THE FRENCH INFLUENCED

CONFEDERATE KEPI

By John McDonald

THE FRENCH INFLUENCED CONFEDERATE KEPI

By John McDonald

nce in a while we all stumble on

things in the least expected places.
Several years ago at a small auction of
artifacts and general items of the late
Lloyd Lee in Pennsylvania, an article
of Civil War historical value came on
the block. A kepi, not any of the many
common Union varieties that are seen
numerous times at shows and auctions,
but one that collectors only dream
of owning, an authentic Confederate

Generals kepi. This was like finding the

Crown Jewels and would be one of the
hallmarks of any collection. The question was not whether it would be purchased, but who was the original owner
and how did it find its way to a small
Pennsylvania town. This article hopefully will answer some of those questions and lead to answers on others. But
first a little head wear history.
The kepi was formerly the most com-

w w w. c o n f e d e r a t e p l a n e t . c o m

mon headgear in the French Army. Its

name is from the word kappe or cappe
meaning cap. Its predecessor originally
appeared during the 1830s in the initial stages of the occupation of Algeria
as a series of various lightweight caneframed cloth undress caps called Casquette dAfrique. These were intended
as alternatives to the heavier, cloth covered leather French Army shako. As a
light and comfortable headdress, it was

European French kepi of the American Civil War era.

Courtesy Christies Auctions.

adopted by the metropolitan (French

mainland) infantry regiments for service and daily wear, with the less practical shako being relegated to parade
use. In 1852, a new soft cloth cap was
introduced for campaign and off-duty.
Called bonnet de police visire, this
was the first proper model of the kepi.

Photographs of
French officers
taken by Roger
Fenton in the
Crimea circa
1854. Library
of Congress.

The visor
was generally square
in shape
and oversized and
was referred
to as Bec
De Canard
(duck bill). This kepi had no chinstrap
(jugulaire). Subsequent designs reduced
the size of the cap and introduced chinstraps and buttons. The kepi became
well known outside France during the
Crimean War and was subsequently
adopted in various forms by a number
of other armies especially the United
States.
As the United States emerged from
the war with Mexico the wheel hat and
shako were still the prominent form of
head gear in the army. The evolution to
the use of the kepi in the many pre Civil
War militia units would be our countrys normal mirroring of European

w w w. c o n f e d e r a t e p l a n e t . c o m

Colonel John R. Lanes kepi worn when he led

the 26th North Carolina after Gettysburg.
Courtesy North Carolina Museum of History.

A Confederate officers artillery kepi

on display in an unkown museum
in Germany. Courtesy StromBer.

Unknown Confederate Colonels kepi.

Smithsonian Collection.

w w w. c o n f e d e r a t e p l a n e t . c o m

military fashion and tactics and by 1861

the kepi was standard for New York infantry regiments. Also, a young George
B. McClellan had been an observer
in the Crimea for a short time and
admired the headgear of the French
Troops. His association with the hat
forever designated it as the McClellan
kepi. The kepi is not to be confused
with the model 1858 forage cap, which
evolved directly from the shako used by The missing lining and sweat band show a horse hair
the regular army earlier in the 1850s.
and cotton interlining added for body. The interior
Essentially, the forage cap, described by crown of the kepi reveals the ink inscription. J.W.
381 S. Main St. Greenville Pa/ 139th Penn
some troops as shapeless as a feedbag, Hilderbran
Vols/ 2nd Brig/2nd Div/ 6th Army Corps./ Loaned
was a less-expensive and more comfort- by Mrs S. G. Baker 381 S. Main St. Greenville Pa.
Research shows S.G. Baker was James daughter and
able version of the earlier shako with
lived at that address. Courtesy the author.
the stiffening removed.
The Confederate kepi was a direct
uniform regulations for the Confederdescendant of the French style. The
ate States issued in Richmond early
in the war call for a cap of the form
known as the French kepi of dark blue
for General Officers and Officers of the
General Staff and Engineers. These
regulations were never strictly adhered
to, but enough surviving examples have
come down through the generations to
bear out the basic design.
How this kepi arrived at the auction
company is typical of many Confederate artifacts found in the North. From
flags to muskets, all matter of war souvenirs were brought home by returnThe small sized script I button has a TREBLE
RICH.STAND back mark. The script gothic I
ing Union soldiers as mementos of the
signifies English manufacture and Southern use.
great struggle. Inside this kepi written
Courtesy the author.
in ink are the name, address and regiww
w w.
w. cc o
on
n ff e
ed
de
e rr aa tt e
ep
p ll aa n
ne
e tt .. cc o
om
m
w

