Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-20

II wear it jauntily, and then we are
growing accustomed to it. 1t is orna-
mentcd in front by an eagle and cord
in gold, and certainly it is more COM
Portable and u better shield to the eyes
than the old cap. Formerly, chaS-
seur cap of an infantry officer was or
namentcd by two crossed rifles, and the
number Of his-regimcnt, that of the
cavalry officer by two crossed sabCrs
and the regimental number, and that
of the artillery officer by two crossed
cannons and the regimenlal number.
but these have now been placed on the
collar OF the new regulation fatigue
blouse. The enlisted men retain the
old crossed rifles. sabers and cannons.
with the reSimental number and letter
indicating company, troop or battery
on their caps.
There is. in addition to this, the
white cork helmet which is worn by the
officer with his summer fatigue of
white flannel and by the men in their
white ducks. No insignia of rank is
Worn With these white clothes. They
are not strictly in accordance with
regulations, and cannot be Worn otii-
cia!ly. We only wear them when loun@-
ing about in the evening or when off
duty. unless it be il the hotter chimes.
where one has In sit up till midnight
drinking iced Whskey to get cooled of.
But most typical of all our headgear
is the slouched campaign hat OF gray
felt. This hat is an adaptation of the
s0mbrero.and our troops learned to love
it IN tine west. until at last ii came to
be regularly adopted. 1t WAS worn ny
General Miles and other generals in the
west as late as Wounded Knee, and
noW all the officers prefer the gray
campaign hat worn by the men them
selves 1t is serYiceable, it Willa.WcaI
forever. it will not show dirt, and II Is
the coolest and most COmfOrtd bic head
gear any man ever wore. | have heard
European army officers criticise it as
unmilitary. ] know of no troops that
lock 50 businesslike as ours when in the
field with their campaign hats, then
web cartridge belts and their brown
canvas leggings And then the
slouched hat, whether on military CT
civilian head. is the most distinctly
and typically American OF any hat /
know. II has character, it has dash, it
has business in it.
would do the big black bounding
becears" of the Ninth and Tenth cav
olrv great wrong were | to omit mem
ton of their buffalo caps. No sight Is
SO wonderful, so terrible even, as that
presented by these buffalo soldiers
when. in the dead of winter, on a cold
iItiD
come galloping down on you wrapped
i'm their huge oVerCOatS OF bullal0 SKIN
with their caps almost hidden in thcii
shaggy outer hides. Small wonder Is
If that it strikes cold fear to the red
breast of the Indian hostile, raidinS Oft
| the reservatio
General officers. officers Of the gen
eral staff and staff corps, except the
SIGNAL corps. wear those silly chap
| eaI1x-bras which we also inherit IRON
r,urone. These arm hats" which
never look so we'll as when in a state OF
co1lapse. they are tucked under the ell
, bow of an officer at bail, nave peer
gradually decreasing in size since the
| DAYS of NapOlean when every genera
officer in Europe-Save the great EN-
neror himself. who clung to the typi
cal and famous artillery hat in Which
he saw his first as we'll as his last ser
yice--Wore them half the size Of gun
carriage wheel. and it is hoped tina
they will fade away altogether in time
These chapeaux have a body that vii
fold. are made of black silk plush will
gold-plated trimmings, have two blacl
ostrich plumes and cost as much as
Paris bonnet, but, despite all this, AM