Campaign hat worn by William T. Sherman

Physical Description

Gray wool felt with gold-cord trim. U.S. insignia.

Specific History

During the Civil War, officers wore many types of hats, more often non-regulation than regulation. This example of a regulation army hat was worn by General William T. Sherman. The hat is made of gray felt and has a gold general officer's hat cord as prescribed in the 1858 regulations for general officers; also in keeping with the regulations is a gold-embroidered wreath, encircling the letters "U.S." embroidered in silver, on a black-velvet patch sewn onto the front of the crown.

General History

Although a native of Ohio, William Tecumseh Sherman remains inextricably linked with Georgia and the burning of Atlanta. Sherman was a graduate of West Point. His first tour of duty was in Florida in a campaign against the Seminole Indians and later he was an aide during the Mexican War. After a failed attempt at banking, he commanded a military school. During the Civil War he sided with the Union. His first action was in the Battle of First Manassas in July 1861. In July 1863, Sherman was promoted to brigadier general. His fame came on May 5, 1864, when he marched his army of close to 100,000 men into Georgia. Within six weeks, Confederate casualties had doubled, and on September 1, 1864, Sherman occupied Atlanta. His plan was to burn the buildings used for military purposes, but his fires raged out of control, destroying much of the city. With Atlanta burning, Sherman launched his March to the Sea. 60,000 of his most seasoned soldiers cut a swath of destruction through the heart of Georgia. By December 23, 1864, Sherman's forces occupied Savannah. After the war, in 1869, he succeeded Ulysses S. Grant as General of the Army of the United States. Sherman retired from the army in 1884 with that rank.