This very attractive Civil War officer’s forage cap has the owner’s name lightly scratched into the underside of the visor: “Capt. J. M. Durell.” Not only is the inscription of the period, the cap bears an original false embroidered infantry hunting horn on the top with the regimental numerals “13” in silvered brass in the loop of the horn. This combination of gilt brass infantry hunting horn with silvered regimental designation will be recognized by many collectors as common in New Hampshire headgear, with some extant caps and many images of enlistedmen even showing the letters NHV added in silver as well. See Langellier and Loane, US Army Headgear 1812-1872, p.133, for some examples.

Officers had to purchase their own uniforms (and other items) and this is a very good example of privately purchased, commercially produced forage cap, following the general lines of an army issue cap in having a body of medium height (6 inches from bottom edge to top edge at the side buttons,) allowing the crown to slant fashionably forward, with the top standing above the sides rather than inset in kepi style, but showing much better quality. The chinstrap is the issue style with a floating friction buckle and a stop-loop at the end of either section, but uses general staff side buttons, a pretty common catch-all button on commercial officers’ caps. The visor is flat, thicker and of better quality leather than on issue caps and has a bound edge. The interior is fully lined in black silk with padding and the underside of the crown is quilted using a sky-blue thread. The sweatband is complete and made of a thin leather showing a deep bluish-maroon finish, much better than the issue impressed goat skin found in army contract caps.

The condition is near excellent. The color is a nice deep blue, with perhaps just the slightest bit of fading from wear. We see just three or four pencil point moth nips on the wearer’s left front (high up and hidden by the folds) and two or three others on near the back seam. The top has just one small nip on the lower left front of the top and one slightly larger (a small oval 1/4 by 1/8 inch) at the upper left rear. The lining shows some shredding at the wearer’s temples and the underside of the crown where it would rub against the top of his head. The interior batting is in place, as is the buckram stiffener around the base. The sweatband shows some rubbing from wear, but is intact and firmly in place. The cap is stable, displays extremely well and, in our opinion, needs no conservation. It would be a stand-out in any headgear display.

Born in New Hampshire in 1832, James McDaniel Durell was working in the dry goods business in Boston when the war started and enlisted in the Massachusetts state militia. He apparently hoped for a commission and active service after Banks’ defeat in 1862 and, when disappointed, obtained a leave of absence, returned to New Hampshire and helped recruit a company there, raising enough men to gain a commission as 1^st Lieutenant of Co. E of the 13^th New Hampshire on 9/27/62 to date 9/19/62. The regiment arrived in Washington Oct. 8, served in Casey’s provisional division until transfer to the 9^th Corps in early December. They moved into the 7^th Corps in April 1863, and to the 18^th Corps in June, with which the regiment served until becoming part of the 24th Corps in December 1864. Their first action was at Fredericksburg, 12/13/62, where they lost 42 officers and men killed or wounded, with Durell among the latter. After transfer to the 7^th Corps (Dept. of Virginia) the unit was under fire several times in the area of Suffolk in April and May 1864. As part of the 18^th Corps (and later Army of the James) they were more heavily engaged at Drewry’s Bluff, Cold Harbor (where Durrell was wounded again on June 3,) Petersburg, Fort Harrison, and elsewhere, losing a total of 89 officers and men killed or mortally wounded during its service. Durell was a contributor to the regimental history where several anecdotes supplied by him or referring to him may be found, including actions under fire at Cold Harbor on June 1 that helped avoid an advance he regarded as suicidal.

Durell acted as Regimental Adjutant in the latter part of 1863 and was promoted to Captain of Co. C as of 7/15/64 (receiving his commission in the field on 7/19/64.) On Sept. 1 he was detached with the company to garrison Redoubt McConihe, an advanced and exposed post on the Bermuda Hundred lines, along with a four-gun artillery detachment, where they were under constant harassment by the enemy. On 11/27/64 he was appointed Acting Aide-de-Camp to General Graham, commanding the defenses of Bermuda Hundred and later commander of the Naval Brigade. In this capacity he was with Graham and staff at Butler’s attack on Fort Fisher in December and after returning to Virginia was part of river expedition to Fredericksburg in March resulting in the destruction of railroad lines and enemy supplies. In April 1865 he served as Acting Assistant Adjutant General of the Naval Brigade, until relieved for return to the regiment on June 13 and muster out on June 21. He had married while home on leave in February 1864 and was the father of five children. He returned to work in Boston as a traveling salesman for a year and then got back into the wholesale dry goods business. He applied for a disability pension in 1904 and died in 1912.

This is a great looking cap that belonged to an officer with some active and interesting service and was formerly on display in the Texas Civil War Museum.    [sr] [ph:L]

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