The events of this week got me to step up on a hat I’ve been wanting to own for years. A US Army Cavalry hat from the Civil War and (probably) Indian Wars period. I will need to hunt down an Osprey book on American uniforms to make sure. It might have been in style during the Mexican-American War. Allegedly the US Army has officers still wear these with if they’re part of our contemporary helicopter forces, aka AirCav. Personally, I really want to find one like Larry Storch’s in F-Troop but his isn’t black/blue and maybe the brim being pulled up means he’s an enlisted guy. The style doesn’t seem to appear until the 1870-90 period too. Again, need to find a better guide book.
My plan is to have this to wear with pride during Confederate Heroes Day. I kid you not about its existence. Being a Yankee, I wasn’t aware of the losers getting their own holiday. To add insult to injury, it’s always the day after MLK Day Observed. Should it not arrive in time (likely), I can still wear it on April 9th, when Grant defeated Lee, ending the Civil War officially.
I will also be using it as a talking point to correct the conversation and memory of the Civil War. My primary one will be stating how this is a US Army hat, not a Union hat. The conflict was fought by the US Army against the Confederate insurgency commanded by traitorous officers. Screw this ‘Union v. Confederacy or Rebel’ bullshit. The ‘both sides’ labels grant an unwarranted legitimacy to the Confederacy; as if they were equals or had a valid point. They had none! The Confederate Army was the military arm for a sore loser movement which also believed that over four million people were better off as slaves.
The hat’s other point is to remind all those dickweeds who wave their Y’all Qeda flags, aka, the stars n’ bars, we kicked your ass before, we can do it again. Sam Houston warned you last time, better take his advice this time.