US CAVALRY M1858 DRESS “HARDEE” HAT – 8th REGIMENT, COMPANY H

$3,950.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 1268-775

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The M1858 Dress Hat was the formal counterpart to the fatigue duty headwear of the US Army.  Made of stiff black felt, the hat found little favor among Civil War servicemen, particularly in the east, due to its rigidity, styling, and lack of practicality.  The hat was often perceived as unnecessarily hot and could not be secured to the wearer’s head beyond how well it fit. Still, the hat can be seen in photographs of each theater of the war, sported by men who preferred a brimmed hat.  In photographs of the Western Theater, the “Hardee” is seen with much more frequency, often having been customized by US troops to look and feel more like contemporary civilian hats (while still adhering to army regulations).  Early models (m55) were cavalry specific and featured a chinstrap and more ornate decoration. The design was later simplified and became the m1858.

This example comes to us from the collection of the Texas Civil War Museum, where it was displayed for several years as part of their headgear collection.  The felt remains stiff and the right brim is pinned by a “Davis” Eagle pin.  A yellow cavalry hat cord adorns the base of the crown and insignia graces the front, denoting the 8th Regiment, Company C, of unidentified Cavalry.  The interior features a Moroccan leather sweatband with a pressed board crown liner.  The liner retains its gold painted eagle “stamping” with “U.S. Army” banner and is marked size “No. 4”.  There is typical fading throughout – commensurate with its age – and several sizable cracks are noted on the brim with two having been repaired.  The top of the crown is cracked behind the company insignia. The painted crown liner shows a few cracks in the outer black-painted layer but is otherwise complete. The insignia remains in good condition – the brass is bright with only slight surface dulling.  The crown shows a slight “crush” style, suggesting it saw some use.  2.75” and a 1.5” sections of the double stitching on the edge of the brim are missing, but the remainder is intact. Leather “thong” pieces anchor all insignia in place, including the eagle hat pin.  A plume holder is attached, with a broken black plume (snapped at the stem but functional for display) smartly accentuating the overall presentation of the piece.

No collection of US enlisted material culture items of the Civil War is truly complete without the ubiquitous “Hardee” Hat.  This is a nice Cavalry piece and would be a worthy addition to any display or artifact portfolio.  [cm][ph:L]

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