Includes the book "United States Army Headgear 1855-1902" by Edgar M. Howell in which the only other known 1872 Officer's Campaign Hat is illustrated in figure 38 and identified as that of Captain Frederick W. Benteen, most famous for leading a battalion of the 7th U. S. Cavalry during the brutal Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 and for being slow to respond to Custer's request for help. The book also notes that these hats were not generally well-received by the troops as they wore out quickly; one officer reported wearing his completely out on a single 20-day scout. Bvt. Maj. Gen. Edmund Schriver, Inspector General of the Army, commented: "Ridiculous in design [and] faulty in manufacture. . .better suited to a wet nurse than a soldier in the ranks. . .I state this without fear of contradiction." Given such condemnation and reports, it is amazing that any of these hats survive. A 1996 letter of provenance from Walter Budd states that this is one of only two of these 1872 Officer's Campaign Hats known, the other being Benteen's. Both of these hats were formerly in the collection of Glen Swanson of Montana. Others have reported that Benteen wore his 1872 Campaign Hat at the Battle of Little Bighorn and many enlisted men likely wore theirs that day as well along with a motley mix of privately purchased hats; therefore, it is certainly possible this hat was also worn by an officer at the battle. Photographs of the 7th Cavalry show this pattern among those in use prior to the fateful day. The included copy of a colorized photograph of General George Armstrong Custer in 1865 shows him wearing a somewhat similar earlier hat. The book notes that the officer version is identifiable by its higher quality and the use of black silk binding on the edge of the brim as can be seen on this example. The hat is primarily black felt and has a black silk band and binding and a brown leather sweatband with crosshatch pattern. Remnants of a maker's label are inside the crown. A set of black hooks and eyes are on the front and back. These were used to fold the sides of the hat up when in the field and fold down when in the rain. This is the only time in U.S. headgear history this feature was used on a field hat. It also has a set of gilt officer's cords.

Very good with moderate overall age and storage related wear, deterioration and some sections absent of the edge binding, a few small holes, and solid main construction including the sweatband. This is an incredibly scarce piece of U.S. Army headgear.