Top hats

[Dullknife]

Were top hats pretty much part of upper class fashion?

You wouldnt usually see people from the lower classes or backwoods having them for everyday use?

Were they ever a part of CSA military uniforms?


Thank you

 

[johan_steele]

Top hats were for whoever could afford them but you're right in thinking they were not inexpensive. I'm unaware of either side having a unit with the top hat as a uniform item.

 

[RedRover]

Yes, hats of the "stovepipe" form were still fashion in the early 1860s. Worn both formally and in "morning dress" (basically business attire) by many.

In George Caleb Bingham's 1854 election painting, you can see top hats yet about, though the more comfortable slouch hat was most common:

By the 1860s, the tall hats were still fashion..

Cairo, Illinois post office, 1861, at least one chap in a stove-pipe at right:

As mentioned above, they were not part of the period "military fashion" and not universally worn among the citizenry, but some were employed by militia, Confederates, etc. where necessary.

Here's a group of Charlestonians posing with a field piece in 1861, in their citizen's dress, some including top hats. Very likely militia.

Here's a wartime Indiana Home Guard:

When Company A, 6th Indiana Regiment of Volunteers formed in April, 1861, before they received any uniforms, the fellows posed in their civilian dress:

Such hats are not the best for active military service, but considering the poverty of suitable clothing among the Confederates, they might be put to use in a pinch as evidenced by some period sketches.

Edwin Forbes sketched Confederate Prisoners taken at the Battle of Chancellorsville, VA May 3, 1863, showing some...

After their raid into Ohio and Indiana, General John Hunt Morgan's Confederate cavalry were described as rather un-uniform, having appropriated a wide variety of clothing along their long ride by the time they were imprisoned at Camp Morton:

An from a Waud sketch of some of the more destitute prisoners collected from Lee's army at the siege of Petersburg in 1864:

Brigadier General Joseph Finegan, commanding Lee's Florida Brigade in the last year of the war, was noted as customarily wearing his citizen's coat and top hat and waving his cane at the Battle of Cold Harbor in June, 1864.



When Lee's army marched into Pennsylvania in June, 1863, the militia of the State was called forth to defend Harrisburg:

At the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, local citizen John Burns joined in the battle in his modest stove-pipe:

At President Lincoln's second inauguration in March, 1865, there was still a top hat or two to be seen among some gents in the crowd:

And in 1866 they still might be seen among some in Congress:

 

[captaindrew]

Confederate Top Hats..... No, but they did have some contracts with English firms to import "Army Hats" that closely mimicked Federal Hardy hats. To someone who didn't know better from a distance they may be mistaken for top hats. Here is a photo of one of those suspected imports.

 

[captaindrew]

For that matter an unadorned Federal Hardee hat, popular with Western Theater Union Boys, to those that didn't know better might think they were top hats. In fact I showed this photo of me(left) and one of my messmates at Fort Blakely a couple years ago to one of my friends and he said "Dude, what's with the top hats?"

 

[Pollaco]

Indians liked them.

 

[DixieRifles]

Were they ever a part of CSA military uniforms?

17th Mississippi Infantry.

This excellent image is ancestor of an acquaintance who lives in Memphis.​

I'm painting a miniature figure—the bust only-- of this uniform. The kit came as a 15 Miss Regt that wore a "cowboy hat". So to convert it to the 17th Miss, I asked @rebel brit to make a top hat for it. I hope to finish painting my figure sometime this month.

BTW, I was researching the uniform may ancestor wore in the 7th Kentucky Militia in 1812, and they also wore a too hat. Appears to be common in pre-Civi War times.

 

[Scott1967]

General Picton was killed at Waterloo sporting his finest top hat.

 

[major bill]

Will top hats start showing up be worn by soldiers at Civil War reenactments?

 

[captaindrew]

Will top hats start showing up be worn by soldiers at Civil War reenactments?

I've seen a couple in the ranks over the years. There's a mentality by a few that think because they're Confederate they can sport whatever they want, one of the age old reenactorisms.

 

[DixieRifles]

The Osprey booklet, "The Confederate Army 1861-65 (3)" covers the early uniforms of Texas. It has two images of Texans wearing top hats.

This soldier of the 4th Texas Infantry is described as a privately-purchased hat that is pinned up on one side. I would call this a top hat.

The other is a soldier of the 5th Texas Infantry. He was taken ill and discharged before he reached Virginia. His "uniform" is homespun gray sack coat and he includes many things not exactly uniform - such as his Walch revolver.

There are a lot of other examples of a short, dapper hat, somewhat like the style General Lee wore. Many Southern states woren tricorn hats with 2 or 3 sides pinned up. But these look nothing like a Top Hat.

 

[DixieRifles]

Another image that depicts a soldier of 17th Mississippi infantry whose uniform had a single row of buttons. The 15th Miss Infantry had a row of buttons to each side. The shiny object on his breast is some type of pin. He must be an officer with regulation US rank.

 

[captaindrew]

The Osprey booklet, "The Confederate Army 1861-65 (3)" covers the early uniforms of Texas. It has two images of Texans wearing top hats.

This soldier of the 4th Texas Infantry is described as a privately-purchased hat that is pinned up on one side. I would call this a top hat.

