4th Michigan (canada hat )

[lukegilly13]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Here is an image from Chris Daley's website of a Zouave Fez turned up. With the exception of the yellow tassel instead of sky blue....is this pretty close?

[Minieball577]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

From what I recall of the originall in the Lansing Museum it was not too unlike the 146th NY fex you have posted here. I don't recall the color of the tassel.

[JustRob]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Greg Starbuck was most obliging when I approached him about a special cap of my own. He was a pleasure to work with.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

You could also contact Ni............ oops I forgot . You could contact that one vender from New Jersey. He has a funky smoking cap I sure he could make one of those hats.
:)

RM

[Beaner]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Time for me to step up and join the discussion. Steve has talked to many of the individuals being suggested. No one has indicated that they are willing to help out. The 4th Mi. has been trying to get the Canada hat made for several years. The hat is very similar to the one in Lansing which has been I.D. to a New York unit. The unit was a sister unit to the 4th, serving in the same brigade as the 4th. There are original colored tintypes of the hat. We cannot present them here. They are in a private collection and the individual who owns them doen't want them published. there at least 20 individuals looking to have these hats made. We have an event upcoming that features the 4th and would like to have these hats represented at the event. Any help will be appreciated. Personal background, I owned and maintained the 4th
Michigan.com until this past year. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Dave Prince
Event Coordinator
Skirmish at the Mill 2008

[lukegilly13]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Dave,
I have been enjoying this research for a few days now.....it is easy to find pictures...difficult to find details! I have contacted a few guys who have made hats for me in the past. Don't know what the response will be but I will let you guys know. The question that keeps coming up:
Are they stiffened (like the top of a bowler, top hat, etc) or are they soft and flexible like a modern New Era baseball hat material? Also, are they seemless on the crown or are there several seems that intersect at the tassel?

[zouavecampaigner]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Dave,

I've always been interested in the 4th MI's so-called Canadien Caps. What can you tell me about the sky blue tassels that I've seen the reenactors wear? A dark blue fez or red fez with proper dark blue tassel will photograph the exact same way in a wetplate or tintype. Though, I've never seen an original 4th MI fez/Canadien cap up close. A number of NON-zouave regiments received red fezzes with dark blue tassels and fatigue hats, especially 2-year NY regiments and MA regiments. There are photos of guys in both wearing fezzes (almost ALWAYS listed as "zouaves" on eBay to con ppl out of more money). Hardtack and Coffee even talks about how MA gave red fezzes with blue tassels to all it's troops early on.

Regards,
Shaun Grenan
Gettysburg, PA (formerly of Detroit, eh!)

[zouavecampaigner]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )



A photo by Robert Szabo of members of Co. E, 1st NY Fire Zouaves at 145th Manassas. Check out Eric's fez (middle row, b'hoy on the right).

Regards,
Shaun

[recruiter4thmichigan]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

By a colored photo of the 4th michigan that we have seen the color of the tassle is ski blue. Wish we could post the photo but like Dave says it belongs to a collector. This hat ure has been a very hard hat to find anything about, maybe in time one wil show up. But for now we need to do our best with what we have to remake this hat.

[recruiter4thmichigan]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

One more thing, the tassles i have seen on hat that reenactors wear are not the correct type for the Canda Hat, the tassles on this hat are larger then others, and the bulb of the tassle is attached right to the very top of the hat. The tassles also hang from the bottom of the bulb to the bottom of the ear, now some even go to the bottom of the jaw

[zouavecampaigner]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Steve,

you can't always go by a tinted image to get the proper colours.

Also, the tassels as seen on zouave fezzes can be adjusted to ride close in, or left to hang down. Check out this fellow, smack dab in the center of a group of 11th NY POWs, and his pard to the far right.

[Minieball577]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

My understanding of the 4th michigan was that it was intended to be a quasi-Zouave regiment initially, or at least had a few companies that were (?) so that would lend some credibility to the fez theory, if it could be corroborated.

[recruiter4thmichigan]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

You are so very true with that Sir, the colors were up to the person who took the photo and then painted them. There are others that i know who take photos and others that have down research and everyone still ssays the tassles are of a light blueish color thus me stating they were ski blue, Once i can find someone to reproduce these hats i will have some period photos taken of it to compare and see what differences there are and if we need to adjust it we will. We wont reall know exactly what the hat really looks like until someone finds one in there closet, garage , barn ect, Sure would be nice to find one. On another note it would also be nice to find out what happened , and where our Gettysburg flag went !

[D F Smith Historic]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Hi Steve and All,

You might check out the Sketchbook of the American Revolution, even though it is for a sisiter hobby, It does have some information that helps shed light on some projects.

If I remember correctly there is some information on the "Canadian Cap"

Hope this helps

All the best

Don S

[zouavecampaigner]

Re: 4th Michigan (canada hat )

Steve,

take a look at this. Here are 2 New York Zouaves, in fezzes with dark blue tassels, and yet, they photographed seemingly a light colour.




Also, for Ellsworthy inspiration, there were indeed militia that were the basis of Co. G which originally wore "red cap, blue jacket, and red pants", and the Adrian Guard Zouaves, who copied Ellsworth's US Zouave Cadets from their pre-war tour.

Regards,
Shaun