Musician's cap.

[major bill]

I am working as a docent at the Michigan History Museum and so far zero visitors. I thought I would look a bit closer at this Civil War musician"s cap. At one time it had a card stating it was from Illinois. So is there anything particularly interesting about this cap?

 

[major bill]

To start off, it is in reasonable good condition. A button is missing. The remaining button is a musician button.

This is not a standard issue forage cap and with the braid, when new, it was probably fairly expensive.

Even in less than perfect condition it makes for a nice display.

 

[Dan Kohli]

I wonder if the individual who wore it was in a zouave regiment.

 

[major bill]

Years ago the signave simply said a Illinois regiment without naming it.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

The four rows of gold braid around the crown above the band, sides, front and back of crown and quatrefoil on top of crown would signify someone of officer's rank.

 

[Kurtlg]

The emblem on the front looks like a harp complete with strings

 

[major bill]

This cap is at the same Museum.

Although a couple of the pre war militia companies included in the First Michigan Three Month Infantry wore Zouave uniforms, Michigan had issued complete new uniforms to the regiment prior to it leaving Michigan. Could have this soldier retained his pre war Zouave cap and worn ot at First Bull Run? Maybe, but my bet is that this was a battlefield pick up.

Regardless, it is a great cap and in good condition.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Detail of 114th Pennsylvania (Collis Zouaves) Band at Guard Mount.

https://114thpa.tripod.com/detailband.jpg

"Notice the forage caps and no leggings"

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

An old thread on the musician insignia.

Musician's brass insignia | Relic Hunting & Collecting

Has anyone seen any war period images of soldiers wearing a musician's device as shown in this link? http://www.flickriver.com/photos/unforth/3413813511/

civilwartalk.com

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Civil War bandsmen pictured with cornets and saxhorns.

A gallery of 42 images of Civil War bandsmen is focused on musicians pictured with cornets and saxhorns.

www.militaryimagesmagazine-digital.com

 

[major bill]

This cap is in the same Museum but I was told some of the uniform itens are reproductions. I think this cap is a reproduction.

 

[Salterr]

To start off, it is in reasonable good condition. A button is missing. The remaining button is a musician button.View attachment 481334View attachment 481335 This is not a standard issue forage cap and with the braid, when new, it was probably fairly expensive.

Even in less than perfect condition it makes for a nice display.

The lyre insignia is a post war design of the 1880's. Earlier in the 1870's musicians insignia was still a horn with the regiment inside the loop.

 

[Package4]

To start off, it is in reasonable good condition. A button is missing. The remaining button is a musician button.View attachment 481334View attachment 481335 This is not a standard issue forage cap and with the braid, when new, it was probably fairly expensive.

Even in less than perfect condition it makes for a nice display.

This is most likely an IW period cap, would need to see the interior to be absolutely sure. There are two aspects of the cap that leads one to suspect post war:

1. The braid is soutache which is almost always seen on post war kepis and never on southern kepis. Soutache is a poor man's braid. The majority of ACW period officers headgear utilized metallic flat braid. There are some rare exceptions.

2. The insignia is embroidered directly to the cap and not a separate piece.

Both of these combined leads to the conclusion that this is a post war kepi. The construction is very like a war date piece, so may be late 60s. Just an opinion……

 

[Salterr]

@Package4 raised another good point from the insignia stand point. Direct embroidery is a post war design along with the emblem itself being post war and the buttons. Civil war insignia has a backing to it. Sometimes with jaceron or cut down to the shape of the emblem but still with it's velvet backing. I'm afraid that cap is mislabeled as civil war. Given these things I agree that's it's definitely late Indian wars.