KEPI'S

[Scout]

Was the Kepi cap an issued item at the time of the battle? I have never seen it mentioned as such and yet a number of photos of that era show troopers....privates & officers....wearing them. Hutchins' book BOOTS & SADDLES AT THE LITTLE BIGHORN doesn't list it either as an issued item. Could use the info from some of you that are uniform experts.

Those big broad brimmed hats that were issued look a sub-standard piece of junk. Think I would have preferred the kepi.

[d o harris]

Scout, Pvt. Wm O Taylor on the 1872 issue campaign hat---An old black campaign hat, contracted for during the rebellion, with avery wide brim that had hooks and eyes on it, front and rear so that it might be made to appear the chapeau of a Major General, but the handling it got and the rain and wind gave it an appearance unlike anything I ever saw on the head on a man....Owing to the cheap material and its great width the brim of my hat had become separated from the crown for nearly half theway round, and in consequence I was sometimes looking over the brim and sometimes, under it." Taylor also notes that troops L, F, and C refused to wear it and bought their own. When Taylor describes the EM kit he doesn't mention having a kepi.

[Steve Wilk]

The forage cap (official terminology; never referred to as "kepi" in US Army regs) must have been issued. An 1873 order mandated that soldiers could not wear campaign hats on post unless doing physical labor; ie fatigue or stable duty. So the forage cap was worn as more or less a "garrison cap" on post, but often worn in the field as well.

The folding campaign hat, though universally despised, was widely worn until the hat was replaced by the 1876 model. Looking at the famous Black Hills officer's photo from 1874, I counted eight men wearing the fold up hat, including Benteen, wearing it cocked sideways like a Napoleanic soldier. Enlisted men would often trim the brim to eliminate the floppiness of the hat. Most would just throw it away and purchase a civilian hat. Page 150 of Doug McChristian's book _US Army in the West_ shows a group of troopers at Ft. Grant AZ in 1876, with all sorts of headwear evident. As ridiculous as the issue hat may have looked, these guys look even less soldierly in their civilian alternatives.

[elisabeth]

The forage cap was literally that, wasn't it? Designed to be used as a feed-bowl for your horse. (You couldn't just scatter oats on the ground, it'd be far too wasteful.)

[Steve Wilk]

elisabeth said:

The forage cap was literally that, wasn't it? Designed to be used as a feed-bowl for your horse. (You couldn't just scatter oats on the ground, it'd be far too wasteful.)

Oats were carried in feedbags, which were strapped onto the horse's heads at feed time, if I am not mistaken. Infantry also wore the forage cap and they had no horse to feed. Not sure I'd want to wear a cap full of horse drool!

Not sure how the term "forage cap" originated, but I can picture Civil War soldiers with the floppier version ie "bummer cap" "foraging", filling those caps with Georgia peaches, berries, etc. to supplement their hardtack and bacon rations.

[elisabeth]

I thought I'd read an account from one of the troopers where he mentions using his cap ... but maybe I'm wrong. (I don't guarantee to spend the next 3 days trying to find it!)

[Lawtonka]

Most of the soldiers were still drawing Civil War Surplus equipment. Look at the buttons recovered at the battlefield, I don't remember seeing any of the Indian Wars period Eagle buttons. Almost all of them were Civil War Period.

Eventually the Civil War Style Kepi changed in style. For the most part the Indian Wars Kepi was much lower profile. As for comfort, the same problem existed and even more so for the soldiers. They were not at all practicle for one who spent the entire day out in the sun. The broad brim hats favored by the Confederate soldiers were also more practicle. A flat straw broad brim hat was even better. But the slouch hat (felt broad brim hats) is probably the pattern govt used to come up with the first campaign hat.

[d o harris]

Re: Kepis and Forage caps. To forage also meant to spoil, plunder, ravage, raid. Skirmish lines were directed by the manual to advance as foragers.