Description |
Blue wool US Army officer's forage cap ("chasseur" or "MacLellan" style), with leather brim. Small eagle side buttons hold a chinstrap of knotted gold cord. This was authorized for officers in 1883, but in use well before. Regulation-style silver-embroidered "U.S." in a gold-embroidered wreath on velvet patch to front.
Band stiffened with cardboard. Brown leather full-length sweatband (with later annotation, "MR B49"). Felt and paper (over wire?) stiffeners underneath lining. Black silk lining is marked in the crown, but hard to make out. Appears to be “Fred…..& Co. | Brooklyn”. Remains of black elastic chinstrap.
Quatrefoil of (cotton/linen?) yellow thread sewn to crown. Few threads are actually sewn down, and it appears like a mess of thread now.
This basic pattern was regulation from 1883-1895, and was probably made within that time frame for a four to six year old child. |