44th New York Infantry Forage Cap With 5th Army Corps Badge – SOLD

Description

44th New York Infantry Forage Cap With 5th Army Corps Badge. A commercial grade cap with fine wool padded lining of polished brown cotton. The sweatband is made of a 1 1/2 quality maroon leather. There are some tears in the sweatband, and small areas where stitching has broken.  No maker markings.

Made of a fine blue wool with typical welt between body and crown. 4 1/2 inch height in front of cap. Crown width is 5 5/8 inches. Leather visor has trim, with the underside finished in green. New York State side buttons hold the chinstrap that has no buckle, and no evidence of one ever being there.  The leather sections show sign of being in the attic, and heat, and perhaps poor storage with non-descript material adhered to the surfaces.  Attic heat has caused the visor to buckle inward at the side points, but will expand with form.  The body has some mothing in front and smaller nips spread out on the surface (not an abundance of damage).

The 5th Army Corps badge is sewn directly to the crown, and is an original wartime insignia, made of thin red wool serge. Moth holes on this as well.  Below the corps badge is applied original numerals for the 44th New York.

No personal association with this piece unfortunately.

 

The 44th New York, known as Elsworth’s Avengers was organized at Albany. The regiment left Albany on October 21, 1861, for Washington, and once arrived at the Capital, was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, later with the 5th Corps. The following Spring their war started Yorktown on April 30th.  On May 27, they were heavily engaged at Hanover Court House, Va., then Gaines Mills a month later.

They fought at many places, with battles at Malvern Hill, 2nd Bull Run, Groveton, and Fredericksburg by the end of 1862. There next major engagement was Gettysburg on the 2nd day, July 2nd, 1863. At Gettysburg the 44th was positioned on the left of the line and joined in the defense of Little Round Top, the most contested area of fighting on July 2nd, where it met with its greatest loss in the battle. Casualties numbered 111 killed, wounded and missing. The regiment was placed in reserve on July third and had two more men wounded the 3rd day of battle. Colonel Strong Vincent was in command of the brigade, and was killed on the 2nd day of fighting.

1864 proved to be constant fighting under Grant, with battles at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna River, Cold Harbor, Bethesda Church, Petersburg Campaign, and many more.

From May of 1862 to October of 1864 until the regiment mustered out, they were attached to the 5th Army Corps.

A very historical piece from a most hard fought Civil War volunteer regiment.