Really cool US Forage cap

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

This is very interesting. Note that it is late war and has lots of brass.

Apparently this cap will be on display and for sale at the Gettysburg relic show coming soon.

Greg Starbuck

PS- Let's start a thread talking about interesting US headgear.

[brown]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

Wow. Wouldn't have wanted to be standing there that day.
Is that a bound brim? I'd love to see the inside of it, too.
Thanks for posting, Mr Starbuck.

[Fenianboy]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

Mr S, I'm hoping this is an indicator that you may be considering ending your moritorium on making Federal Forage caps:-) !?!

[Fenianboy]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

Mr S, I'm hoping this is an indicator of your ending your moritorium on making Federal Forage Caps:-) !?!

[roundshot]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

"I had the front part of my Cap shot off by a Minie Ball [on May 5th] , It knocked it off my head and made me feel a little strange about the top knot."

From "The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm," p. 113. This cap is shown on the dust cover of these excellent memoirs. A week later, Chisholm had his belt plate struck by a Minie as well.

On May 5th, 1865, following Lee's surrender, Chisolm also notes in his diary [p. 85] the comments of a young Virginia lady:" What's that on your cap that horn and letters, they look so nice."

[Hank Trent]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

On May 5th, 1865, following Lee's surrender, Chisolm also notes in his diary [p. 85] the comments of a young Virginia lady:" What's that on your cap that horn and letters, they look so nice."

That just gave me an "aha" moment. Though unrelated, the above quote reminded me of the stories that Yankees had horns. Am I the last one to get the joke, that the comments about Yankees having horns on their heads wasn't just a reference to the fact that they were of the devil? It also was, literally, true. :p

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Hardtack Herring]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

That is funny Hank.... Yankees have horns on their heads.

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

There's a great story about Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts) eyeballing Wm T. Sherman and his staff when they arrived at her Savannah home (after Savannah's surrender). She was eyeballing him hard and finally Sherman said "what are you looking for?" and she said "I'm looking for your horns, all Yankees have horns." Or something to that effect. (Horns = The Devil, Pitch, Beelzebubba).

Greg Starbuck

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

Oh, by the way, I'm making one of these caps, oh yes, it will be mine. Will post a pic when completed.

Greg Starbuck

[4thVirginiaSoldier]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

Cool headgear? Gosh... I think I love the Zouave fez caps along with some of the half blue and red kepis. It's a little weird talking about US caps instead of CS. But I also do a Wheat's Tigers impression so I love the Zouaves.

[Charlie Newman]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

oh,can't wait to see that Mr.Starbuck!

[FortyRounder]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

"I had the front part of my Cap shot off by a Minie Ball [on May 5th] , It knocked it off my head and made me feel a little strange about the top knot."

From "The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm," p. 113. This cap is shown on the dust cover of these excellent memoirs. A week later, Chisholm had his belt plate struck by a Minie as well.

On May 5th, 1865, following Lee's surrender, Chisolm also notes in his diary [p. 85] the comments of a young Virginia lady:" What's that on your cap that horn and letters, they look so nice."

The diary is actually by Chisholm's friend Sgt. Samuel Clear, and it was he who was struck on the belt plate. For those of you who haven't read The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm, it is a great reference for the late-war Army of the Potomac. There are many references to uniforms and headgear in the book, especially in the diary of Sam Clear, who had a good eye for details. For example, on September 15th, 1864 he describes going "into the trenches to support the red diamonds (our 3rd Divn)...." This indicates that, some five months after their transfer to the 2nd Corps, at least some of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps men were still wearing their red diamond badges.

Clear mentions Chisholm's cap "wound" on January 19, 1865: "Corporal Daniel Chisholm returned to us today, he was badly wounded on the shin June 16th 1864....On the evening of May 5th, 1864 in the first engagement that we participated in at the battle of the Wilderness, he had the front part of his cap pierced by a Minie Ball--tearing the whole front part of it out, passing through his hair above his forehead. It was a narrow escape for it had of been one half inch lower he would have been killed. While in the Hospital at City Point one of the Christian Commission seen his cap and told him he would attend to forwarding it home for him to his father, as it would be a great curiosity and show how near he had come to being killed. He did so and now it hangs in his room at his home."

It looks like the numbers are original (the "6" in "116" apparently torn away by the ball) but the trefoil and "K" look like they were added later. Veterans sometimes added insignia to their headgear after the war. The fact that this is an Irish Brigade cap undoubtedly jacked up the price! It's a shame this family heirloom is being auctioned off.

[FortyRounder]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

I've been reading some more of Chisholm's letters and it seems I was wrong about the insignia being added after the war. He tells his father that "the ball carried away the P.V. and the 6 leaving the two ones. The boys used to ask me if I belonged to the 11th, and to what state. The letter K and the Club our Corps mark are still on it." Apparently these were standard on 116th PA hats. Their caps were decorated like Christmas trees!

The next month (August 1864) his brother Alex, also in Company K 116th Pennsylvania, writes that "They are giving us all figures for our Caps and Corps Badges and rigging us up with everything we need." He also claims that the Rebels call the 2nd the "Butterfly Corps" due to the trefoil on their caps.

[mslaird]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

Greg,

I have looked through the disinterment records for the Federal dead from Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove, here in Arkansas. I saw a surprising number of descriptions of headgear within those that had written in them that they still had branch of service designation on them, mostly cavalry. It also described the jackets as cavalry jackets.

[Faugh a Ballagh]

Re: Really cool US Forage cap

Oh, by the way, I'm making one of these caps, oh yes, it will be mine. Will post a pic when completed.

Greg Starbuck

Any update on the cap, Mr. Starbuck? Would love to see the final product. I am presently leaning toward dedicating my old forage cap to my 116th impression, and keeping the wonderful kepi I have from you pristine for other impressions.