yourself. We all know the picture well I'm sure.

Famed personality Elisha Rhodes said this of the dress hat:

“Our large felt hats with a blue cord and brass eagle were left in the First Sergeant's tents."

Bear in mind that he said this before 1st Manassas and that the Lookout Mountain picture above was taken in 1864 if I can remember correctly. My point being that Lincoln's call for volunteers could have been met with a style conscious issue of Uniforms for the new army which, in this case, paraded through D.C. before heading of to battle. Dressed to impress.

-Not to mention the differing styles the fighting men developed in the East and the West.

[AZReenactor]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

The 1st California (Infantry and Cavalry) were issued Army hats with trimmings then told to carefully pack the trimmings in their knapsack for the march to Yuma from Los Angeles. When they moved through Arizona and New Mexico into Texas they were told to wear them without trimmings on the march. Presumably the trimmings were packed with their dress coats and shipped out to them later for they were worn later.

Our units normal standards are for unadorned hats with the holes and such for when they were full dress. In the field they tend to take on a shape of their own after just a little hard use but in garrison need to be soaked, steamed and reshaped as close to the official shape as possible.

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

Hats were issued undressed. it's much easier that way. Infantry/Cav/Ordanance/Artillery/Mounted Rifles/Engineer/Medical/Musician hats did not need to be ordered, only cords, letters, numbers and insignia for branch of service. There were only Army Dress hats issued then the units dressed the hat accordingly. Hypothetically it was all issued at the same time. Much like todays Army, uniform trimmings, patches, forages, DUI's(Distictive Unit Insignias) etc were/are issued separately. The Quartermaster corps worked just as effectively then as it does now. Ever go to the supply room and get everything you were suppose to? ........ Me either!

[Iron Brigade Ed]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

To further this one I think more evidence seems to point to the hardee being issued 'unadorned' and more or less kept that way. I did find a source where one soldier complained that they had been 'deducted' for the costings of their hat adornments 'but hadnt received them' (what a cunning QM trick!) but subsequently lost the quote (buggrit). Over this side (well in our unit anyway) we're trying to persuade new members and 'replacement' hardees to keep them plain .. on the whole it seems to look better and more authentic . .just has a certain 'something' that looks RIGHT.

[TKlas]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

Ian,

A fine article to check out regarding a study of dress hats and trimmings for a Western Theater unit would be one written by Bob Braun years ago on the 33rd Wisconsin Website.

http://www.33wis.com/articles/pdf/hats.pdf

Also as stated in Bob's article, many requisitions were made for "complete dress hats" that came with trimmings to be placed on by each soldier being issued a hat. Personal preference was huge in what a soldier wore regarding dress hat ornamentation.

Here is an example of the 2nd Wisconsin Vols. during the summer of 1862. Most of Gibbon's Western Brigade units also made requisitions for hats complete all the way to the summer of 1863. As can be seen below they also requisitioned addition dress hat ornamentation as needed as the life expectancy of these items tend to be short.

Research conducted by Howard Michael Madaus allows us to read the contents of a Second Wisconsin quartermaster report from the National Archives, Entry 4381, Record Group No. 393, Pt. II. This requisition form is dated July 11, 1862, "...11 hats complete: 70 eagles, 50 bugles, 40 feathers, 40 letters 'C,' and 60 figures '2' " (qtd. in Appendix III, "The Uniform of the Iron Brigade at Gettysburg" 339).

As a rule of thumb, always research the particular unit you are portraying.

Best regards,

Tom

[Iron Brigade Ed]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

Quite so, i think the adage 'less is more' is certainly the case with headgear. I'm putting no brass and feathers anywhere NEAR my Tim Bender! :tounge_sm

[Rear Rank 2]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

In the Indiana State Library (before the State Historical Society got its own building) I found a Quartermaster request from the 19th Indiana dated for the month prior to being combined with the 20th Indiana in front of Petersburg for 1s, 9s, Infantry Horns, Eagle Plates, hat cords, and feathers.
I will go back this weekend and see if I can find it again and get a copy. I am not sure if the documents went with the Historical Society or stayed with the library.

[Iron Brigade Ed]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

That would be fascinating to see/read Andy . . pls do post when you find out!
Bit tricky to get our hands on it 'over here'!

all the best

[Ian M.]

Re: Hardee Hats & Insignia

Andy -- did you ever find that info? Also, when were the 19th and 20th combined? Cheers