Model 1872 Massachusetts Enlisted Dress Hat

Description

This is a Model 1872 enlisted man's dress hat that would have been worn during the Indian Wars period. The hat is very similar in style to the shako hats used by the military from the 1830's -1860's. The exterior of the hat is covered with blue wool and has a black leather band at the top and bottom of the hat. The lower band is 15/16" wide, while the upper is 1/2" wide. A small vent is located in the center of the top of the hat. Near the front of the crown is a slit to insert a Pompom. The black leather chinstrap is 5/8" wide and is retained by two Massachusetts state seal buttons. There is no visible makers mark on the buttons. The black leather visor is in very good condition, showing no cracking or crazing. The underside of the visor is green in color. The left front of the hat has some wool loss, shown in the photos. The brown leather sweatband is almost completely gone. A small section remains at the front of the hat. A makers label is the in the top of the hat that shows Bent & Bush made the headgear. The 387 Washington St address in Boston, Massachusetts dates this hat to between 1877 and 1903. Hand written in pencil are possibly two names. The first is C.F. Sargent, the other is Chas Manning, or Charles Manning. The Civil War Database shows two matches for Sargent and seven for Charles Manning. Perhaps one of these soldiers remained in the state militia after the war and was the owner of this hat. While it is missing the sweatband and Pompom, it still has very nice eye appeal. It will make a nice addition to any Massachusetts Indian Wars collection.