Hat Cords on Civilian hats

[NebraskaFed]

Gents,

Why did Confederate troops wear Federal hat cords on their civilian hats? Was it for decoration purposes? I was just curious. I used the search function with no help and was hoping someone could answer my question. This is something I've seen reenactors wearing, but haven't found a reason why. This isn't a "reenactor-ism" is it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Cody G. Williams

[Gallinipper]

Re: Hat Cords on Civilian hats

Gents,

Why did Confederate troops wear Federal hat cords on their civilian hats? Was it for decoration purposes? I was just curious. I used the search function with no help and was hoping someone could answer my question. This is something I've seen reenactors wearing, but haven't found a reason why. This isn't a "reenactor-ism" is it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Cody G. Williams

If you look closely at photographs and surviving originals, you find that it wasn't always a "captured" US issue cord on those hats either. Many appear to be furniture or drapery ties. I was able to find 2 sets of old silk ones nearly identical to the cord on the Kincheloe hat on Ebay(!), and if the seller hadn't been so downright ugly I would have bought every one she had. My guess is that they connotate military "high fashion" of the 19th Century. Besides, what rebel wouldn't want a jaunty(ier) looking hat, as long as he could get away with it without making himself too much of a target?

Rich Croxton

[markj]

Re: Hat Cords on Civilian hats

Hi Cody,

Please see the attached item, which shows a hat lying near a dead Confederate killed in the fighting around the Alsop House in May 1864, and draw your own conclusions. Alas, I had to chop off some of the image due to the limitations of the software on my computer; however, this should still be of some assistance.

You can see the entire image at the "American Memory" (Library of Congress) website and I've included the URL and description of the image in the attachment so you can find it easily.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger