This wool forage cap is part of a reproduction Fatigue Marching Order uniform of a Private in the U.S. Infantry from the American Civil War. It was worn by the donor, Adam Bartone, during reenactments and completes a uniform consisting of a shirt, trousers, jacket, belt, belt buckle, cap, neckerchief, gloves, a canteen, a cartridge pouch, and a haversack. 

This uniform is an example of what a soldier in the Union Army would have worn during the American Civil War (1861-1865). All components are reproductions. 

During the Investigate program, students will take the role of Museum curators and use close observation and critical thinking to discover the origin, meaning, and importance of real objects from the Museum’s Collection. Students will learn how to handle and study primary sources and will be pushed to consider how singular objects or groups of objects can tell meaningful stories about our place.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to analyze primary sources (artifacts and photographs) and make inferences about the story or significance of the sources.
• Students will be able to explain the broad causes and players in the Civil War, including Michigan’s role.
• Students will be able to describe what life was like for a Civil War soldier.

Curriculum Connections:

• NGSS Science and Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations; Engaging in Argument from Evidence
• ELA Common Core Standards by Domain: Research to Build and Present Knowledge
• Michigan K-12 Social Studies Standards: H1 The World in Temporal Terms: Historical Habits of Mind, H3 The History of Michigan and the Great Lakes Region, H4 The History of the United States, U5 Civil War and Reconstruction, P1 Reading and Communication, P2 Inquiry Research and Analysis