Infantry Private Frock Coat and Hardee Hat
date: label: Associated Date
content: 1857 - 1872
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Dark blue wool coat with gold-colored buttons. Black wool hat with ostrich plume and blue cord ribbon. Brass Jager horn and "A" insignia.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: This is the type of coat and hat worn by a Union private.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: In 1855 Secretary of War Jefferson Davis was instrumental in the creation of two regiments of cavalry. It was recommended that the cavalry have a distinctive hat; it is sometimes called the Jeff Davis hat. It also was referred to as the Hardee hat, after William Joseph Hardee, an officer of the 2nd Cavalry. In 1858 the hat was approved for the entire army. The hat was made of black felt and had various insignia, which were embroidered for officers and brass for enlisted men. It was looped up by an eagle on one side and decorated with ostrich feathers on the other. The side on which the hat was looped up was changed several times during the period the hat was in use. From 1858–1861 the hat looped on the left for artillery and infantry officers. On the front of the hat was the insignia of the branch of service. The Jager horn represented the infantry. In some cases the hat bore the regimental number and company letter. Hat cords were in the branch color for enlisted men, in mixed black and silver for company or field officers, and in gold for general officers.
topic: label: related event
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Civil War and Reconstruction
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
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content: Military
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content: ThinkFinity
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.22817 [dup5]
label: catalog number
content: 22817
label: accession number
content: 64127
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coat
label: Other Terms
content: coat; Man; Army; Infantry; Private; Enlisted Man; Dress
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: dark blue (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (buttons material)
label: Physical Description
content: light blue (trim color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 37 in x 16 1/2 in; 93.98 cm x 41.91 cm