Caps, hats, and shakos

[major bill]

I am attempting to better understand headwear of Michigan militia companies at the start of the Civil War. Descriptions found in newspapers can be confusing

For example the Detroit Light Guard was said to wear; 1. Tall black bearskins a.k.a showy bearskins shakos 2. High black shakos, shakos 3. Blue caps , light infantry caps 4. Jaunty Zouave caps. 5. Gray Sardinian caps with their gray Zouave uniforms. So they wear 4 types of headwear? bearskins, leather or cloth shakos, caps (light infantry caps), Sardinian caps.

Some other headwear terms seen in pre Civil War newspapers.
1. Bearskins, bearskin caps
2. Grenadier hats (maybe the same as a bearskin)
3. National Guard caps. National Guard caps with fountain plumes
4. Fatigue caps
5. Scarlet army caps
6. Black hats with black plumes same unit said to wear black cavalier hats with long black plumes
7. Blue caps, blue caps with fountain plumes
8. Light infantry cap
9 Regulation caps. blue regulation caps, regulation caps with green band and pompom
10. Zouave caps, jaunty Zouave caps
11. Sardinian caps
12. Glazed cap, glazed fatigue cap
13 Red fez with white turban
14. Roman helmet. Helmet with long feather

Again what exactly do the Adrian Guard wear. Newspaper say ferocious looking caps, black dress hats, black shakos, bearskin, Zouave caps with Zouave uniforms, red caps. So could a bearskin be also call a black dress hat, ferocious looking cap and a black shako? I take it the Zoauve caps and red caps were for fatigue and are one in the same.

 

[Cpl. Smith]

I do not know but hope someone does. Interesting subject none the less.