Campaign hat worn by William T. Sherman
date: label: associated date
content: 1861-1865
name: label: wearer
content: Sherman, William Tecumseh
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Gray wool felt with gold-cord trim. U.S. insignia.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: During the Civil War, officers wore many types of hats, more often non-regulation than regulation. This example of a regulation army hat was worn by General William T. Sherman. The hat is made of gray felt and has a gold general officer's hat cord as prescribed in the 1858 regulations for general officers; also in keeping with the regulations is a gold-embroidered wreath, encircling the letters "U.S." embroidered in silver, on a black-velvet patch sewn onto the front of the crown.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: Although a native of Ohio, William Tecumseh Sherman remains inextricably linked with Georgia and the burning of Atlanta. Sherman was a graduate of West Point. His first tour of duty was in Florida in a campaign against the Seminole Indians and later he was an aide during the Mexican War. After a failed attempt at banking, he commanded a military school. During the Civil War he sided with the Union. His first action was in the Battle of First Manassas in July 1861. In July 1863, Sherman was promoted to brigadier general. His fame came on May 5, 1864, when he marched his army of close to 100,000 men into Georgia. Within six weeks, Confederate casualties had doubled, and on September 1, 1864, Sherman occupied Atlanta. His plan was to burn the buildings used for military purposes, but his fires raged out of control, destroying much of the city. With Atlanta burning, Sherman launched his March to the Sea. 60,000 of his most seasoned soldiers cut a swath of destruction through the heart of Georgia. By December 23, 1864, Sherman's forces occupied Savannah. After the war, in 1869, he succeeded Ulysses S. Grant as General of the Army of the United States. Sherman retired from the army in 1884 with that rank.
topic: label: Subject
content: Civil War
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
label: See more items in
content: National Treasures exhibit
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content: William Tecumseh Sherman
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content: ThinkFinity
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Hon. P. Tecumseh Sherman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.15935
label: catalog number
content: 15935
label: accession number
content: 59388
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hat
label: Other Terms
content: hat; Man; Army; Officer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 5 in x 12 1/2 in x 13 in; 12.7 cm x 31.75 cm x 33.02 cm