Tarred Hats

[rebelfirefighter07]

Its stormy today so I've been digging through pictures of soldiers from Georgia. I cam across two different images of Georgia soldiers wearing kepi's that were tarred/painted. I don't know exactly how yall would describe them. I'm just wondering how common this was in Georgia because it seems to get little to no representation.

The first picture is of Augustus Cowart of Co. E 5th Georgia Cav and the 2nd is of Miles Crowder 63rd Georgia Vol Inf and was taken in 1862.

[Gallinipper]

Re: Tarred Hats

Cpl. Witt, those are most likely waterproofed covers, which attached in the same fashion as a havelock. The caps themselves are not painted, although the photo gives that impression.

[rebelfirefighter07]

Re: Tarred Hats

Thats more interesting to me than it being the hats because I've never seen or heard of waterproof covers. Maybe I've been living under a rock for a while. To go a step further how common were these things. Maybe its just a coicidense but in 15-20 minutes of looking through pictures I found two of Georgia Soldiers wearing them.

[BobbyHughes]

Re: Tarred Hats

Andy,

You need to get out of the firehouse more often Pard!:D

If you have access to EOG CS, p. 170 shows a kepi with rain cover attributed to Maj David G McIntosh, 1st SC. there is also a Oilcoth kepi painted red with a NC provenance.

Same series, US shows on on 189 another Oilcloth Kepi, with a Philadelphia militia provenance, and a Rubber forage cap cover.

The Gentleman from New Jersey has a repop listed on his website of a rubber Kepi...

So yes, rubber and oilcoth Kepis did exist, as well as the rain covers..

See ya at Resaca!

[rebelfirefighter07]

Re: Tarred Hats

I've never been able to get my hands on EOG. Thanks for the help so far, see you at Resaca.

[Gallinipper]

Re: Tarred Hats

Bobby, thanks for sharing that. I have misplaced my EOGs at the moment. Those appeared to be covers to me, rather than caps, particularly on closer inspection of the first image. On the other hand, if these were Fed patent rubberized caps, how hard would it be for those soldiers to have access to them? Depending on when those photos were taken in 1862, like after the Seven Days campaign, you never know....

[BobbyHughes]

Re: Tarred Hats

Rich,

Wasn't saying there either or, just pointing out that both did exist, for a good bud who didnt know. I would agree that they look like they are covers.

[Mississippian]

Re: Tarred Hats

"Glazed" caps show up from time to time in the QM records I have been researching for the past several months, mostly in the Charleston S.C. area during the fall of 1863. They aren't in the majority, but they are not in insignificant numbers either.

The following is an example and was issued to Co. G, 22nd S.C.:

Sept. 26th 1863

1 pair Army Shoes
11 pair cotton drawers
12 cotton shirts
7 glazed caps

Most of the other companies in the regiment got issued some around the same time as well.

Will MacDonald

[PVT.BEN MILLER]

Re: Tarred Hats

I've been looking though my EOG to and I do think that the actual kepie is made from oil cloth, but of coarse thats just the way it seems to me.

[erik]

Re: Tarred Hats

Cap covers are listed as an item of issue in form 52 of the Regulations 1863. They doubtless were regularly issued and I would suspect that they were very common during Garrison duty and early service. Such items would be easily lost or stolen, as was my own oilcloth version. I now have a glazed cover which works very well.
To carry two hats one for rain and one for fair weather is not believeable on campaign. I suspect the oilcloth or rubber hat soon went into the ditch.
The oilcloth or glazed covers are light and easily folded and handy when needed. From the pictorial evidence that I have seen, cursory at best, glazed covers seem to be the majority. Just my opinion from photograpphs.
If I spend several hundreds on a cap I should want to protect that investment.
A curious thing is that as long as I wear my glazed cover it will not rain no matter what the forecast. The minute I take it off, it rains usually in buckets.
How does that work?

Erik Simundson

Glazed covers not glazed expressions.

[rebelfirefighter07]

Re: Tarred Hats

I'm not sure how that works either but I need to get one. Its been raining every where I go for a while. ..... Kidding aside thanks for the help.

[tomarch]

Re: Tarred Hats

A while my brother Don made me an great oilcloth kepi (TMD). It great for rain, but in a humid environment in the summer it's a brain sauna.