This is a very good example of the regulation Model 1858 forage cap, the classic headgear of the Union soldier in the Civil War. Descended from the prewar army shako, essentially a shako with its stiffening removed or softened by exposure to the elements, this pattern was adopted by the army for fatigue wear in 1858 and was the standard U.S. wartime headgear, particularly for eastern theatre troops, in camp, campaign, and in battle.

This follows the standard pattern, with the dark blue wool body fitted with a tarred/painted leather visor and flat circular top stiffened by piece of thick pasteboard, and provided with a glazed leather adjustable chinstrap held by two small general service eagle buttons on the sides, lined inside with polished cotton, and fitted with a thin leather (usually impressed goatskin) sweatband. In collector parlance this is the “Type 2,” as defined by its flatter visor, broader top and boxier profile. Most soldiers went through several in their army service and few thought to preserve them. Those that were kept usually met their fate during chores around a farm or as moth fodder in attics. Those in government stockpiles were sold off as regulations changed in 1872 or simply condemned and were advertised as cheap workman’s caps for years after.

This has good color, tight seams, and good surface with just some moth tracking to the nap of the fabric on the lower front, top, and bottom rear, but this does not go through the tight weave of the blue fabric and shows mostly as differences in shading. The only hole we see is a semicircular one at the rear edge of the top, on the wearer’s right, that was repaired by a collector by inserting a piece of matching fabric and tacking it down with some fabric glue. The chinstrap is in place and secured by two small general service buttons and is the usual issue style with fixed loops at the ends of two sections and a free-floating friction buckle that would be positioned to act as a stop against one of the loops. The interior polished cotton lining is complete and intact. The sweatband shows some wear and rubbing along the bottom edge but is also complete and in place. The visor is firmly attached.

There is no maker’s label, but these were small printed paper labels simply pasted at the center of the lining and are usually missing. The so-called “Type 2” configuration was produced by L.J. & I. Phillips, a major contractor, who also supplied caps in the “Type 1” style, but they was produced by other makers as well and we would hesitate to attribute this to a particular contractor, but it is, in any case, the classic Union soldier’s cap and is a key piece, and a showy one, in any Civil War collection. [sr][ph:L]

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