This wonderful “pork pie” style slouch hat came to us with a pair of mounted trousers, a sky-blue military vest and a cavalry shell jacket. The group is from the well-known collection of the late James Stamatelos and can be seen on page 106 of “Echoes of Glory: Arms & Equipment of the Union.” Upon inspection we found that only the trousers were marked in the waistband with the name “D. E. Taft.” A search of internet records shows only two soldiers with matching initials and last name. Both are Daniel E. Taft. One was in the 6th Vermont Infantry and the other in Battery K, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery. Not being able to make a solid ID we decided to sell the items separately.

The body of this slouch hat is made of black felt with a bound edge. The black edging has faded to a light brown and is worn in various places. There is only one area of complete separation that meas. approx. 0.25 of an inch across. The crown of the hat is low and flat and the base is surrounded by a black tape band that ends in a small bow. Also around the base of the crown is a very nice cavalry hat cord.  The body of the hat is in good, solid condition with no tears or holes. The front, back and a small part of the crown have subdued reddish brown stains of an unknown origin that look like splashed mud or something along those lines.

The interior has a painted canvas sweatband with a brown polished cotton lining. The sweatband is complete and meas. approx. 2.00 inches high. The polished cotton lining has torn into two separate pieces. The lower section is still attached to the hat while the upper section is loose.

This rare wartime slouch hat has some great character and comes from what was one of the finest collections in the country. [ad]

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