A forage cap is a military headgear worn for situations that do not require a formal or uniform hat. It evolved from the shako and kepi, with the American Civil War forage cap being a separate evolution. It was believed to be more comfortable and protective than the kepi, and both sides in the conflict wore different styles of headgear.
A forage cap is a type of headgear that is worn primarily by military personnel. In the early to mid 1800s, certain styles of military caps worn in the field began to be called forage caps because soldiers would use the hats to store food and supplies found while feeding. Over time, the term forage cap was used to refer to military headgear worn for situations that do not require a formal or uniform hat.
The term forage cap may also refer to the specific style of uniform headgear worn by the armies of the United States of America and the Confederate States of America during the period before and after the American Civil War of 1861-1865. The forage cap worn during the American Civil War period was often referred to as a kepi, which is a peaked hat of French origin, consisting of a rigid circular top and straight, structured sides. The French developed the kepi in the early 1800s as a substitute for a military hat known as a shako.
Like the kepi, the shako is a peaked hat with a rigid circular top and structured sides. However, the shako is a tall hat and is not well suited for field or fatigue use. The kepi incorporated the cylindrical design and structure of the shako, but reduced the height, making it a more practical design. As France was one of the dominant military powers of that time, French uniform design influenced the military uniform designs of other nations, including the United States, which adopted the kepi.
Although commonly referred to as a kepi, the American Civil War forage cap actually evolved separately from the kepi. Like the kepi, the forage cap was an attempt by the United States Army to make the shako more practical and appropriate for situations that did not require a formal dress hat. The fodder tops retained the visor and rigid circular top of the shako, but did not possess the rigid upright structure. Without the structure provided by the sides, the top of the fodder cap often appeared to droop downward and forward, and were often referred to as loafer caps or slip caps.
Although not generally considered as elegant in appearance as the kepi, the fodder cap was often believed to be more comfortable and provide more protection from the elements than the kepi. Both sides in the conflict wore stockcaps and kepis, although stockcaps were worn primarily by Union forces while variations of the kepi were primarily worn by Confederate armies.
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