Uniform regulations of the Army 30th January 1787 prescribed for officers and for enlisted men of the infantry and artillery "hats cocked ... with white trimmings" for the former, `yellow trimmings' for the latter Cockades "black leather, round, with points, four inches diameter ... the feathers to rise 6 inches above the brim of the Hat".

The feathers for the artillery were to be black with red tops and those for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Regiment of Infantry red, black and white respectively. The infantry dropped the chapeaux for enlisted men by 1805 and for Company grade officers by 1812; the Foot Artillery, officers and enlisted men continued to wear them until 1812 and maybe a little later. They are described as: "Hats, cocked or chapeaux de bras, black leather cockade with points 4 inches in diameter, a yellow button and eagle in the centre, the button in uniform with the coat button, a white plume to project 6 inches above the Hat". The change over date is unknown but no contracts were let for this design after 1812.

The Uniform Regulations 30th March 1800 describe the headgear of a general staff officer as "a full cocked Hat, with a yellow button, gold loop, and a black cockade, with a gold eagle in the center", with a plume, the colour of which depended on rank and assignment. No dimensions are given.

These regulations also prescribe for infantry officers "Hats, full cocked, with narrow black binding, fan or hind part eight inches broad; sides and corners 6 inches broad; black cockade of 4 inches diameter having a white eagle in the center, the cockade to raise an inch above the brim; loop and button-black". A hat worn by Peter Gansevoort when Brigadier General 1809 to 1812 still exists. It is made of heavy black beaver, the cock (front) is 7 3/4 inches high, the fan (rear) is 8 1/2 inches, the distances from the sweatband to the points of the hat as seen measure 4 inches, the whole is 16 1/4 inches point to point in a straight line. The edges are bound with black silk ribbon 1 3/4 inches wide, 1 inch showing to the outside, with an in-woven geometric pattern. Two diagonal stripes of black silk ribbon frame the V-shaped loop of inch gold bullion which terminates in a gold New York Excelsior button. The black silk cockade is 3 1/2 inches in diameter of an elaborate layered construction with a gold eagle design in the centre. The 3 inch wide sweatband is decorated in gold both top and bottom, and the crown above it is lined with silk. There is a leather plume socket attached to the cock behind the cockade and loop. Also evidence suggests that both cock and fan were originally attached to the crown with black ribbon.

By 1812, the dimensions of the officers' chapeau had grown, the fan to be not less than 9 inches nor more than 11 inches high. In 1813 these had shrunk to not less than 6 1/2 inches nor more than 9 inches, point to point not less than 15 nor more than 17 1/2 inches, and to be without plumes. This generally remained the pattern through the rest of the war.

OTHER EXAMPLES

At the battle of New Orleans 1815 a variety of headgear appears to have been worn by the U.S. Non-Regulars. Coffees brigade of Tennesse Mounted Infantry, Thomas's Kentucky Brigade and Carroll's Tennesse Volunteers were dressed in hunting shirts, leggings of leather, deerskin or homespun (butternut) with moccasins and fur caps. Beale's New Orleans Rifle Company were clothed in blue Hunting Shirts and wide brimmed black hats. For a lengthy article on New Orleans see Thomas de Voe's article in `Eagles, Empires and Lions' issue 99 onwards.

Reilly in his book "The British at the Gates" quotes Coffees men as wearing "woolen hunting shirts of dark or dingy color, and copperas-dyed pantaloons, made, both cloth and garment, at home by their skins of raccoons and foxes, the spoils of the chase ..."

Finally, Pierre Berton in his book `Invasion of Canada' has Winchester's army advancing to Frenchtown winter 1813 "dressed in the clothes they wore when they left Kentucky, their cotton shirts torn and ragged ... their slough hats have long since worn bare".

Notes

Unless otherwise quoted, the above is taken from:

(1) The Journal of the Company of Collectors and Historians Vol. IV No.3 1952 (2) U.S. National Army Museum Bulletin 269: U.S. Army Headgear to 1854.

The Collection of the Smithsonian Institute Vol. 1.

For pictures of many of these Caps with full notes and sources the above publications should be consulted.

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