The Famous Hardee Hat

PartywithArty

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Oct 20, 2011
The Hardee hat, also known as the Model 1858 Dress Hat and sometimes nicknamed the "Jeff Davis", was the regulation dress hat for enlisted men in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Hardee hat was also worn by Confederate soldiers.[1][2] However, most soldiers found the black felt hat to be too hot and heavy and shunned its use, preferring a kepi or slouch hat. In the Union Army, the most prominent wearers of the Hardee hat during the war were the soldiers of the "Iron Brigade", also known as the Black-Hats.
The hat apparently was named after William J. Hardee, a career officer in the U.S. Army from 1838 until resigning his commission on January 31, 1861. Hardee was Commandant of Cadets at West Point from 1856 to 1860. He was lieutenant colonel of the 1st U.S. Cavalry until just before the war. In 1855, he published Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics for the Exercise and Manoeuvres of Troops When Acting as Light Infantry or Riflemen,[3] popularly known as Hardee's Tactics, which became the best-known drill manual of both sides of the Civil War. He joined the Confederate States Army in March 1861 and eventually became a lieutenant general and corps commander.
U.S. Army regulations specified that the hat should be adorned with a brass hat device and a wool hat cord denoting the branch of service of the wearer: sky blue for infantry, scarlet for artillery, and gold for cavalry. The brim was to be pinned up on the right side for cavalrymen and artillerymen, and on the left for infantry soldiers.
 
Interesting info thanks for posting. You know for as many things as were "regulation" they seemed to be overlooked.
 
undressed hardee
 

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I dont care what reenactment you go to,you will not see an acurate amount of hardees. Every one wears kepis and slouches. I think a hardee is a fine looking hat.But thats just me.

I appreciate your setiments and your like of the Hardee hat. I dont like it and never have. I blunt. Why....dunno. We are all different. May be the hat is to overdone fer my taste. BUT, I got friends who love that thing. I just cant see myself going off to war in a hat that seems a tad pompous. I dont like Napoleonic Shakos either (spelling?) impractical when you in 30 degree below zero weather getting sliced and diced by Cossacks out in Russia. For me simple is best. Just a personal thing. Odd, I not real big on berets either. Actually by this time of night I not sure what I like.:D

Actually perhaps the most practical military hat prior to steel helments (cause of expolosives) was the Southern slouch. Keeps rain off, protection from the sun, hide love letters in it, dirty pics....etc. Military looking, no, practical, YES. Weigh in on gear iffin ya like. Lots of room for opinion here.
 
I appreciate your setiments and your like of the Hardee hat. I dont like it and never have. I blunt. Why....dunno. We are all different. May be the hat is to overdone fer my taste. BUT, I got friends who love that thing. I just cant see myself going off to war in a hat that seems a tad pompous. I dont like Napoleonic Shakos either (spelling?) impractical when you in 30 degree below zero weather getting sliced and diced by Cossacks out in Russia. For me simple is best. Just a personal thing. Odd, I not real big on berets either. Actually by this time of night I not sure what I like.:D

Actually perhaps the most practical military hat prior to steel helments (cause of expolosives) was the Southern slouch. Keeps rain off, protection from the sun, hide love letters in it, dirty pics....etc. Military looking, no, practical, YES. Weigh in on gear iffin ya like. Lots of room for opinion here.
I like the hardee,yes,do i wear a hardee?No,i cant pull the look off to save my rear end. At reenactments,i wear a black felt gambler hat. But once again,do i think a hardee looks nice? Most definantly!:D
 
The 1858 Dress hat was probably one of the most manipulated hats in the history of the United States Army. It was adorned, un adorned, creased, and telescoped untill many of them dont even resemble the Dress hat anymore. Very Common in the West was the unadorned and creased and telescoped hardee.
 
I couldn't agree more. Take a good look at western soldiers in thier "black hats". It looks like a variety of different hats, but instead it is just the Hardee hat reformed to fit the soldiers whim. Mine I use has a huge crease down the middle.
 
Great topic. At the 150th B/G Shiloh event the 15th Iowa was about 700 strong all in undressed Hardee hats. Impressive! (I was so impressed, I had to get one for my Federal kit).
 
