The cap seen here is in untouched original condition and is a good example of an officer’s grade McDowell type forage cap, typical of those purchased and worn by officers during the Civil War.  Associated with the early portion of the war, McDowell style caps are distinguished by their soft sides, high crown and forward-sloping flat top. The McDowell cap's most recognizable characteristic is its short and downward sloping brim and tall seams, in this case 6¾” at the back with the front standing 5” high when upright.  The flat top is 6” in diameter and shows very slight wear at the front of the crown. Sewn around the circular edge of the flat top is a welt of the same fabric formed by a ⅛" diameter reed.  On the face of the cap is an embroidered infantry insignia on a felt backing with the regimental numeral "9” at its center.  The insignia is very fine and shows only slight wear at its top.

Following the design of the French kepi, this forage cap is based on the US Model 1858 pattern and is made of what appears to be a high grade wool/cotton blend fabric, dark blue.  The cap interior and crown are lined with a brown polished cotton cloth with no tears, rips or fraying. The small, curved leather visor is 1¾” deep in front.  The cap retains its original, black leather chinstrap with a brass buckle and two adjusters and measures approximately 11¼" long by ½" wide. The chinstrap is secured with two staff buttons bearing Scovill backmarks.  The original sweatband is 1⅜" wide brown Russian leather showing very slight wear. There is evidence of a maker’s label on the center of the inside crown, now gone.

This cap is the exact specimen pictured in two views on page 107 of the reference work, Army Blue - The Uniform of Uncle Sam’s Regulars by John P. Langellier.  The cap’s interior is pictured on page 109 of the same work.

Pattern of 1861 staff officer’s forage cap.  This regulation style cap is in near perfect condition.  Its visor and chinstrap are tarred leather, with the visor stitched at the brim.  The chinstrap has a brass buckle and one keeper, and is fastened by two federal eagle staff buttons marked "*D. Evans & Co.* Extra.” 

The cap bears an original and perfect condition regulation size oval staff insignia.  Black velvet cloth features a finely detailed embroidered oak-leaf pattern wreath that encircles two letters "U.S." in old English script. The US-in-wreath insignia is in excellent condition, very tight and strong and exhibits no pulls, fraying or blemishes. A single, twisted bullion wire border encircles the complete outer edge of the oval insignia.  The 1¼” Russian leather sweatband is original and intact, showing minor wear and a winged eagle with "U.S. Army” label is diamond-stitched inside the crown.  The finely woven black cotton liner is a modern replacement.  This cap measures 6” in height at the back seam, and 4” at the front.  There is no visible deterioration to the cap’s exterior.  

To mitigate the hardships of war, soldiers on both sides often relied on their irrepressible humor to see them through difficult times.  This slouch hat illustrates that humor while at the same time demonstrating a soldier’s pride in his unit.

It goes without saying that there were not 154 regiments enlisted from Tennessee. When Southern volunteer units rushed to Tennessee’s standard in April of 1861, each was vying for the honor of being designated the 1st Tennessee.  On April 15th, the men that were to become the 154th Senior arrived at the wharf at Memphis, rendezvousing under Colonel Preston Smith at Fort Randolph, Shelby County Tennessee (Conf. Vet. Vol. X, pg. 259.)  Each hailed from the Tennessee counties of Shelby, Henry, McNairy, Hardeman, and Fayette.  They laid their claim to the prize but were somehow bested by a regiment under George Maney, a politician from Franklin who had arrived at the same time.

Smith’s good natured boys insisted that if they couldn’t be the lowest numbered regiment, they would be the highest and claimed the moniker of the 154th Tennessee, the designation they had once held as a pre-war militia unit.  (Conf. Vet. Vol. XXI, pg.355, Vol. X, pg.259) The Regiment added the appellation "Senior” to confirm their early enlistment.  The 154th went on to have a notable battle record, seeing their first action at Belmont and losing thirteen men.  At Shiloh the 154th was devastated, losing thirty-one percent of those who stepped off with their colors.  They lost an even higher proportion at Murfreesboro, suffering a staggering forty-one percent casualties.  After having fought through the Georgia campaign, the 154th became the first regiment to re-enlist under J. E. Johnston at Dalton, signing on for "ninety-nine years or the war” (Conf. Vet. Vol. IX, pg.53; Vol. XIV, pg.291) and sparking a wave of patriotic enlistments among the dispirited Army of Tennessee.  The Seniors fought through Hood’s disastrous Tennessee campaign, the Carolina’s campaign and by the time of the Army of Tennessee’s surrender on April 26, 1865, their ranks were nearly empty.

The hat’s wearer took a well earned pride in his regiment and his slouch hat.  He fashioned a handmade pewter badge with 154TH TENN and decorative scrollwork cut into its face.  On the underside of the hat’s left brim, which was apparently worn pinned up, the bold designation 154 SENIOR appears above TN Reg’t. The label is encapsulated by scrolls similar to the scrolls that adorn the badge.  This entire script is done in ink and was probably red at the time it was executed.  The hat still retains its original sweatband and unique hatband which is a gold bullion braided officer’s sword knot complete with tassels.  This is the same hat pictured in Collecting the Confederacy by Shannon Pritchard, pages 137-139.