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Figure 34. — Proposed Forage Cap, 1839. War Department lithograph. National Archives. 



of the enlisted men's model were .settled. The caps were 

 to be made of a waterproof cloth de\eloped by Samuel 

 Lawrence of Lowell, Ma.s.sachusetts, with a "cape" at- 

 tached to the rear which could be lowered to cover 

 the neck in bad weather. There were also several small 

 changes in the chin strap.' '' Contracts were let early 

 in 1840 at an average price of $1 .30, although no caps 

 were to be i.ssued during the clothing year ending 31 

 October 1840.' '' The pattern was also adopted for the 

 Corps of Cadets at West Point and the cap's price set 

 at$2.34.''"'' 



Irvine experienced considerable difficulty with the 

 contractors of these caps — he had had none with the 

 dress cap makens — and in May 1 841 he decided to have 

 them made, as the clothing for the Army was, by out- 

 ■side seamstre.sses on a piecework basis, the leather trim- 

 mings to be bought on contract and added at the 

 arsenal.''" The "waterproofed" cloth furnished by 



Lawrence also caused difficulties, and Irvine dropped 

 him as a supplier and went to other sources for "water- 

 proofed" fabric.'^** 



Colored bands for forage caps were called for 

 in the Macomb lithographs for both officers and en- 

 listed men. The two extant copies of the print, however, 

 carry the handwritten comment "These bands for non- 

 comd. officers and soldiers only," and one the comment 

 "No Bands for Officers." A letter from Major Whiting 

 to a Mr. B. de la Pierce of New York states: "You will 

 perceive by the written remarks that the colored bands 

 ha\c been dispensed with. . . ." '"" De la Pierce was 

 a well-known hatter and uniform maker who appar- 

 ently specialized in work for officers. There is no record 

 of hLs having contracted to make caps for enlisted men. 

 It must be inferred that \Vhiting meant bands were 

 dispensed with for officers' caps only. No photograph 

 of an officer wearing this headpiece with such a band 



41 