The Hardee hat, also known as the Model 1858 Dress Hat and sometimes nicknamed the "Jeff Davis", was the regulation dress hat for enlisted men in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Hardee hat was also worn by Confederate soldiers.[1][2] However, most soldiers found the black felt hat to be too hot and heavy and shunned its use, preferring a kepi or slouch hat. In the Union Army, the most prominent wearers of the Hardee hat during the war were the soldiers of the "Iron Brigade", also known as the Black-Hats.
The hat apparently was named after William J. Hardee, a career officer in the U.S. Army from 1838 until resigning his commission on January 31, 1861. Hardee was Commandant of Cadets at West Point from 1856 to 1860. He was lieutenant colonel of the 1st U.S. Cavalry until just before the war. In 1855, he published Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics for the Exercise and Manoeuvres of Troops When Acting as Light Infantry or Riflemen,[3] popularly known as Hardee's Tactics, which became the best-known drill manual of both sides of the Civil War. He joined the Confederate States Army in March 1861 and eventually became a lieutenant general and corps commander.
U.S. Army regulations specified that the hat should be adorned with a brass hat device and a wool hat cord denoting the branch of service of the wearer: sky blue for infantry, scarlet for artillery, and gold for cavalry. The brim was to be pinned up on the right side for cavalrymen and artillerymen, and on the left for infantry soldiers.

Great info, good read !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Those hat cords were typically tossed. Seldom do you see them. The hat pins also became scarce as the men started adapting thier head gear. Something I dislike seeing is all that hat cords at reenactments, attached to all kinds of head coverings. I cut mine and used the tassle end to make a night cap with. Best use I can think of for it.

S.D.Swart
 
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Those hat cords were typically tossed. Seldom do you see them. The hat pins also became scarce as the men started adapting thier head gear. Something I dislike seeing is all that hat cords at reenactments, attached to all kinds of head coverings. I cut mine and used the tassle end to make a night cap with. Best use I can think of for it.

S.D.Swart
have a slouch with a red hat cord,crossed cannons and a "C" insignia,i only wear the hat at parades or ceremonies. It makes a nice dress hat to have all that stuff,but its kinda farby at late war reneactments
 
In General, brass on Confederate headgear should be slim to none. very few extent caps and hats that I have seen are adorned with any kind of insignia or device, let alone cords, none have feathers (cept JEB's) and NONE have the coon tails, fox tails, or coon reproductive bones that some Rebs like attaching to thier hats
 
In General, brass on Confederate headgear should be slim to none. very few extent caps and hats that I have seen are adorned with any kind of insignia or device, let alone cords, none have feathers (cept JEB's) and NONE have the coon tails, fox tails, or coon reproductive bones that some Rebs like attaching to thier hats
i dont know about the cool "bone" southerners have been using them to pick their teeth way before the war,I can see a soldier poking one in his hat,not for decorative pourposes though...
 
i dont know about the cool "bone" southerners have been using them to pick their teeth way before the war,I can see a soldier poking one in his hat,not for decorative pourposes though...

The "I could see a guy do this", is a slippery slope. I rather rely on photos, and or contempary accounts. Neither suggest to use of animal parts in thier hats. Rule of thumb for reenactors should be the NORM rather than the exception. Save the decorations for the ball.

S.D.Swart
 
The "I could see a guy do this", is a slippery slope. I rather rely on photos, and or contempary accounts. Neither suggest to use of animal parts in thier hats. Rule of thumb for reenactors should be the NORM rather than the exception. Save the decorations for the ball.

S.D.Swart
I never said id add a coon **** to my hatband,i simply stated that I could see a man having one 150 years ago. And what does it matter if a fellow had one in his hat? Ive seen plenty of photos of soliers with feathers and flowers in their hat. Why wouldt they have a coon organ in their hat?were talking about a time were it was normal to kill a coon and eat it. Back then they didnt waste anything.So im sure the organ would have been collected and put to use. There may be no photos to prove that they used the organ as decorations,but what proof do we have that they didnt? Ill bet you this weeks paycheck at some point in the war,a man somwere in the hills of Tennessee had a coon **** in his hatband... And if reenactors stuck to the norm,we would all be running around in cheep jean wool trousers,modern button up shirt, a fall creek sack coat,cow boy boots and a leather kepi... Authentic re-enactors became authentic by not being the NORM..
 
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