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George McClellan's forage cap. Worn by General George McClellan, this well-tailored kepi, also known as a chasseur cap, was a taller type than most Civil War kepis and popular with soldiers of all ranks, who sometimes placed a wet sponge or handkerchief under the crown to keep cool.
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Specific History. This is the type of kepi worn by a Confederate officer. The faded gold quatrefoil and three lines of lace signify that it was worn by a major or colonel. General History. The kepi was similar to the forage cap. It was copied from the French officer's hat.
Worn by General George McClellan, this well-tailored kepi, also known as a chasseur cap, was a taller type than most Civil War kepis and popular with soldiers of all ranks, who sometimes placed a wet sponge or handkerchief under the crown to keep cool.
An officer's kepi has been in storage for decades at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, too fragile to go on public view. The cap's interior -- from its leather and lining to delicate silk -- has deteriorated since the Civil War to the point of being a pile of fabric.
The forage cap became the most common form of cap worn by U.S. regulars and volunteers during the American Civil War, though it is most commonly associated with the eastern theater of the war, since western troops generally preferred broad-brimmed felt hats (see photos of Sherman's army parading through Washington D.C. at war's end).
