ACW and post war forage caps

[Copperdragon333]

I'm still rather green when it comes to Civil War uniforms, and I'm really interested in knowing more about forage caps. I've seen the extremely helpful post on what to look for in a standard issue cap, and I know there are different pattern forage caps as well as private purchase ones, but can someone please tell me the main differences between war period private issue union forage caps and post war?

 

[RedRover]

The wartime "McClellan" forage cap (as the Union soldiers called them) were akin the French "kepi" in pattern.


The 1858 G.I. forage cap...

United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Caps, chapeaus, hats, kepis, pith helmet, skakos, etc., worn by the Army of the United States from 1855 to 1902.

archive.org

A description of the "McClellan" caps (p. 19).

United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Caps, chapeaus, hats, kepis, pith helmet, skakos, etc., worn by the Army of the United States from 1855 to 1902.

archive.org

The 1872 forage cap... had generally a slightly lower front...

And some of them had extremely low fronts...

United States Army Headgear 1855-1902 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Caps, chapeaus, hats, kepis, pith helmet, skakos, etc., worn by the Army of the United States from 1855 to 1902.

archive.org

 

[Salterr]

Adding to the excellent @RedRover source. Post war headgear has different insignia and sweatbands. Makers marks too. You can also identify them by their chinstrap button back marks