T^1825 PATTERN FORAGE CAP 



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T IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE juSt whcil 



the cap variously called "undress," "forage," or "fa- 

 tigue" was first worn in the Army. Although there is 

 no evidence that such a cap was a regulation item of 

 wear prior to the turn of the 19th century, it is hard to 

 believe that the more formal caps were the only type of 

 headgear worn by the troops, especiallv on fatigue dut\'. 

 European armies had been wearing some type of un- 

 dress cap possibly as early as the middle of the 18th 

 century, although references are somewhat vague and 

 scattered. It is known that some British regiments as 

 early as 1768 were wearing red forage caps lined with 

 canvas, made of the remains of worn-out unifonn coats, 

 turned up in front with a small stiff flap of the facing 

 cloth and with a falling cape in the rear.'' 



The first mention of such a cap in the American 

 Regular Establishment is found in the Descriptive Book 

 of the 1st Infantn,' dated 1801, under "Serjeants Dress 

 and Men ... the foraging Caps to be blue. Bound 

 with red. . . ." ' ' There seems to be no further offi- 

 cial mention of such a cap until 1820. In the U.S. 

 Marine Corps a "fatigue hat" of some sort was being 

 worn in 181 1 and a "leather fatigue cap" no later than 

 1818.'" In 1817, howe\er, Irvine directed the Militar>' 

 Storekeeper to issue, without charge to the .soldier, the 

 old felt caps which had been replaced with the leather 

 models in 1813, "as a matter of accommodation to en- 

 able him to take better care of the leather cap." ' ' 



Although not mentioned in the 1 82 1 uniform regu- 

 lations, a "forage cap" priced at 39 cents, an item "not 

 allowed" in 1817, appeared in the cost of clothing list 

 in the general regulations for that year."'* First approved 

 in the spring of 1820, and admittedly "inferior in point 

 of ornament" to the pattern approved for issue in 1825, 

 it was described as being both "comfortable and con- 

 \enient, comfortable in as much as it is light and ma\ 

 be worn so as to co\er the greater part of the face and 



jaws, which is considered to be important in a cold 

 climate, convenient because it can be rolled up so as 

 to occupy but a small space in a knapsack without 

 receiving injury." '" These caps were not made on 

 contract, but rather were cut out at the Clothing Estab- 

 lishment at Schuylkill Arsenal and assembled by seam- 

 stresses in the area on a piecework basis."" Nothing 

 more is known of them except that they were of gray 

 wool and that the allowance was one per fi\e year 

 enlistment."' They were probably similar to those of 

 "gray cloth" prescribed for the cadets at the Military 

 Academy in 1 824. "■ In any case, considering the price, 

 they could hardly ha\e been elaborate. In May 1821, 

 apparently after issue of the caps had started, the Com- 

 missary General of Purcha.ses, who never seems to have 

 liked them, suggested to the Secretary of War that 

 leather caps of the old pattern, that is of the "Waterloo"" 

 pattern, be issued to regiments in the interior who might 

 cut them down and adapt them for fatigue wear "mak- 

 ing unnecessai-)' the issue of cloth forage caps for some- 

 time to come." The suggestion was appro\ed."' 



In the spring of 1825 a new forage cap was designed 

 in the War Department and a pattern cap sent to Ir\inc 

 for his use. The Corps, or branch of service, of the 

 wearer was to be designated by the color of the trim- 

 mings. Officers were to wear the number of their regi- 

 ment and enlisted men the letter of their company, of 

 either white or yellow metal with holes in the metal so 

 that the piece could be sewed to the headband. Officers 

 and enlisted men's caps were to differ only in quality."' 

 For reasons of durability the bodies of the caps were 

 to be made of "Sergeant's cloth"; however, the other 

 materials were to be "of the cheapest kind." ^ The 

 1825 uniform regulations describe the cap as follows: 



Conipanv officers, when on duty, absent ironi their 

 companies, will be allowed in uniform to wear a chakos 

 (or foraging cap) of blue cloth, trinnned with lace. 



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