He kept his Kepi ...21st N.C. Regiment forage cap

farrargirl

First Sergeant
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Location
Baldwin County, on the Alabama Gulf Coast
While losing myself in the University of N.C. Digital Collections, I browsed through some early newsletters from the Greensboro Historical Museum. Here’s the 2014 issue that caught my eye : https://dcr.lib.unc.edu/record/uuid:aa9ae578-4568-4b53-bd8a-0f2fec267c31.

Edited to remove screenshot of copyrighted material. <The magazine article from Greensboro History includes a request for a donor to sponsor preservation of the kepi which belonged to Lt Col William S. Rankin. - mod>

Then, I had to take a look at Lt.Col. William S. Rankin’s military records.

promoted to Lt.Col/1 March ‘63....shot at Gettysburg/ 2 July/63......gunshot wd.rt.upper thigh...and...to abdomen...by a minie ball,
AC91D8E0-585F-4BD4-B7C9-2B3C37D1B2EC.jpeg

followed by a stay at Johnson’s Island until war’s end.
I was finishing up his cards in Fold3 when I saw all the letters folks wrote him.
Here’s one from somebody who cared a lot about him and our “Country”.....
4B8B4C77-85B0-4ECD-96C0-4FFA61A7E455.jpeg


( maybe this was the “Mildred” referenced in the newsletter)....
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is an interesting article. I hope thy can raise the needed money.
Yes, it was to me. This publication is called ROAR, and the last few years are not digitized yet. I believe the kepi found a home since this 2014 issue. A very creative way to raise funds for a great historical preservation cause.
Here’s one more I found, from 2015, but do not know if they were displayed artifacts or “up for adoption” or both...
( the bodice was owned by a woman who married into my Farrar line in Granville..😂 )...

Edited to remove screenshot of copyrighted material. <The bodice referenced is pictured on a subsequent page of the article linked in the OP. - mod>
 
Last edited by a moderator:
William Scott Rankin must have been wearing it when he was wounded on Cemetery Hill the night of July 2. Although he may have been shot by an Eleventh Corps soldier, he was captured at the base of the hill by members of the 14th Indiana of Carroll's brigade:

"The 14th Ind. captured most of the 21st N. C., with their Colonel, Major and battleflag." (Charles H. Myerhoff, Co. E, 14th Ind., Evansville, Ind., The National Tribune, April 24, 1890) Myerhoff is actually referring to the lieutenant colonel of the 21st North Carolina.

"My regiment captured 1 stand of colors, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 major, 2 lieutenants, and 14 privates." (Official Report of Colonel John Coons, 14th Indiana)

Rankin was initially treated at the Second Corps, Third Division hospital, then transferred to Camp Letterman until early September, when he was transported to the West's Buildings Hospital in Baltimore.
 
William Scott Rankin must have been wearing it when he was wounded on Cemetery Hill the night of July 2. Although he may have been shot by an Eleventh Corps soldier, he was captured at the base of the hill by members of the 14th Indiana of Carroll's brigade:

"The 14th Ind. captured most of the 21st N. C., with their Colonel, Major and battleflag." (Charles H. Myerhoff, Co. E, 14th Ind., Evansville, Ind., The National Tribune, April 24, 1890) Myerhoff is actually referring to the lieutenant colonel of the 21st North Carolina.

"My regiment captured 1 stand of colors, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 major, 2 lieutenants, and 14 privates." (Official Report of Colonel John Coons, 14th Indiana)

Rankin was initially treated at the Second Corps, Third Division hospital, then transferred to Camp Letterman until early September, when he was transported to the West's Buildings Hospital in Baltimore.
Thanks for filling in the blanks! Incredible that, through the various hospitals, as well as the prison stay, he managed to retain that kepi! Someone obviously did a beautiful job of restoring it....
 
It is always nice when a museum ca put a name to an artifact. Often the museum gets an artifact and they can not put a name to that piece.
Absolutely. In that vein, seeing Civil War-era photograph albums with cabinet cards, cdv’s etc. of unidentified soldiers, is heart-breaking and frustrating. One wishes those soldiers could find their way home....
 
This might belong elsewhere and if it does let's get it posted in the right forum. For the newbie collector and museum curators:
What do you look for when it comes to identifying a kepi or forage cap as original or a reproduction? I've seen a few caps that were believed to be original but turned out to be a movie prop or from the CW Centennial.
 
I should have said " For the benefit of the newbie collector and museum curator: 'What to look for to determine if a kepi or forage cap is original or a repro" It's getting late and my clutch is slipping AGAIN! When I worked for the Heritage Park we had a kepi that we were told was original but turned out to have been a movie prop. We found a faint label inside that said in part WESTERN COSTUME
 
This might belong elsewhere and if it does let's get it posted in the right forum. For the newbie collector and museum curators:
What do you look for when it comes to identifying a kepi or forage cap as original or a reproduction? I've seen a few caps that were believed to be original but turned out to be a movie prop or from the CW Centennial.
How many CW items (used or unused), were purchased by Bannerman’s? If I’m not mistaken, some Items were sold as movie props, that were original and used.
 
I had thought of that too. There were a number of CW films done in the 'teens, 20's and so on. FWIW Some time ago I read an interview with Lillian Gish and her involvement with the film BIRTH OF A NATION. She stated that some original uniforms were bought (She didn't say who from) but they were too small. I found that a little hard to believe but she mentioned that the jackets used in the film were made up in larger sizes by the costume dept with the originals sold off. Who bought them is what I'd be curious to find out. I don't know if Buster Keaton used any original uniforms or gear in THE GENERAL. I doubt if there were many original Confederate uniforms still out there. Keaton may have used Indian Wars or Span/Am wars uniforms and gear to represent the Union. And like so many other films back then trapdoors and Peacemakers ruled for convenience, safety, availability and COST. 😳
 
I was in GB in August 1963, for the first time (one month after the Centennial celebration). My grandparents were there for the celebration despite both being immigrants only decades earlier.

I seem to remember a tent set up just outside of the Colton Motel, alongside Taneytown road, selling artifacts. Seem to remember bayonets and similar items, and in my 11 year old brain at the time, I was thinking the tent was Bannermans. Anyone else able to shed some light on this, or was it an over active/imaginative 11 year old?
 
Back
Top