- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
One of the more unusually type of headwear of the Civil War period was the hat/havelock combination. The concept of a hat/cap with a built in Havelock sounds like a great idea, but fell short of its believed potential. The hat/Havelock came in several styles and was used by both the Union and the Confederacy.
1. Charles Pascal’s patent. This style was very much like a hat with Havelock up and the “Havelock” could be lowed to protect against but sun and rain. It was worn by several Pennsylvania cavalry regiments. It is often called the “Pennsylvania Cavalry Hat”.
2. Rhode Island issued a locally version of the hat/Havelock.
3. The Seamless Clothing Company provided the First and Second U.S. Sharpshooter a version of the hat/Havelock.
4. New Yorker Jonathan F. Whipple patented a havelock/hat that was issued several New England soldiers, particularly New Hampshire soldiers. This version looked more like a cap/havevelock. It was made in two version, stiff felt and cloth.
5. James M. Loomis of Chicago made hat/Havelocks similar to the Whipple version.
6. There was a Confederate version of the hat/havelock (I forget what it was called and could use some help).
The hat/havelocks were not popular and the soldiers thought the hat/havelock were to hat and heavy. It was not very military looking.