Rebel Tricorne Hat

Manassas 1861

Sergeant
Joined
Dec 30, 2023
Location
Somewhere on Henry Hudson's river.
Found this unique ambrotype at the Library of Congress photograph archive. An unidentified Reb wearing an early war shell jacket, a tricorne hat, and posing with a maynard carbine. Ive seen other photos of Rebs with cocked hats, most of them were from Mississippi regiments.
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The Military Board of the State of Mississippi, adopted a gray uniform for the State troops, and the hats to be cocked in 1861:

HAT.

"A broad brimmed black felt hat, to be looped up on three sides, when on parade, to be ornamented with cord, tassel and plumes, as hereinafter defined, according to grade; the plumes to be made of horse hair. For Major.General, a long flowing white plume. For Brigadier-General, the same as for Major.General, except it shall be red, tipped with white. Regimental Field and Staff Officers, same as for Major.General, except that the plume shall be all crimson, with a gilt number of the Regiment placed below the plume socket. For Captains, Lieutenants and men, the same as for Major-General, except that the plume shall be short and standing, and of the color of the facings of their dress, with a yellow metal number of their Regiments below the plume socket. The cords and tassels of the hat to be gold for all commissioned officers, and worsted for all non-commissioned officers and men, of the color of the facings of their dress, brass letter below the plume socket."
Interestingly, the Military Board of the State which adopted this uniform included the Governor, and General Jefferson Davis, before his election to the Confederate presidency...

1710002179139.png



The cocked hat is seen in lots of photographs, but it was evidently unlooped in camp and field. For example, here is Captain J.G. Bullard of the "Ben Bullard Rifles," of Company G, 10th Mississippi in 1861 in uniform...

1710002328363.png


This outfit was posted at Fort McRae with the Army of Pensacola as the war began. Here's a photo of some of the garrison, with hats unlooped...

1710002453845.png


Here's some 9th Mississippi chaps in camp. the jaunty tri-cornered hats not much seen...

1710002697578.png
 
Found this unique ambrotype at the Library of Congress photograph archive. An unidentified Reb wearing an early war shell jacket, a tricorne hat, and posing with a maynard carbine. Ive seen other photos of Rebs with cocked hats, most of them were from Mississippi regiments.View attachment 500975
I don't know that that's a tricornerr hat I think it's a " Cocked" hat almost like ropers used wear in my Granddad's day so as not to interfear with their building a loop.
 
I found another soldier with a pinned up hat, but I don't know if he's a Mississippi soldier.
I'm pretty sure he probably is a Mississippi fellow.

I've seen that photo before.
(I'm thinking maybe in Portraits of Conflict: a photographic history of Mississippi in the Civil War
Roberts & Moneyhon 1993).

I briefly looked through my copy of this reference book, but didn't see him.
However, his early War "battle shirt" is almost identical to dozens of other early War Mississippi uniform images.
 
To reiterate what others have said, these are not tricorns, but slouch hats that are looped on two or three sides. The process involves sewing a button(s) to the crown of the hat and having a loop of thread(s) on the brim. You would then loop the cord over the button when needed to be cocked. Generally, this was an early war phenonium and is not usually seen later. The thought was it harkened back to the Revolution and the glory days of parting with an overbearing government.
 
I remember in the beginning of the "Gods and Generals" film they showed one Southern regiment (from Shenandoah if I'm not mistaken) as wearing overall uniforms looking like those from the Independence War, including tricornes. IIRC it was based on a real regiment but I lost the article describing it.
 
I remember in the beginning of the "Gods and Generals" film they showed one Southern regiment (from Shenandoah if I'm not mistaken) as wearing overall uniforms looking like those from the Independence War, including tricornes. IIRC it was based on a real regiment but I lost the article describing it.
The "Continental Morgan Guard" or Company A, 31st Regiment of Virginia Militia (Frederick County), wore a revolutionary war style outfit. They mustered into Confederate service with the 5th Virginia Volunteers in 1861. They wore a tri-cornered hat with a buck's tail cockade.

Continental Morgan Guard, photos, Military Images, facebook.
 

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