View attachment 473717​

The other is a soldier of the 5th Texas Infantry. He was taken ill and discharged before he reached Virginia. His "uniform" is homespun gray sack coat and he includes many things not exactly uniform - such as his Walch revolver.

View attachment 473718​

There are a lot of other examples of a short, dapper hat, somewhat like the style General Lee wore. Many Southern states woren tricorn hats with 2 or 3 sides pinned up. But these look nothing like a Top Hat.

There are a few things I see in these pictures. First I bet these guys enlisted and walked right down the street to have their picture taken in the local studio. The young man on top by the way he's improperly wearing ill fitting acoutraments tells me he hasn't had the first day of training yet and could be even studio props. It certainly does look like a top hat but as you say privately purchased. Whether that's the hat that followed him on the field who knows, it's certainly nothing that was issued by the Confederate or state government. There's nothing the man in the lower picture is wearing that's military. Probably the clothes he had on when he walked into the enlistment office. And the pistol and blade he's sporting I'm pretty confident never left the studio. If he fell ill before reaching Virginia he may never had been issued any type of uniform. You have to be careful studying studio photos, they can tell you a lot but also can be misleading. I have a feeling the OP, from some other discussions he's been in here, is thinking about building an impression and he's asking questions which is great. My best advice is to study the few rare photos of Confederates in the field, casualties, and prisoners to really see what they looked like.

 

[captaindrew]

Another image that depicts a soldier of 17th Mississippi infantry whose uniform had a single row of buttons. The 15th Miss Infantry had a row of buttons to each side. The shiny object on his breast is some type of pin. He must be an officer with regulation US rank.

View attachment 473730​

That is a great image, those uniforms are sharp. I would say though that hat is a Federal Hardee or of similar style there of. Many of the pre war militias used that style of hat.

 

[DixieRifles]

There's nothing the man in the lower picture is wearing that's military. Probably the clothes he had on when he walked into the enlistment office. And the pistol and blade he's sporting I'm pretty confident never left the studio. If he fell ill before reaching Virginia he may never had been issued any type of uniform. You have to be careful studying studio photos, they can tell you a lot but also can be misleading.

Yes. The Osprey books(set of 6) mentions some left for Virginia without uniforms. The local sewing committee made their uniforms and shipped them out in 2 wagons.
Since I had an ancestor in the 17th Mississippi Infantry, I would like to know how long they wore those uniforms & that hat in the field. I cant imagine a top hat surving a heavy rain.

Not top hats

Here are period photos showing the Virginia style hat and the tricorn hat.

 

[captaindrew]

Yes. The Osprey books(set of 6) mentions some left for Virginia without uniforms. The local sewing committee made their uniforms and shipped them out in 2 wagons.
Since I had an ancestor in the 17th Mississippi Infantry, I would like to know how long they wore those uniforms & that hat in the field. I cant imagine a top hat surving a heavy rain.

Not top hats

Here are period photos showing the Virginia style hat and the tricorn hat.

View attachment 473745

View attachment 473746

I'd imagine that once those uniforms wore out after a few months they probably acquired something more standard and eventually started getting supplied by Richmond when the depot system got its act together in mid to late 62. I'm sure you're familiar with the photo of these Mississippi boys in Fredericksburg, winter 63. They are mostly wearing Richmond Depot jackets.

 

[captaindrew]

As for tricorns, they are simple slouch hats pinned up on both sides. Was a pretty common practice to stay out of the way of your rifle but could be let down when needed. Its seen pretty often in photos with one or both sides pinned up. That's why the Hardee hats were pinned up, wasn't just for style.

 

[DixieRifles]

I'd imagine that once those uniforms wore out after a few months they probably acquired something more standard and eventually started getting supplied by Richmond when the depot system got its act together in mid to late 62.

I totally agree — except it seems the 17 Miss was still recieving supplies from home based on Pvt Robert Moore's journal.
I am almost convinced those Rebs in Fredericksburg photo are the 17 Mississippi.
Sometimes, one company would adopt a uniform or accessory unique to their own company. Their replacement uniforms would become standardized for awhile and then they scrounged for whatever they could find.

 

[captaindrew]

I totally agree — except it seems the 17 Miss was still recieving supplies from home based on Pvt Robert Moore's journal.
I am almost convinced those Rebs in Fredericksburg photo are the 17 Mississippi.
Sometimes, one company would adopt a uniform or accessory unique to their own company. Their replacement uniforms would become standardized for awhile and then they scrounged for whatever they could find.

Until the central depots really got going units would still rely on their states, home, and the commutation system for clothing. For those reading this unfamiliar with the commutation system the CS government gave soldiers an allowance to furnish their own uniforms. The first year of the war you'd see a lot of variety in uniforms. The system was ineffective and dropped and the central depots started supplying uniforms and contrary to popular belief actually did a pretty good job considering the obstacles they had to work with. The Confederate troops actually took on a more uniform appearance as the war went on, particularly as far as jackets were concerned.

 

[Pollaco]

I came across several depictions of Jefferson Davis' inauguration in Montgomery on Feb. 18, 1861. One is a lithograph of an actual photograph taken of the event. Not too many top hats there. But the second shows top hats galore. But this woodcut or lithograph is more than likely the "artists" imagination.