A FINE EXAMPLE OF A CONFEDERATE INFANTRYMAN'S KEPI

$17,500.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 1268-037

Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer

To Order:
Call 717-334-0347,
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This cap's crown, top and base band are made from a medium weight open weave woolen fabric which may be a blend of sorts. It certainly looks "home spun". The kepi gives indications of being a depot made item but may actually have been homemade as part of the Commutation System (home production with compensation from the government). The original color was certainly gray, but great age has caused it to turn to a "butternut" with strong brown shades extant. Butternut is actually a slang term and not a specific color. Domestically produced CS enlisted uniforms were mostly made of wool/jean cloth and colored with very poor dyes made of vegetables, plants and nut shells. Their attempts at gray made with these dyes would quickly weather to a brown then to tan color (even if they started their life as gray).

The cap is 3 inches in front and rises to 5 1/4 inches toward the rear. Other than wear from service the exterior fabric has few losses you could call "threadbare" and no, or minuscule, insect damage. The working chinstrap is intact. It was beginning to weaken in spots and has had minor professional restoration done to stabilize it. It is held in place by other ranks eagle buttons, one unmarked in back the other Scoville both with identical rich brown patinas. The visor is made of patent leather on top covered with canvas on the bottom "Japanned" or blackened. It is bound with blackened cloth. A minor crack in it has been stabilized. This visor is 7 inches across and 2 1/8 inches deep. The interior of this kepi is lined in fine cream-colored decorative linen or cotton which shows minor stains and loss but is otherwise perfect. The sweat band, made of brown leather it is 1 1/2 inches high and is 90% intact. It is hand whip stitched into place with a neutral color unmercerized cotton thread and all several dozens of these stitches are the originals. There are places where the sweat band has separated from the stitches, no big deal! Between the visor and the sweat band is a folded "lip" of "butternut" wool/jean covering that junction; a feature one hopes to see on well-made and authentic caps of this era. The size is about 7 1/4.

This one was in the Ray Richey Texas Civil War Museum until a short time ago. A Classic!   [pe][ph:L]

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