Connecticut Guards ???

[hpotter]

The husband of a lady I work with bought an original kepi this past weekend at the civil War show. I saw some pics of it, but was trying to find some history on it. It has a leather crown and the body is made of what she described as felt. Looks very much like an early war militia cap. It has an insignia pin on the from with a "CG". Her husband was told it was the Connecticut Guards. I will have her email me some pics, but just wanted to see if this rings a bell in anyones head.

[WoodenNutmeg]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

Pictures of this piece would be optimal, Heath! For what it's worth, New Haven and Hartford (among a few other cities/townships) produced a few guards, so it could very well be a Connecticut orientated militia cap. Aside from that, I don't think there is much more else to say without seeing the specimen.

[hpotter]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

I'll see if she can send me those pics this evening and I'll post them for y'all.

[DougCooper]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

Leather crown? That will be interesting to see.

[hpotter]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

Indeed!! I'm looking at it from her small digital camera screen so looking at a full pic will be different.

[hpotter]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

She brought it to work today and let me take a closer look at it. The body is VERY stiff felt and is very thin. Originally black due to the coloring under the trim. The crown feels like its painted card stock. The band appears to be either thin glazed leather or painted cardboard. The visor looks like it has a layer of leather over cardstock and is glazed. The sweatband is pig skin. The makers label looks as if it is ontop of another label. Go Figure!! I left my notes at work, so will get the label info later.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

Looks like a design for a shako.

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) used a shako of this style prior to and following the war.

Paul B.

[kaelin]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

Heath
I would email Dirty Billy dirtybills@aol.com and send him pics, he makes a lot of shakos and knows quite a bit about their history.

[hpotter]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

The label inside is not the original. The current one identifies the cap as a surplus provided by W Stokes Kirk of Philadelphia. I know that this guy sold a lot of army surplus starting after the war in the late 19th century. Kaelin, I'll shoot it over to Billy and see what he thinks.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

After perusing "U.S. Army Headgear 1812-1872" by Langelier and Loane, it appears to be a militia variant of the 1851 pattern enlisted cap, with the major difference being the leather crown (which looks exactly like that of the 1833 enlisted dress cap), and the lack of branch of service piping or band around the base.

[ohpkirk]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

That hat is pretty squatty to be a variant of the 1851 Albert cap.(If that is the cap/shako you were referring to, Ross) It is more akin to the ones being made by the military in 1872.(see attached image) below is a militia version of the 1851 Albert cap.

[hpotter]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

I'm leaning to the 1872 pattern as well. I saw an auction listing for a model 1872 shako sold as surplus by... you guessed it, W Stokes Kirk. There was no picture of the item though. It was described as being make of beaver felt. I'm thinking her husband got his hands on a post war lid. It's still pretty cool though. Still would like some more ideas by anyone if you've got them.

[GoodNServiceableII]

Re: Connecticut Guards ???

If I'm not mistaken, Connecticut's militia was renamed Connecticut National Guard in '65 or '66. Their belt buckles bore "CNG." I would recommend contacting Dean Nelson, curator of the Connecticut History Museum, State Library.

Chris Darling
8th CV