ment of the Union soldier that obviously obtained the kepi during the
war. Maybe the soldiers name could
provide a clue to which Confederate
general owned the hat or better yet
how and where it was obtained? The
search of the soldiers data base at Fold3
revealed that the name J.W. Hilderbran
inscribed in the crown of the kepi was
James William Hilderbran(d) a 19 year
old private with company A, 139th Pa
Inf. The 139th was your typical hard
fought regiment in the Army of the
Potomac. Organized in August 1862
its first real military action was chasing
Robert E. Lees army out of Pennsylvania. From there on it was in one battle
after another all the way to Appomattox and the possibilities of where young
James found or took the kepi are limitless. The next logical place for clues
would be in Jamess personal life after
the war. The internet provided pretty
detailed information on James life. He
was a typical Union soldier, 56, fair
skinned with sandy hair. His trade was
carpentry and farming. A surviving
letter reveals an articulate young man
who had a deep belief in religion and
the Union cause. After the war he married and had four children. Pretty good
information, but no clues on the kepi.
His obituary proved more interesting.
James William Hildebran, a lifelong
resident of the vicinity of Greenville and
a veteran of the Civil War died at his

The gold metallic braid swirls on the crown are called

Austrian Knots. This type of flat woven braid made up
of thin brass metal over a cotton or silk core was the
most common used during the War. The braid or the
machinery to make it was probably imported from
Europe. Another type of braid called Soutache was
also used in military decoration to a lesser extent.
Courtesy the author.

home in South Main street on Thursday,

September 18, after an illness of pneumonia.
He was the son of Charles and Margaret Hildebran, born in Hickory township, March 16, 1844. He enlisted in the
Union army at the beginning of the Civil
war and was stationed in Company A,
139th regiment, PA., Volunteer Infantry.
He fought for three days over the famous
Gettysburg battlefield and later joined
Co. K, 15th regiment, Penna. National
Guard. In 1868 he was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Laughlin. On
September 10, 1918, Mr. and Mrs.

w w w. c o n f e d e r a t e p l a n e t . c o m

Hildebran celebrated their golden wedding. Mr. Hildebran was a member of

the First Methodist church, of the G. A.
R., the Odd Fellows and the Woodmen
of the World. Mr. Hildebran followed the
trade of a millwright.
Surviving are his widow, two sons, W.
G. and L. A. Hildebran of Cleveland, two
daughter, Mrs. S. G. Baker of Greenville
and Mrs. A. E. Lee of Fredonia, and the
following brothers and sisters, Josiah
Hildebran of Sheakleyville; Mrs. Edwin
Beaver of Leechs Corners, Mrs. George
Wagner of Greenville, and Mrs. Henry
Houck also of Greenville.
The funeral services will be conducted
by Dr. Charles B. Wakefield of the First
Presbyterian church from the family residence at two oclock Sunday afternoon

with interment at the Shenango Valley

cemetery. The members of the John Dickey Post, G. A. R. will attend the services
in a body.
Not entirely a smoking gun, but now
the other inscriptions in the kepi become more relevant. S.G. Baker was
James daughter living at the Main
Street address. Quite possibly she
loaned the kepi to the John Dickey
G.A.R. Post for a display some time
before James passing. The Lloyd Lee
whos personal affects were auctioned
and where the kepi originated was
James grandson. The search for the
original Confederate owner is still a
mystery, but with this additional information the quest could eventually lead
to an answer, maybe.
The author has collected antiques all his life and
in his spare time attends auctions looking for more
treasures. He would like any further input and
information on this kepi be directed to this website
in care of John McDonald.

SOURCES
Civil War Soldiers Studies.com
Ancestry.com
Fold 3.com

James final resting place Shenango Valley Cemetery,

Greenville, PA. Photo courtesy Shirley McMunn at
findagrave.com

w w w. c o n f e d e r a t e p l a n e t . c o m