I Certainly Missed the Action On “That Thread !!

[macwilkin]

I believe the US Army wore peaked caps in the 1820's (a rather ugly pancake crown with cord decoration radiating from the centre button, decorative bands to the sides and a flat peak). It was superseded by the 1833 leather folding cap.

In 1839 or so, the US Army adopted a new peaked cap, far smarter with a vertical round peak. Infantry was pale blue with a folding neck-curtain, dragoons dark blue with a yellow band and artillery dark blue with a red band. It was worn during the US-Mexican War of 1846-48 and indeed through the 1850's until superseded by the 1858 pattern fatigue cap (aka bummers' cap)

I really wouldn't call the 1827 and 1839 caps "peaked" per se...I suppose I'm being pedantic, but I certainly would say they were the forerunner of the modern peaked cap.

And the '39 was replaced by a shako in 1850s, followed by the M1858 "Army Hat", also known as the "Hardee", and based on the hats of the Austrian Jagers, complete with feather plume.

http://fortdouglas.org/virtualgaller...ry/c1shako.jpg

http://www.sharpsburg-arsenal.com/co.../prod_341.html

I've worn an 1833 "hog killer" for living history, btw -- probably the most worthless piece of military headgear ever designed.

T.